Imagine how cool it would be to raise money for a cause you support while at the same time giving your WineShop at Home business a huge boost in sales. I’ve done it, and in this post, I’m going to show you how to make your fundraising wine tasting a huge success.
Most of us have a special connection to at least one charitable foundation that has touched us personally or represents a cause that is close to our heart.
How the Money Works for a Fundraising Tasting
Here’s how it works: the host takes care of the sampler, and I donate a percentage of my sales back to the charity. I like to donate 20% of sales or I will scale the percentage based on total sales. Another idea is to additionally donate a flat amount per tasting booked at the event and I send a donation for those bookings after they are held.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that a fundraising tasting will cut into your bottom line: most often, when I do a wine tasting for a cause, I actually end up making more in sales – even when I donate a percentage of my commission – than I do in a regular tasting. Both because they buy more and because it pushes my overall sales for the month into higher commission bonus gates.
The key is to have your host be very clear to the guests beforehand that this is a fundraising event. When people come prepared to stock their cellar for a cause (and they have an “order by the case” mindset), they’ll typically feel comfortable spending more money and may even come with a bigger budget.
This will often end up being incredibly lucrative for the non-profit involved and it’s a powerful way for the host to give back to the charity.
Tips to Increase Sales
If you work closely with the non-profit, you can also invite the organization to purchase our custom label wine for their special events. They may find unique ways to use it to generate a profit for their organization.
Sometimes if I know it’s going to be a larger group (which is certainly likely to happen with fundraisers) I’ll encourage them to order a greater selection of wine. I’ll also fill in the order forms beforehand with the wines we’re tasting to make it super simple for the customers: all they have to do is enter the number of cases or bottles they want for each wine.
Easy peasy!
Don’t forget to check in with your host beforehand to make sure you’ve selected the appropriate wines for the guests. You want to have the right price points and varietals for them to select from. Do a little research and make sure you meeting the group where they are. If the event has a facebook page you can ask, have them take the vinotype quiz or create a poll.
Fundraising to Build Your Business
When you lead a fundraiser tasting, not only does it make you look good as a local business owner in the eyes of the organization and the donors, but you’ll also get the chance to meet new people and expand your network, which can lead to a bevvy of bookings. I love to send a follow up thank you note to everyone who bought thanking them for their support.
I recommend organizing a fundraiser tasting when you’re pushing to earn a special incentive – it can really give you a big boost in sales and help you move closer to your goal!
This spring, I encourage you to lead a fundraiser tasting! Dip your toe in the water and see how great it is – not only because it feels great to give back, but also to give yourself a boost in sales.