Together Everyone Achieves More

Here at Meadow Farms we are dedicated to making your fundraiser a success. After all, we aren't successful unless our schools are successful so we NEED to stay current, relevant and on top of the changing times in order to continue to provide quality products at reasonable prices, and exceptional customer service. There is more to a fundraising company than what is inside the brochure…it’s the intangibles that separate Meadow Farms Fundraising from everyone else.

Before the Sale We:

• Fully assemble your sales materials.
• Provide you with an order form, catalogs selected prize flyer (if selected) and advertising posters.
• Band your sales materials together in groups of 20 for easy distribution.
•  Provide you with a step-by-step checklist where you will find valuable ideas, printout and notes to advertise your sale.

After the Sale We:

• Include a Student Correction Form in every seller’s box to report any discrepancies.
• Ship missing or damaged items at no charge (provided the item was listed on the original invoice).
• Accept late orders as long as product is available.
• Do all we can to be sure you are totally satisfied with your experience!
• Track and share your sales results online.

During Delivery We:

• Pack every order individually to the seller and label each box by seller name, teacher, and grade.
• Arrange a delivery day and time that works for you.
• Deliver with our own trucks, driven by a Meadow Farms Employee.
• Bring your products inside your school(s).
• Hand separate each order for you by teacher, grade or student.
• Be sure you are satisfied. Our drivers won’t leave the building until we have organized and counted every box.

You're a volunteer, we are the professionals, lets us take all the work out of the fundraising for you! Sign up by May 15th and your group will receive additional rewards. So what are you waiting for! Check out our newest fundraising brochures or contact us to learn more, because together everyone will achieve more!

Generate for Schools

Here at Meadow Farms we pride ourselves on making fundraising as easy as 1-2-3, that’s why we are excited to announce a brand new, never before seen ‘non fundraiser, fundraiser'. Generate for Schools (GFS), in conjunction with “First Data” Merchant Processing, is a program that requires NO selling, NO brochures, NO delivery, NO parents, NO students, NO teachers, NO picking up of product and NO volunteer efforts. The best part is this can be run anytime of the year and guarantees monthly reoccurring revenue back to your school! We know finding new money is difficult these days and this grant-style opportunity as you will discover… is a win for both the merchant and education. The concept is EASY...Get businesses, GET PAID!

Sound too good to be true? Think again! Read below to learn in three easy steps how it works:

1. Contact:
• Fill out the Registration Form and make a VIP list of 5 Businesses (folks you know, supporters or friends of your school).
• We make a list of every business in the community and then refine it to those that best fit the Program. (The full list of businesses is available free of charge.)
• Next, we send an email to both list, inviting businesses to join.

2. Connect:
• We create a custom webpage for your school. It will explain the Program to the businesses while offering a background and testimonials.
• You’ll receive a Community Engagement Report. The report will include the number of emails opened, click through, and how many times your webpage has been viewed.

3. Convert:
• Lastly, we make personal invitation by phone. GFS’s call center representatives take the time to switch businesses over to GFS.
• As each business joins, your school gets $100! That’s right, EVERY TIME!!
• Ongoing donations of $20.14 are then made automatically, each month, on behalf of each business that joins. It really is that EASY!

Now that you understand how it works, we’re sure you’re asking what the benefits are. Well here they are:

1. Benefits to Schools:
• Direct Deposits Every Month
• Entirely Automated Program and Process
• Unrestricted and Recurring Revenue

2. Benefits to Businesses:
• 10 to 30% Lower Processing Rates
• Free Ongoing Promotion
• New Loyal Customers

3. Benefits to Distributors:
• New Reason to Call Schools
• State of the Art Reporting and Tools
• No Inventory, No Ordering, & No Returns
• First of Many Programs GFS Will Offer

As you can see this is not like any fundraiser you’re group have ever done. In fact it’s not a fundraiser at all! This is truly a revolutionary school fundraising concept. Due to the nature of this it should be noted that we are only able to work with one school maximum per city or town. This allows us to maximize the profitability for your group. Contact us today to learn how you and your school can sign up for the EASIEST non-fundraiser around!

Skills Learned from Brochure Based Fundraisers

When launching a sales fundraiser, you already have a good idea of how it will benefit the school. But have you thought about how the fundraiser could end up benefiting the students and even enhancing their education?

While profits from the fundraiser will pay for, enrichment programs, technology upgrades and fund fieldtrips, which all help to enhance your child’s education, have you considered that brochure based fundraisers can help teach your child life lessons that can help them grow as individuals?

Lessons that will benefit your child in other aspects of their lives include:

•  Communicating with customers
•  Tracking orders 
•  Collecting and adding money
•  Delivering products 

From these lessons children will gain:

• Interpersonal skills
• Responsibility
• Math and financial skills 
• Confidence

Customer Service Skills
Fundraising is fun and easy for kids! Smiling, making eye contact, and speaking clearly are all skills that will help develop their success in future jobs and school activities. Fundraisers teach your child the significance of presentation, setting and reaching a goal, and having that personal responsibility.

Goal Setting
Goal setting is a great opportunity for kids to work together to make a positive contribution to their school. When they see their rewards from the fundraiser being used at their school they are going to feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment and ownership.

Brochure based fundraisers provide an opportunity for students to get involved, make a difference, and learn new things about themselves. With Meadow Farms we can help our youth in fundraising!

Holiday Shopping Made Simple with Meadow Farms and The Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe

Fall may have just started but the holidays are right around the corner! That is why we are excited to let you know about The Lil Shopper’s Shoppe. This is a fun and unique in school shopping experience that allows children to select gifts for their friends and family, all while learning how to budget. What’s even better is that The Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe features over 100 QUALITY items all priced affordably. Nothing is over $10, while most of it is priced around $3! Excited to learn more? Here are four other reasons the Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe is a great choice for any school:

1. Popular: The Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe has been around for over 35 years, helping thousands of schools reach their fundraising goals.

2. Convenient: The holidays are a busy time for parents, so the parents of your school will appreciate the help they get during this season. For administrators this is a program that’s risk free and easy to run. Meadow Farms can provide you with everything you need and more!

3. Educational: Students can learn not only the value of giving but also the value of money (with the help of parents and teachers of course).

4. Safe: Students shop under adult supervision in a SAFE indoor environment. Volunteers help out, however they never pressure children to buy.

If this hasn't gotten you in the holiday spirit, would it help if we mention that if you sign up by October 31st you can get one of these bonuses:

For more information about the program or to sign up click here!

Online Fundraising With Meadow Farms

For your convenience Meadow Farms Fundraising has taken their efforts online. To register your child simply follow the steps below.

 

1. Visit www.meadowfarms.com and click "Register Child." 

2. Enter your School ID enclosed in your brochure packet from Meadow Farms Fundraising.

3. Enter your 7-digit student ID that can be found on the bottom left-hand corner of your order form.

4. Be sure to fill in all necessary information and include a unique message & photo that will be seen on YOUR shopping site. Don't forget to write down your Student ID & Password to login to your account in the future.

5. If all necessary information is filled in correctly you will be prompted to the Seller's Registration Success screen. From here you can view your shopping site and start forwarding the site to your friends and family!

After registration you will have the ability to login to your seller account and view your shopping site, sales report and your registration information. To login to your seller account follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Visit www.meadowfarms.com and select Seller Login from the Online Portal drop down menu.

2. Once you reach the Seller's Login page, enter your Student ID and the password you created during registration.

3. From here you can track your sales, view your shopping site and change any registration information if necessary. 

Rate Your Fundraiser

Not all fundraisers are created equal. Does yours fit your needs?

1. Know Why You Need Money

Parent groups raise money for many reasons. Before you embark on any fundraising project, consider exactly why your group needs the money. Are you raising funds to support the basic program budget? Maybe your PTO is funding a special project, such as a playground or new technology equipment. Perhaps you’ll realize that you’re just raising funds for the sake of it, with no real spending plan. According to the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors and Suppliers, participation in fundraisers increases when the customer knows the reason for the request. So be sure you take the time to really understand—and communicate—why your group is asking for financial support.

2. Consider the Work/Reward Tradeoff

Some fundraising programs are easier to manage than others. But it’s not enough to consider workload alone when deciding whether your parent group should run a certain project. Balance the workload against the relative financial payback. For example, maybe the coupon-cutting program can be handled by just one volunteer. But if all her hours of hard work translate into only a few dollars of profit, ditch the program. That dedicated volunteer’s time may be better spent on a different PTO initiative.

3. Understand Your Customers

Typically, PTO fundraising depends on the financial support of the parents in your school. You should consider the project from their perspective before automatically assuming you have a good fit. Several factors influence your parents’ ability to support your group. Consider the local economy: Are these good economic times or bad? What about other fundraising requests around the community—with whom are you competing for your parents’ fundraising dollars? If you’re selling a product, do you consider the desirability of the product within your community? If every booster club in town is selling candles, for instance, maybe it’s time to drop your candle sale.

4. Avoid Fundraising Fatigue

How many times a year does your parent group ask for money? Are you constantly bombarding your customers, your parent community, with fundraising messages that could overshadow the good work of your PTO? Ongoing financial appeals can lead to a phenomenon called fundraising fatigue. Even a so-called little fundraiser consumes precious volunteer effort. It demands attention from your parents, buy-in from your school administration, marketing, collection, delivery, and follow-up. Don’t be fooled into thinking your parents can simply ignore all those “little”fundraising requests if they choose. Most PTOs would rather be known as the group that makes the school a better place than as an obsessed fundraising machine.

5. Don’t Change on a Whim

Changing fundraisers shouldn’t be done lightly. It puts added pressure on volunteers as they work to increase awareness and support for the new program while also hoping to make budget. If your parent group has been successful with a particular fundraising strategy, stick with it. Fundraisers that are repeated year after year can continue to meet your financial goals even if a few people complain that they’re bored with the same old project. Your profit level will tell you whether the parent community as a whole is losing interest.

Visit  http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles to learn more!