Holiday Shop Success Made Simple with Help from Gifts ‘N Things

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the mere concept of planning a Holiday Shop for your school. There’s a lot that goes into a successful, well-run Holiday Shop : choosing gifts that are high-quality and popular, ordering the right amount of inventory, pricing it with a margin that’s not too low or too high, setting up the shop with tables, decoration, and more.

Luckily, that’s why we exist: we make our programs EASY and enjoyable for you! With over 40 years of experience, we know what goes into successful school fundraising and we’ve made it as simple as possible. Here’s how:

• Well-priced, high quality gifts. 85% of our items are under $5.00, making our gifts ideal for school-aged shoppers. We even offer suggested retails at different profit levels with our handy price coding system - no more guesswork! Best of all, all of our merchandise is on consignment so you only pay for what you sell.
• Easy setup, with our FREE supplies. We include everything you need to run and market your holiday shop, at no cost to your school. From hallway posters, to parent letters, budget envelopes, tablecloth to pre-priced tent cards for each item - it’s all included in your kit. New this year, we're offering an optional 37-piece decoration kit that includes aprons, hats and more to make your shop more festive!
• Stress-free management through technology! We build tools specifically to make the organizer’s life easier. Our Cash Register App lets you easily check students out, including the ability to process credit cards. Our Chairperson Website is personalized specifically for you, and allows you to track materials, re-order inventory as needed, print support materials, and more.

Learn more about how we make school fundraising and holiday shops EASY by requesting your free info kit today, or download our brochure for more information.

Life Skills Your Kids Learn From Fundraising

You might perceive fundraising as a pesky part of your child's schooling. When the catalogs of products roll out, it can be hard to envision much more than the work it will take for your child to raise the money expected of them. But hosting a fundraiser is more beneficial to your kids than you think. Here are some life skills your kids learn from fundraising.

Customer Service

Assisting individuals as they pick out which items they would like to purchase is a task most everyone in their lives have done at some point. Great customer service requires knowledge of the products, patience, honesty, politeness, and the ability to follow through on promises. What better way for your child to learn how to deliver great customer service than fundraising? This is a stepping stone to what will likely be a skill needed in their first job.

Financial Responsibility

Oftentimes, fundraising is one of the first opportunities your child has to experience handling a significant amount of money. Besides this, the important aspect of financial goal setting is introduced. Be sure your child takes on as much financial responsibility as possible during the fundraising process. They will gain a lot of confidence when it comes to dealing with money and learn some hard earned lessons about achieving, or not achieving, financial goals.

Communication

Communication skills do not develop in a classroom alone. Fundraising will surely advance your child's communication skills. It is not easy to ask adults or strangers for contributions. It is not easy to have the courage to speak in uncomfortable situations. Fundraising offers these life lessons for your child if you simply let them to take charge. You will be impressed with how poised your child can be speaking to an adult if you allow them the practice.

The next time your child's school begins a fundraiser, approach it as a learning opportunity for your child. Remember the positive aspects it will bring as it forces your child to grow into a more sophisticated and capable person.

How to Get Parents More Involved in School Fundraising

It’s no secret that between the fundraisers, open houses, teacher appreciation weeks, and many more projects, Parent Teacher Organizations/Associations (PTAs and PTOs) are extremely busy and essential to any school.

For parents and teachers alike, it’s rewarding to engage other parents to help the school and make an impact, but these endeavors are run largely on volunteer power. Whether your school is a large bustling public school or an intimate parochial school, it can often be challenging to find enough volunteers to pull off your PTO/PTA’s plans.

Step 1: Organize Your Group

You most likely have your President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. But think about which other roles would be helpful to fill. Do you have a volunteer coordinator who can manage the sign-ups and communications? Do you need specific volunteers to be a chair for each major effort?

Splitting out your yearly events and assigning a chair (and possibly co-chair) to each one will not only take the pressure off the whole of the group but will empower that person to put their stamp on the effort. Disagreements about how to run that event or project? It goes to the chair in charge. Next item!

Step 2: Make Signing Up Terribly Easy

Communicate electronically and use online sign-up websites like SignUp Genius, Volunteer Signup.org, or iVolunteer. Make it clear what the project is, what your goals are, and the commitment it requires and then let people sign themselves up. As slots fill, the remaining needed times are easily seen. Volunteers have the option to leave notes, sign up for several slots, change their sign-up, and can have the commitment automatically put on their calendar. Easy-peasy!

Step 3: Give Potential Volunteers Options

A common complaint among non-volunteering parents is that there aren’t any options that fit their schedule or their lifestyle. It is essential to break up needs into smaller or online options for those who work, those with little ones at home, or those who would rather help out on their own schedule.

Examples include:

• Preparing materials for an upcoming craft
• Being the email liaison (an electronic responsibility)
• Soliciting support from your place of business—whether financial or in-kind
• Drafting or organizing a newsletter
• Graphic design volunteer hours
• Chairing an evening event after work hours

No matter what someone contributes, it makes a positive impact.

Step 4: Make Meetings Fun and Meaningful

Nothing steers people away faster than the thought of boring, endless meetings. Organize a well-planned agenda, decide what you need to accomplish, and move on. Bring in coffee, treats, and allow some time for chit-chat, but be respectful of everyone’s time by moving through your agenda items. Some organizations choose to meet in the evening to accommodate working parents, and some meet for happy hour or dinner to balance the social with the business. Poll your group, find the best time and place, and have fun!

Step 5: Reach Working Parents

Naturally, you want to reach all parents so they can be an active part of your children’s school. Plan meetings during the evening and give plenty of options for volunteer opportunities outside of work hours so that working moms and dads can give their input and support. If daytime volunteering comes up in the classrooms, give people plenty of notice so that working parents can take time off or arrange schedules as needed.

Step 6: Offer Childcare

Just as working parents find it difficult to volunteer, sometimes stay-at-home parents find it hard to volunteer if they have toddlers or babies at home. Try offering on-site childcare during meetings or event prep time so that these parents can get involved without worrying about a toddler’s needs at that moment. Some schools use one of the preschool rooms or a church nursery to accommodate the little siblings, which can be staffed by a school staff member, another parent, or a certified teen babysitter(s) looking for experience.

Step 7: Reach out to Grandparents

Grandparents and other family members are an untapped resource! Especially if they are available during the day, these doting volunteers can offer help as well as advice and perspective on your projects.

Send out an email to existing parents that they can forward to other family members, inviting them to sign up to be on a volunteer newsletter list, or asking them to email the volunteer coordinator if they’d like to make a difference at the school. You may even find some retired teachers, nurses, artists, or fundraising professionals who could offer special insight into your school efforts!

With today’s busy schedules, finding volunteers can be a constant challenge. Making sure the experience is fun, impactful, and respectful of all types of parents is the key to maintaining support from your volunteers. Follow Gifts ‘N Things on Facebook for more tips and tricks. Best of luck!

Asking For Donations Safely and Effectively

With the school session upon us, many parents are reminded that fundraisers are an integral part of the year. Whether your kids need to raise money for new sports equipment, uniforms, transportation costs, or supplies, fundraising is important to many school programs. Parents, however, tend to dread the fundraising season because they fear having to ask friends and family for donations—much less strangers. Here are a few tips to help ease you through your school’s fundraiser and make the fundraising experience more fun for you, your children, and your potential donors:

Do Your Research

When it comes to family and friends, it is rather easy to know what interests them. Focus on items that you know they will be using and will be interested in. If your brother or sister isn’t very adventurous, help your child steer their eye towards something for the home. If your aunt and uncle love cooking and baking, show them the newest kitchen gadgets that will make their time in the kitchen easier and more fun.

Image by arrathoonlaa via Flickr

Practice Makes Perfect

As with any presentation, it is important to know what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it–especially if your kids are the ones presenting. Sit down with your children and have them rehearse their presentation while pretending that you are their audience. Fumbling over words and phrases will distract your potential donor, while a well-spoken delivery may just snag an extra donation or two. Let them know that a few mistakes are okay and that confidence will go a long way.

Make It Fun

While your delivery may be well rehearsed, it shouldn’t sound like an automatic proposal. Switch up your delivery method to keep the mood light with smiling, involved parties, or throw in a joke or two to break the ice with more walled off individuals.

Image by Mike G via Flickr

Involve The Donor

If you notice that the donor is eyeing up a particular product, ask them what their opinion is on that item and LISTEN. People often want to have their voices heard and this is especially true when in a sales pitch. Find a common ground on items and ask them to speak their mind. This is an important lesson to teach your child not just to successfully fundraise, but to become better communicators.

Asking for money from friends and family is not often easy. Asking for money from strangers can be downright uncomfortable, but if you and your child follow these steps you might find that some of the stress is lifted and fundraising is more fun. Your child may even come home with a few extra prizes because of their success!

Look to Gifts ‘N Things for your next fundraising program. We have many different programs to choose from, you’re bound to find one that fits your needs.

Back To Where We Came From: Moving Gifts ‘N Things to Kutztown

When Gifts ‘N Things moved to their Fleetwood warehouse from Kutztown in 2000, they never thought they would outgrow the 41,000 square foot space. However, the time has come! This summer, Gifts N’ Things will be returning to Kutztown to a new 73,000 square foot space.

“We’ve grown a lot the past couple of years and need more space. Last year we needed to rent additional warehouse space just to keep up.”, said owner Kurt Koehler.  Gifts N Things provides schools and other organizations with fundraising and holiday shop programs nationwide.

After mulling over whether or not they wanted to rent more space to keep up with the demands, Koehler said fate brought them the perfect space they needed. The owner of the building is Koehler’s daughter’s High School field hockey coach. The building had an indoor field hockey facility, gym, used furniture store, and other businesses in the space, but Koehler saw the potential for Gifts ‘N Things.

One day after watching his daughter’s field hockey game in the building, Kurt stated, “I spoke to Coach and her husband and told them I was looking for more space. They said they didn’t want to sell the building until Coach was ultimately ready to retire. The field hockey facility is on the second floor and I told them we just need the first floor of the building and that the field hockey space could stay there until they’re ready to retire.”

Keeping the field hockey space on the second floor sealed the deal and Gifts ‘N Things will begin moving into the space this summer. Koehler said, “Returning to Kutztown will be like going home because many of our employees are from that area.” Gifts ‘N Things currently has fifteen employees, and during peak season they increase staff to approximately fifty employees.

To stay up to date with the Gifts ‘N Things move, make sure to follow us on Facebook and

Instagram !

Gifts ‘N Things Has Gift Wrap For All Occasions

No matter the occasion, Gifts ‘N Things offers gift wrap options in our brochure fundraisers for just about anything! We offer collections of matching gift wrap options, including patterns in various colors, like our popular Chevron Roll Wrap Collection with matching Chevron Gift Bags.

Coordinated gift wrap is great for Christmas morning, so everyone knows who’s gift is who’s and you can cater designs to each person’s style! See the video below to see swatches of some of our most popular winter styles and check out our Winter Wonderland catalog for all of our options and coordinating ideas.

Planning Your Next Fundraiser

Summer vacation is nearing its end, and parents everywhere are thankful for the lack of homework, soccer practices, and extracurricular obligations that come with the school year. One thing you can start to think about is planning the upcoming school year’s fundraiser. Waiting until the last minute while school is in session can mean your child’s fundraiser is messily put together and not as successful as it can be. There are a few things in mind to think about when you begin to plan your next fundraiser:

Choices, Choices…

There are a ton of different options to chose from when it comes to picking a fundraiser. From online shops, to frozen foods, brochures, holiday gifts, direct sales, school spirit items or a color-a-thon blast, making a decision on WHICH fundraiser to choose can be the most difficult. Keep in mind the most important factor- your child. How old is your child? a ten year old may shy away from a brochure fundraiser, or a teenager might scoff at the idea of going door-to-door with holiday gifts. Play to your child’s skill sets.

Timing is Everything

Think about what time of year you are going to conduct your fundraiser; is the event you are raising money for in the spring or fall? Do you plan on conducting an outdoor event or going door-to-door around the neighborhood? In that case, a January event may not be the best choice. Holiday gifts are going to sell much better at the end of November than in the beginning of April. Keep in mind some of the fundraising trends and changes in 2015.

Skill Development Preparation

Your child may be motivated by prizes, but conducting a fundraiser develops many skills you child can use later in life, like interpersonal skills, leadership, communication skills, and learning how to market yourself. Talk about these skills with your child ahead of time. Give them some ideas about approaching people and presenting themselves. Preparation on this front is key to develop those oh-so-important soft skills of fundraising.

Plan the upcoming school year’s fundraiser ahead of time and see the difference it can make. Better yet- conduct an event in the summer! With Gifts ‘N Things, the options for fundraising are nearly endless; the hard part is picking the right one for you. Follow a few of these tips and your next fundraiser is sure to go off without a hitch.

Having a Succesful Year of Fundraising in 2015

The first month of 2015 is nearly over, and for most organizations, the new year marks a time of rebirth and renewal. Businesses, schools, and nonprofits alike utilize January as a pivotal starting point for new ideas, goals, and trends to increase their fundraising efforts over the next calendar year. So what are the best ways to approach 2015, fundraising-wise?

According to The Non-Profit Times, visual storytelling will be crucial to being successful while fundraising this year. “Organizations will have to find creative and innovative ways to engage supporters in a world full of distractions, and visual components are key,” says Rich Dietz, senior product manager for digital fundraising at Abila Software in Austin, Texas. Previous research indicates that people process visuals at least 60,000 times faster than text, meaning if your organization is looking for engagement, creating something eye-catching is necessary.

Another opportunity to be on top of your fundraising game this year is to be aware of donor’s wants and needs. Most donors are interested in knowing directly where their contributions end up, and as GuideStar points out, there’s a simple formula for how to talk about your strategy in a successful, communicative way.

The “MPI formula,” created by Gail Perry, focuses on three fundamental parts of any fundraising conversation. These basic questions are:

• M: How much money your organization wants to raise.

• P: What project will fund.

• I: What impact your fundraiser will make.

Perry says the initiative works because it requires your organization to define a concrete goal, connect to donors specifically, and inspires communication about your project and what it will accomplish. Successful communication between volunteers, donors, and leaders is key in establishing trust between your organization and the people who help it, which usually results in more investment in the long run.

Another key in having a good fundraising year is understanding your audience. While audiences differ depending on the organization, it has been documented by the Huffington Post that sixty-four percent of donations are made by women, and seventy-seven percent of people in the United States believe everyone can make a difference by supporting causes they care about. Do some research on your audience to cater to your target demographics, and see the difference in your donations.

Last but not least is looking at the role technology plays in your fundraising efforts. The Pew Research Center states that more than ninety percent of all Americans own a cell phone, making it the most popularly used form of technology to date. But is your organization utilizing it the way it should be?

Larger organizations, like nonprofits and schools with larger budgets, will benefit from using responsive design on their website -- allowing users to seamlessly browse from either smartphones, tablets, or computers. Smaller organizations can also use technology. Social media, like Facebook or Twitter, is a great way to draw attention to your fundraiser without spending more money than you can afford.

Of course, there are numerous ways to have a successful fundraiser, and these are just a few trends worth noting as you create your goals for the upcoming year. It is worth pointing out, however, that organizations willing to embrace new ways of thinking and take risks often benefit the most from new trends and research.

We wish your organization the best of luck in the new year, and hope to help you with any and all fundraising you plan to do in 2015!

Schoolathon: Running Your Way to Fundraising Success

Are you looking for ways to increase school spirit and create excitement in your school? Why not raise money at the same time? Try a School-A-Thon! School-A-Thon provides a fun, interactive alternative to traditional fundraisers. The best part is there isn’t anything to sell! School-a-Thon experts will help with event-planning, maximize the dollars raised and minimize the need for an armada of hard-to-get volunteers. Lets learn more!

What is it?
The School-a-Thon programs allow your school to choose what kind of thon they’d like to do, whether it’s a spell-a-thon, walk-a-thon, or any thon you can think of!

School-A-Thon provides every detail of how to bring your thon to the next level. From bland to grand. They provide an event planner, customizable donation site, credit card processing, money manager software and amazing awards and prizes. They have everything you need to maximize your profits and minimize your work. Doesn’t it sound too good to be true?

Who can do it?
Anyone is able to work with School-A-Thon. It’s not just limited to schools. It’s a great way to raise money for your college, club, or church. Whatever it is for, it’s guaranteed to raise awareness and bring your community together!

Color-A-Thon
This is by far, the favorite thon to run! The Color-A-Thon adds excitement to your thon. Schools all over the country are putting a splash of color into their thon and experiencing phenomenal profit while providing a unique, community based event for all ages. The Color-A-Thon is a run or walk where you get splashed with color on your way. How fun does that sound?

What is the best part of all? Your school can earn up to 70% profit! Imagine all the great things you could add to your school with the extra money. You can use School-A-Thon as a way to promote your next fundraiser as well! What do you think about School-A-Thon? Comment below!

Fundraisers Help your School and your Child!

Fundraising is a great way for any school or organization to raise money. Fundraising can help with a wide range of goals; whether you are looking to add a new playground, buy new books, or raise funds to go on a field trip. All of the benefits can often be overlooked. Here is a list of ways fundraising can help your school and child!

1. Improved Facilities

One of the most important reasons to fundraise is to improve your school’s building and equipment. Successful fundraising builds entire jungle gyms or playgrounds for schools! Schools can always use improvement and fundraising is an effective way to provide them with funds to make their goals a reality. Improving facilities doesn't just benefit the school, but the hundreds of students that use the equipment.  In turn, this helps create a great learning environment for everyone!

2. Increased Funds

Fundraising isn’t just for schools! Fundraising can benefit clubs, churches, sports clubs, and so much more. Does your team need new uniforms? Fundraising can help. Is your church going on a retreat and need some money? Fundraising can help. Is your band wanting to perform in a big parade? Okay you get the point, fundraising can benefit anyone who needs extra money and is willing to promote growth.

3. Parent Involvement

Parents are always looking for ways to get involved in their children’s lives and fundraising is a great way to get involved! Children want to win the cool prizes that are usually the incentives for the top seller and need their parents’ help. It can be a fun way to strategize and work as a family for a good cause.

4. Selling Skills

Fundraising helps children gain valuable skills.  Going door to door and talking to new people isn’t always easy, but experience with fundraising promotes self- esteem and is an excellent confidence booster.  It gives them skills that they will be able to use in the future and will teach them the importance of persistence.

5. Creates a Community

The sense of community that fundraising gives may be its best benefit. It is rewarding to see entire schools come together for a common cause and showcase their school spirit. It also creates team mentality and shows that with hard work, anything can happen. There is no better feeling than when a school reaches its goal and creates a better environment for an entire community!

As you can see, there are many benefits of fundraising! At Gifts N’ Things, we provide many options that satisfy your school or organization’s needs. We want to help your school reach its goal. We’d love to hear how fundraising has impacted your school!

Time Management Skills for Kiddos

Time management is fundamentally a learned skill and an overall good practice for children and adults. The importance of developing good time management skills starts at a young age. From simply understanding the concept of time to juggling homework and after school activities, the benefits of having good time management skills are invaluable.

The best way to promote time management is through consistency. Start by integrating time management practices into your weekly routine. Don’t forget to balance work and play. It is easy to get caught up in the chaos of everyday life. Remember, kids still need to be kids.

Below are a few examples of time management practices to get you and your child started on the path to freedom and efficiency!

Invest in a Clock or Watch – This might sound like a “no brainer" but it is an important step in teaching time management to a child. Many people use their smart phones to track everything, including time. If you are a parent that falls into this category, invest in a clock for your home or a watch for your child.

Organization – Organization goes hand in hand with time management. Designate specific places for your child’s belongings. From clothes to toys, your child should know where everything goes. Tasks and chores will take half the time. Even backpacks need a place to live!

Instructions for the DIY BackPack Wall 

Charts – Charts can be a fun way to visually show the tasks that need to be completed. Start by creating a chart for morning or nightly routines. Eventually charts can be created for other weekly routines such as chores or homework. A good example is this free morning chart download from Illi Style. 

Calendars & Agendas – Create or purchase a calendar and/or agenda for your child. Teach children to write things down and prioritize their time. Break down tasks or activities into increments of time. Include start and end times. Don’t limit tasks to only deadlines or appointments. Include time for playing and relaxing. Eventually you can begin to color code activities, homework and tasks.