Fund Raising
Diesel traction preservation is perhaps not as expensive as formula 1 or horse racing, and although the relative costs of owning and running a locomotive have fallen over the last 20 years, it is still not “cheap as chips”. With bills of tens of thousands of pounds for major component repairs, it surprises me that more groups don’t see the importance of fund raising activities.
Three of the best known (and successful) groups; The Deltic Preservation Society, The Fifty Fund and Class 40 Preservation Society all have fund raising teams. They run raffles, have sales-stands on their trains (both on the mainline and on heritage railways), and mail order operations. The later is a great way to extract cash from those who you wouldn’t otherwise see.
These operations not only make money, they also serve as a shop-front for the society themselves. Yes the people doing the fund-raising may well have to try to answer every fool question that comes their way from the public (who doesn’t benefit by a little education), but done properly the group will make friends. These friends may not give any input for years. But the knowledge that at a point in the past the person they met was friendly, informative and knowledgeable might be enough for them to help the group out with money or in other practical ways when it is needed most.
The fund raising team are often among the best recruiting sergeants for any organisation and will obtain more new members (or shareholders) per year than any other activity. New membership is not just about money, it also has the potential to be nurtured and become useful help and eventual controllers of maintenance, repairs and operation.
So why don’t many groups have active fund raising teams? I’ve heard a myriad of excuses:
“We can’t be bothered”
“We don’t have anyone who can do this”
“It would tie up too much money” (in stock I assume)
“No-one would want to buy what we would want to sell”
These groups of preservationists clearly have enough money already, and can’t ever see their lives changing to the point where they won’t personally be able to keep their loco(s) running.
Sorry, I just don’t buy that.
Unfortunately there are many half completed projects around the UK gently rusting because those involved have effectively lost the will to carry on, and don’t have the money to pay someone else to do it. Usually they have had no new blood bought in, thus denying them to opportunity of new ideas and enthusiasm to revitalise the maintenance teams. New volunteers also allow existing members to take a break when their lives demand it, without their work falling to an ever reducing number of team members.
Stock doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The more expensive items tend only to sell to the committed enthusiast anyway, and they are probably paying in to your coffers in other ways. The most successful items tend to be small and low cost. The general public’s appetite for pens, fridge magnets, bookmarks, and key rings never ceases to amaze me (each of these are generally sold at a low price but with a high mark-up).
It is true that not everyone can successfully put on the “act” and be persistent enough to be a successful sales person/fund raiser. However many people can, and with a little practice they will find it isn’t actually that difficult.
So look around you, who do you know who is keen, personable and trustworthy (remember they will handling the group’s money). Go and ask them, invest £300-£600 in a variety of stock, ask the host railway for permission and next time your loco is in operation; have a go at selling it to the travelling public. You might well be surprised at what you can achieve, the funds raised, and the friends you make.
But if you still don’t want to set up your own fund raising operation, please support those who do this Christmas:
DPS Sales: http://www.thedps.co.uk/staticpages/index.php?page=dpssales
The Fifty Fund Mail-Order Forms: http://www.class50alliance.co.uk/salesform.pdf and for special offers: http://www.class50alliance.co.uk/specialoffer.pdf
Class 40 Preservation Society Sales: http://www.cfps.co.uk/sales.htm
Remember you can also direct your loved ones to buy your present this way too!!!!
Three of the best known (and successful) groups; The Deltic Preservation Society, The Fifty Fund and Class 40 Preservation Society all have fund raising teams. They run raffles, have sales-stands on their trains (both on the mainline and on heritage railways), and mail order operations. The later is a great way to extract cash from those who you wouldn’t otherwise see.
These operations not only make money, they also serve as a shop-front for the society themselves. Yes the people doing the fund-raising may well have to try to answer every fool question that comes their way from the public (who doesn’t benefit by a little education), but done properly the group will make friends. These friends may not give any input for years. But the knowledge that at a point in the past the person they met was friendly, informative and knowledgeable might be enough for them to help the group out with money or in other practical ways when it is needed most.
The fund raising team are often among the best recruiting sergeants for any organisation and will obtain more new members (or shareholders) per year than any other activity. New membership is not just about money, it also has the potential to be nurtured and become useful help and eventual controllers of maintenance, repairs and operation.
So why don’t many groups have active fund raising teams? I’ve heard a myriad of excuses:
“We can’t be bothered”
“We don’t have anyone who can do this”
“It would tie up too much money” (in stock I assume)
“No-one would want to buy what we would want to sell”
These groups of preservationists clearly have enough money already, and can’t ever see their lives changing to the point where they won’t personally be able to keep their loco(s) running.
Sorry, I just don’t buy that.
Unfortunately there are many half completed projects around the UK gently rusting because those involved have effectively lost the will to carry on, and don’t have the money to pay someone else to do it. Usually they have had no new blood bought in, thus denying them to opportunity of new ideas and enthusiasm to revitalise the maintenance teams. New volunteers also allow existing members to take a break when their lives demand it, without their work falling to an ever reducing number of team members.
Stock doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The more expensive items tend only to sell to the committed enthusiast anyway, and they are probably paying in to your coffers in other ways. The most successful items tend to be small and low cost. The general public’s appetite for pens, fridge magnets, bookmarks, and key rings never ceases to amaze me (each of these are generally sold at a low price but with a high mark-up).
It is true that not everyone can successfully put on the “act” and be persistent enough to be a successful sales person/fund raiser. However many people can, and with a little practice they will find it isn’t actually that difficult.
So look around you, who do you know who is keen, personable and trustworthy (remember they will handling the group’s money). Go and ask them, invest £300-£600 in a variety of stock, ask the host railway for permission and next time your loco is in operation; have a go at selling it to the travelling public. You might well be surprised at what you can achieve, the funds raised, and the friends you make.
But if you still don’t want to set up your own fund raising operation, please support those who do this Christmas:
DPS Sales: http://www.thedps.co.uk/staticpages/index.php?page=dpssales
The Fifty Fund Mail-Order Forms: http://www.class50alliance.co.uk/salesform.pdf and for special offers: http://www.class50alliance.co.uk/specialoffer.pdf
Class 40 Preservation Society Sales: http://www.cfps.co.uk/sales.htm
Remember you can also direct your loved ones to buy your present this way too!!!!
posted by TonyB at 9:46 pm
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