Top 6 Tips for Fundraising Success

Everyone wants to give back to those in need, but the first question often is, “How?” The social impact division of City Electric Supply (CES), CES Cares, is dedicated to helping team members embark on this journey. Our branch teams and supporting departments have worked tirelessly to raise money for charities close to their hearts, from Make-A-Wish® to local grassroots causes. We’ve gathered insights from some of our most successful CES campaigns and events. Keep reading for our top six tips for successful fundraising!

1. Find something you’re passionate about

This tip may seem like a given, but hear us out: you can fundraise in many ways, but you’ll likely be more successful when you’re excited about both the event and the group you’re benefiting. Whether it’s helping children and families, veterans, education, homelessness, or a multitude of other community needs — finding a cause your team is passionate about will make it even more impactful for everyone involved.

District Manager James Cookson is nearing the fourth annual Kelowna Golf Fundraiser benefiting Make-A-Wish, which has expanded so much that there’s a waiting list for both sponsors and customers. He knew that he, his team, his customers, and vendor partners loved golf — so throwing a golf fundraiser felt like a no-brainer to him.

“We knew it was something people would want to come out to. We live in a very outdoorsy area, we all like golfing, and Make-A-Wish has a massive impact on so many people. We even have sponsors who don’t golf but just want to support Make-A-Wish,” said Cookson.

Regional Sales Manager East for CES National Solutions Division, Amber Headley, spearheaded a Spartan Race event that raised nearly $65,000 (a CES fundraising record for a single event) for Make-A-Wish in 2023.

“Find an event you’ll be passionate about; for our naturally competitive team, it was a Spartan Race, and Make-A-Wish just made sense to us as the recipient,” said Headley. “Even those who weren’t athletic got behind it, using it as inspiration to make a lifestyle change. Team members lost as much as 20 pounds while training!”

CES Regional Manager Nate Jefferson echoed Headley’s sentiment. He and his team held their annual holiday toy drive in 2023, which, in only three years, has grown to 44 branches across five districts in Texas.

“The participation from all our team members is what grows this toy drive. If my team doesn’t buy into it, I can only do so much — but if it captures the interest of my team, that’s what will drive success,” said Jefferson.

2. Set a goal and make a plan

“In any endeavor, you have to set a goal in order to reach it. You have to know what you’re working toward,” said Headley. “We had seen other CES fundraising events that were raising tons of money, so we decided to break the record for most money raised in a single event.”

Setting a goal is important for the vision, structure, and motivation behind a fundraising challenge. It provides direction and clarity for the team, driving the endeavor forward.

Director of Project Solutions for CES Strategic Accounts, Qwon Reid, was hugely successful in raising funds for Make-A-Wish during his tenure as branch manager at CES Apex. He agrees that preparation is essential.

“Do your research and know what you’re talking about when you’re raising money. Go into it with a plan for who you want to help, how much you want to raise, and what it will take to get you there,” Reid explained.

Jefferson attests that as your efforts grow, so will your need for preparation. “Every year this toy drive gets bigger; this year, I’ll start getting ready much earlier than I have in the past. You should have everything ready early enough that you can adjust for any unforeseen obstacles.”

3. Stick with it

Seeing a fundraiser through to the end requires communication and persistence.

“Stick with it. Keep pushing your team to do the work and remind them how important it is,” said Reid.

A portion of Headley’s team conducted regular check-ins to keep their momentum. “A small group of us had biweekly calls to check in on sponsorships and share the load. The entire fundraising effort was great for team building,” she remarked.

Once you find a fundraising effort that works for your team, keep at it. Practice makes progress, and both Jefferson and Cookson are proof of that as they each head into the fourth year of their fundraisers.

“Just like with anything you do, if you repeat the action, you’ll get better at it. Consistency matters. Try it more than once, because you’ll improve each time,” said Jefferson. “If you had told me when I first started that we’d now be at 44 branches and several thousand toys, I wouldn’t have believed you.”

“We’ve built up a demand now. It was a lot harder the first year because no one really knew what to expect, but by the second year we’d sold out, and the third year we had a waiting list,” shared Cookson.

4. Embrace competition

Is your team up for a little healthy competition? Bring it into your fundraising for a boost of motivation (and fun)!

“At first, we just wanted to do what we could; but eventually it became almost like a competition between branches,” recalled Reid. “That challenged my team to go out and be proactive with customers, start conversations, and follow up.”

Jefferson and his team even had a leaderboard for their toy drive, measuring the success of each branch and encouraging some friendly ribbing amongst team members.

If your event is a competition by nature (such as a Spartan Race), then you’re set! But if you’re looking for other creative ways to raise the stakes, put a challenge on your impact.

“We looked at the average cost of a wish grant, and from there, we wondered, ‘How many wishes could we grant with the money we raise?’ That ended up being really motivating as well,” said Headley.

5. Make it valuable for everyone

Both Cookson and Headley organized fundraising events that required sponsors, and they stressed the importance of making it valuable for everyone involved.

“Make sure the sponsors receive value from it as well as the participants; they pay a lot to help make it happen, and at the end of the day, most of the money we raise comes from the vendor sponsors. We want to make sure they have fun and get to engage, too,” shared Cookson.

“We wanted to make it worthwhile for our vendor sponsors, so we organized sponsorship levels into four tiers, and everyone was recognized on the event shirt,” said Headley. “The highest-supporting sponsor also got to have dinner with the team after the race, and that was a ton of fun building those relationships.”

6. Above all, just do it

If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of organizing an event, Jefferson’s overall tip is: get started.

“You don’t have to worry about how it’ll end up; you just have to start. Say it out loud, find someone you can brainstorm with, and see what comes,” said Jefferson. “If your heart and mind are in the right place, you’ll eventually get the results you want.”

And perhaps the main thing to keep in mind is that every little bit helps. Whether you reach your goal or not, the simple act of fundraising makes a difference for people in need, and CES is proud to instill giving as a pillar of its culture.