How much should a fundraiser raise per person?

Twenty-five sellers can raise $1,000 or more than $4,000, depending on the fundraiser. The difference comes down to how much each person sells and how much your group gets to keep. A per-person average gives you a starting point for setting your group’s goal, but that average changes a lot from one type of fundraiser to the next. 

Per-person averages work best for fundraisers where each participant raises money from their own supporters. Walkathons, raffle ticket sales, read-a-thons, and online product fundraisers all work this way. Every participant has their own page, pledge sheet, or store. Because these fundraisers are consistent in how they run what they cost, you can use past results as a good guide to what each seller might raise. Walkathons, for example, average around $145 per walker, and traditional product fundraisers like cookie dough or candy bars usually bring in $40 to $80 per seller. Car washes and bake sales are less predictable because you have to pay for supplies up front and cross your fingers on turnout.

Key takeaway: Start with a per-person average dollar amount raised for the kind of fundraiser you’re running, then multiply it by the number of people you expect to participate. Double Good groups raise an average of $175 per seller. If you don’t have an average to use, you can calculate an estimate from how much you expect to sell multiplied by the amount your group gets to keep.

How to figure out your group’s per-person average

If your group has run the fundraiser before, start with your own results. Divide the amount your group kept by the number of sellers who participated. If you’re trying a new fundraiser, ask the fundraising company for results from similar groups. You can also calculate an estimate yourself. For a product fundraiser, multiply the item price by the percentage your group keeps. Then multiply that by your realistic guess of how many items each seller will sell. When making your estimate, think about how many family members and friends each seller can reach, as well as how many people your group has sold to before.

If items sell for $20, your group keeps half, and you think each seller can make about eight sales, that would be an average of $80 raised for your group per seller.

To take it a step further and set your group's total fundraising goal, multiply your per-person average by the number of people you expect to participate as sellers. 

Double Good fundraisers have an average of $350 sold per seller, and your group keeps 50% of every sale. That makes for an average of $175 raised per seller, based on data from more than 75,000 fundraisers. If you expect 25 sellers to participate, a solid starting point for your fundraising goal would be $4,375. Remember to base your goal calculation on the number of people you expect to sell, not just everyone on your roster.

Once you get to a starting point for your fundraising goal, adjust for your group. A team with lots of new members or younger sellers might plan a little below their per-person average. A group that knows its sellers and has done a similar fundraiser before might aim higher. Once the fundraiser is underway, see how your first few sellers are doing. If they're ahead of pace, raise your fundraising goal. If things start slower, scale back and focus on motivating your team through the final stretch.

How to help each seller raise more

Your per-person average doesn't have to be your ceiling. A few simple actions can go a long way toward motivating your team to raise more.

1. Schedule early. Give families time to get ready.

At Double Good, organizers who schedule their fundraiser 10+ days in advance raise 59% more than those who schedule only 2 days out.

2. Keep reaching out. Ask sellers to contact supporters throughout the fundraiser, whether they’re sharing an online  fundraiser link, collecting pledges, or asking for an order in-person. 

Double Good sellers who share their Pop-Up Store^® link daily raise 75% more than those who don't. The Seller Sharing Plans can help them decide what to send each day.

3. Make the ask personal. Have each seller tell supporters what they're raising money for and why it matters to them.

Double Good sellers who add a personal note to their Pop-Up Store raise 30% more than those who don't.

4. Give your team something to work toward. An incentive can help motivate and keep sellers engaged.

During their Double Good fundraiser, Dance With Me Productions in Chicago offered incentives for sellers, including tuition credits and recital ticket upgrades.  Its 101 students raised a combined $47,188 for their group, or about $467 per seller—well over the average of $175 per seller.

Once you have a per-seller starting point, you can set a clear, attainable goal for your whole group. When sellers know the goal and how they can help reach it, it’s easier to get everyone started.

Ready to see what your group can raise?