How to Build a Successful Online Fundraising Store

Virtual fundraising has become popular with teachers, school districts, PTAs/PTOs, and a variety of teams and booster clubs. The online fundraising store is a key component to many successful fundraising programs.

An online store expands your reach beyond the pop-up shop for supporters at football games, allowing donors to support your fundraising campaign anytime and anywhere.

An online fundraising store can become your one-stop shop for school spirit merchandise like hoodies and other apparel items. It can be the place to find specific products like this year’s Homecoming shirt. School districts that have moved to online ticketing can use their online store to sell tickets for upcoming events like sports games or fine arts performances. The sites can also be used to collect class fees, field trip money, and classroom donations.

Once your fundraising team has added an online store to your strategy, follow these five steps to build a successful online fundraising store. Discuss these aspects at your next committee meeting.

Five Questions to Ask Before Building Your Online Store

1. Who is the store fundraising for?
   Determine if the store will serve a single classroom or all the teams and booster clubs in your school district. Knowing who will want to have items posted in your store is crucial.
2. What is your virtual store being used for?
   Collecting field trip money or donations for an annual fund each have different needs. Consider what you plan for your store now and what it could be used for in the future. Plan for the present and set a solid foundation for the future.
3. Where will you host your online fundraising store?
   Selecting a fundraising platform is an important step. Check out our recent posts about fees and payment solutions to help you decide on the platform that is right for your fundraising efforts.
4. When will your store be accessible?
   Decide your timeframe—will this store be open continuously or will it need to open and close quickly? Consider who will monitor the store if it’s an ongoing campaign.
5. Why is this store good for your fundraising efforts?
   Reflect on why you think it will be a good fit for your school community.

Key Takeaways

An online fundraising store can be a high-impact way to drive donations and fund your organization. We recommend ensuring you have a clear and documented strategy before you launch, which will help you get the most out of your efforts.

Using Follett’s Destiny Fundraising Manager can streamline the process and provide you with the tools you need to manage your online fundraising store effectively. This platform offers comprehensive support to ensure your fundraising campaigns are successful and efficient.

Get started today with Destiny Fundraising Manager and watch your fundraising efforts soar.