Use Candle Fundraisers to Build Your Business!

The first thing you'll need to do is to get your candles in front of the people that are the decision-makers for the group that you'd like to work with. And to do that, you need to make them aware that you and your candles are available for their organization.

If you're not sure what kind of groups might be interested in candle fundraisers, see Fundraising Ideas for 40 different groups and organizations that need to raise money. Choose one type of group to start with - say your son is in Boy Scouts, so you'd like to help them out - and contact the organization with a professionally written letter describing your candles (and other products, if you have them) and detailing your fundraising specifics.

Once you've sent out a few letters, wait a week or so and then call the group and ask if you can speak with the person in charge of fundraising. Mention that you'd sent a letter about your candles, and ask if they've had a chance to look it over. At that point, they'll usually say one of three things: they've seen the letter and are interested, they haven't seen the letter (in which case you can ask if they have a minute more and then discuss what your letter said), or they've seen the letter and are not interested.

If they answer either of the first two choices, great! That's your opening. Your goal with the letter and phone call is simply to get an appointment to show them your candles, so these responses will help you do that.

If, on the other hand, they say they're not interested, that can mean several things. Often it simply means that they have their fundraising all planned out for the year and aren't looking for candle fundraisers at this time. If that's the case, politely request that they keep you in mind for their next fundraising campaign. Sometimes not interested really means that they're not interested, whether in candles specifically, in your program, or whatever reason. If that's the case, politely thank them for their time and then move on. There are lots more groups who will be interested!

Approaching Groups for Candle Fundraisers

Okay, you've got an appointment with an organization - now what?

The people in the organization will base their decision on your products, their potential profit, and the ease of running the fundraiser. So you'll need to address all of these concerns at your appointment.

The first concern, your products, should be the easiest. You already know your candles are the best, so it shouldn't be hard to convince them of that! Here's a good tip - bring one of your half-burned candles so they can see how cleanly it burns. It's helpful to bring a range of samples - food scents, flowery scents, "clean" citrusy scents - to show them how great your candles are.

To address the issue of their potential profit, you'll need to price your candles so that the group makes a good amount per candle, say at least $6, but leaving enough for you to make a profit as well. Bring a chart with you showing how much profit can be made per the number of people selling and the number of candles sold.

The third concern, the ease of running the fundraiser, may be the most important to the group. So the easier you can make the whole process for them, the more likely they are to want to work with you. This will involve some initial work on your part. For example, you should provide them with all of the order forms they'll need, as well as catalogs or some kind of sheet with color pictures of your candles.

It's also a good idea to mention that the orders will be all separated and sorted for them, saving them a lot of work. For more ideas on actually running candle fundraisers, click here.

Finalizing the Details of Your Candle Fundraisers

They loved your presentation! Now it's just a matter of settling the details. Here are the things you'll both want to be clear on before the fundraiser starts:
~make sure the group knows that they'll pay for shipping charges (if you order your candles wholesale) or that there'll be a handling fee if you pour your own.

~when candles are sold, the money should be collected at that time.

~at the end of the fundraiser, the person in charge should tally all the orders and money, taking out their profit (minus shipping or handling) and then send you a check for the rest. That's your profit! Don't place your order or start pouring wax until you have the check in your hand and have cross-checked that the number of candles matches the money you've been given.

~When the candles are poured or delivered, organize the orders, place your contact and reorder information in each bag, and deliver them to the group. It's their job to disperse your great candles to their happy customers.

Following these tips will make your candle fundraisers successful for the groups you work with. They'll want to sell your candles every year!

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