Excerpted from Disc Makers new guide, Fundraising with CDs and DVDs: How discs can help tell your story and help you raise money. Fill out the form below to get your free PDF today.
When it’s time to raise money for your club or organization, you may already have your go-to method of procuring funds. But there’s always room to improve, and maybe it’s time to find an additional revenue generator – or it may be time for a totally new solution. Perhaps you’re terrified by the whole concept.
Before you send out the troops to work the local intersection with plastic buckets, consider this: providing your prospects with an item that has a high perceived value can help bring returns in a big way. A CD or DVD that highlights the talents of your group, provides a sample of the service you provide, or simply entertains your audience is a potential money-maker that can be a stand-alone piece or can be easily bundled into a larger package. Truth is, it can be pretty inexpensive to produce – as long as you plan ahead and work efficiently.
Manufacturing and Packaging
Just because you don’t have a big budget for your production, it doesn’t mean your package has to look it. The look, feel, and packaging of your disc say a lot about how serious and professional your organization is.
DO make your package look as professional as possible. CD and DVD package prices are as low as ever, and with so many options to choose from, there’s no excuse not to house your fundraising meal ticket in a handsome package that’s perfectly suited for your purposes. From the elegant DVDigipak to the convenient jacket and standard jewel case – there’s a package to suit your project. Check out our product page for ideas.
DO use local/available resources. As with production and filming, if you have someone in your group with experience as a designer, see if they’ll donate their time or barter for a sponsorship trade.
DON’T use your nephew as a designer just because he’s got a computer and some free time. How your product looks on the outside will go a long way to convincing a prospect that your organization is worth contributing to.
DO use a design template. Whoever ends up doing the design, make sure they use our design templates when they supply the files. You can download our templates at www.discmakers.com/templates.
DO use space on the packaging to thank sponsors, which can include company descriptions, logos, contact info, etc. Make advertising space on the finished product one of the perks for donating money, time, or expertise to the production. Depending on the type of package, you can dedicate an entire panel to thanking your sponsors or for use as an ad.
DO order enough discs to cover your expected early sales. Nothing’s worse than a missed opportunity when you’re raising money. Make sure you have enough discs on hand to satisfy the demand.
DON’T order way more than you need. The one thing worse than missing an opportunity is handicapping your efforts by spending too much up front. Try to get a realistic idea of how many discs you can sell, and order accordingly. Remember, you can always reorder and have discs in hand in a matter of days.
DON’T plan your event before getting your finished product. If this can’t be helped, be sure to work in plenty of time to allow for delays in manufacturing. Having a major fundraising event and not having your fundraising pieces in hand is a massive blunder. Don’t cut things so close that you might miss your event.
