Fundraiser Idea: Local Business Discount Cards

There are many ideas for raising money for a group or organization. Unfortunately, when presented with yet another fund-raiser, many people are tempted to run the other way. Many people find a lot of the items sold for fund-raisers useless and not something they would normally spend their money on. But there seems to be a kind of pressure to buy when it's "for a good cause." Discount cards offer a little something where everyone wins.

I recently received a discount card for local businesses in my area from a church preschool. The school has offered this deal every year and I have noticed that many people enjoy purchasing the cards and are eager for a chance to purchase them.

My card sold for ten dollars. On the back of the card are forty different businesses listing various discounts and deals. For instance, you can get ten dollars off a large pizza at a popular pizza chain. Another popular fast food restaurant offers a 10% discount off your purchase. There are also many different businesses listed that are not a national chain. Some are businesses that I had not previously realized were available. It makes for good advertising, which results in new customer traffic. It seems to be a pretty good deal for these smaller businesses.

This card is good for a year. It won't take more than a couple uses to make the card pay for itself, and then some. This is where the card holder wins.

With this type of fund-raiser, however, everyone wins. Your group or organization can sell the cards for five to ten dollars, depending on the cost of getting the cards made. If you shop around on the internet you may find you can get a couple thousand cards for between one and two dollars a piece. That makes for a nice profit for the organization. This is where your organization wins. If you can get 1,500 cards for $3,000.00 you can sell the cards for $10.00 a piece. This makes a gross profit of $15,000.00. Subtract the $3,000.00 it cost to have the cards made, and your group or organization makes a $12,000.00 net profit.

Call or stop by local businesses to see if they will be willing to honor a discount or deal for a year. Some companies that manufacture the cards may even do this leg work for you. The local business will win because they will get an increase in customer traffic. As a customer, I am more likely to choose a business that is listed for a discount to get the full use out of my card. When presented with some ideas of what's in it for them, even the most reluctant business owner or manager will find it hard to say no.

The customer will win because they will want to make the purchase of their card worthwhile. If they use their discount card often enough to get their money's worth and even more, they will most likely want to purchase another card from you next year. They may also want to brag about the great deal they are getting by telling their friends and family, creating even more card buyers. This is where your group or organization wins by obtaining repeat and new customers.

These discount cards are a good idea for schools, churches, cheerleaders, sport teams and many others. The next time your group or organization is in need of a fund raising idea, consider investing in a discount card where everyone comes out a winner.