5 Secrets to get local businesses to help you with your
High School Band or Orchestra Fundraiser

Do you already know these 5 school band fundraising tricks?

Are you a music teacher or a student in the school’s band? If you are looking for ways to get local businesses to support your local high school orchestra fund raiser then you have come to the right place.  We have top quality band fundraising ideas.

Everybody likes a good secret, right? The secret we are about to share with you will help you to raise money for your school marching band or school’s orchestra to buy new instruments and equipment for your or school marching band.

The facts are that you need money for your schools music program… Otherwise you wouldn’t be here right now.

While some local business owners may be willing to help out because they share the same “school spirit” as you, unfortunately the majority of them will not. However, there is hope, so don’t worry.

In this section we will address the following 5 key fundraising points

1. First… How to speak the business owners LANGUAGE.
2. Next… How to use your school orchestra fundraiser to bring local business owners NEW customers.
3. Additionally…How to use PRIZES and free offers to attract new customers.
4. Furthermore… How to use RAFFLES to get business owners to ask their customers to buy your cookie dough.
5. Finally… How to use Facebook business pages to sell more raffle tickets to fund your orchestra instrument purchases.

How can you reach these local businesses?

The answer is that you must speak their LANGUAGE.

1- The MINDSET needed to get local businesses on board with your band fundraising ideas:

Educators tend to think differently than business owners. The old saying is that a businessman’s favorite radio station is WII FM. If you’ve never heard of this, it stands for “What is in it for me?”

The one thought they have on their mind is how to make their business more profitable. Now if we can only find a way to connect YOUR orchestra with helping THEIR business grow.

2- How to use your school band or orchestra fundraiser to bring local business owners new customers:

I don’t know one business that will turn down new customers, do you?

After all, new customers are the lifeblood of a business. However, you might be thinking right now… “We are only a school, how can we bring them new clients?”

3- Use PRIZES and free offers to attract new customers like bait:

Many businesses offer a “Try before you buy” philosophy to get a new customer. They understand that if the customer gets a free taste of what they offer they may come back again and again. This works GREAT with local services that have repeat customers.

Smart business owners know that it is worth giving a sample out for free, IF it buys them a repeat customer for life.

Here are a few ideas for your school orchestra or band:

• A local tanning salon offers a FREE tanning visit.
• Your local gym offers a free one week pass.
• A massage therapist may offer a free 15 minute massage.
• The local yoga class instructor can give a free lesson.
• A local chiropractor can offer a free exam.

I’m sure you get the point by now.

So how do we use this to help you with your fundraiser?

Offer to advertise their businesses for free.

One way to do this is by having them print out gift certificates for you that feature the free service. You can then REWARD customers that buy your snacks in BULK. For example you get a free massage when you buy 5 tubs of cookie dough.

By the way, have you decided which of our delicious offerings you will be using yet?

• Gourmet Snacks and Treats
• Snackin’ in the USA Brochure
• Ten Dollar Cookie Dough sales
• Gifts and Gift Wrap Fundraising brochure

Let’s say that you are using our cookie dough idea for a fundraiser. Instead of selling one to a person, you could offer a gift basket of these gift certificates as a BONUS when they order 3 or more cookie dough orders. This would provide an incentive to your buyers to spend more.

Finally, don’t be surprised, if some people buy your offerings just to get the FREE services!

4- Using RAFFLES to get business owners to ask their customers to buy your cookie dough:

Here is another twist you can try with gift certificates.

Additional Band and Orchestra Fundraising Ideas

Some local businesses may offer a really good gift to support your orchestra fundraising efforts if they know they are only giving away ONE free service. Let’s say for example, a local massage therapist offers a FREE one hour massage.  (By the way, you might be surprised what someone may offer when they catch on how this works).

You can raffle this off, by giving them one raffle ticket for each cookie dough that they buy from you. This will help you increase your sales because the more they buy, the more chances they have to win.

5- Using Facebook business pages to sell more raffle tickets to fund your orchestra instrument purchases:

First, look for businesses that have a Facebook page and Facebook followers. The more followers the better. Next, each business owner talks about the orchestra fundraiser, raffled prizes & cookie dough on their Facebook page.

Why would a business owner be willing to do this? Remember, WII FM? If you have 10 businesses lined up with prizes, then they stand to get customers from the other 9 businesses. This way everybody wins.

You might be wondering…Where do I start first with my new orchestra fundraising idea?

Here are a few tips to get you started.

• It can be as simple as polling the students to see how many of their folks have their own businesses.
• Every parent that is working for a small business might be willing to help pitch the idea to their boss.
• Finally, this is a great way for high school seniors to get out in the community and talk to local business owners. It will help prepare them as they go into the job market.
• Next, pick a fund raising brochure to work with.
• Finally, order our free fundraising kit right now.

Have questions? Then contact us at 1-800-645-6550.

A school band / orchestra fundraising specialist is standing by to answer your questions.