How Fundraisers Used Promo Products to Help Meet their Goals

As one team of fundraisers learned, saying thank you was a meaningful part of recognizing those who donated to their cause, and promotional products played an important role in their overall campaign strategy and fundraising goal.

The Strategy

Parents of students attending the non-profit Academy of Music & Arts-Minnesota were raising money to cover the travel expenses for students invited to participate in an international music competition. To meet their $10,000 fundraising goal, they established a target donation amount of $100 per person. If 100 people met the $100 minimum donation amount, their fundraising goal would be achieved. To motivate people to round up their donation amount, they offered a special water bottle and pen as a thank you gift to all those who donated the targeted minimum donation.

Getting Creative with Imprints

The team opted for a heartfelt message to imprint on gifted promo items, creating a memorable token of appreciation for all who generously gave a $100-minimum donation. To connect music program donors with the very students who benefited from their support, the fundraising team asked students to submit hand-drawn messages to incorporate into the artwork imprinted on the promotional products. The result was a truly unique, personalized branded message of gratitude from the young musicians.

You may be asking, “But why offer pens and drinkware?” Fundraisers realized that providing items with high everyday relevancy would increase the chances of the items being used by recipients, and increase the exposure of their students’ academy and fundraising efforts.

Throughout the lifetime of these popular promotional products:

• Branded writing instruments generate 3,000 impressions¹
• Branded drinkware items generate 1,400 impressions¹

*Tip: When it comes to selecting promotional products, higher item relevancy = higher brand exposure.

To read more about using promotional products to spread awareness for a cause, or to download this case study, visit our online library of Marketing Tools.

^{*Case study based on an actual marketing event. The Academy of Music & Arts-Minnesota is a fictitious name.}

^{Reference: 1. ASI Global Advertising Impressions Survey, 2019.}