Is Selling Wrapping Paper Still a Popular School Fundraiser?

Wrapping paper fundraisers are still extremely popular, especially with wealthier schools. The difference is that these days’ schools want to sell more than just gift wrap. Everybody uses wrapping paper to wrap their gifts for special occasions and most people find the quality and selection to be better in a fundraising brochure than what can be purchased in many retail stores. Innisbrook and Sally Foster were considered the gift wrap fundraising companies of choice at one time and most schools didn’t think twice about resigning with them year after year. Yet there is a relatively new company that has been making a strong case in recent years to become the company of choice when it comes to selling wrapping paper.

The Charleston Wrap fundraiser offers several advantages compared to the competition like more selection, better pricing and even better quality. Wrapping paper is still popular; however many schools prefer to offer other types of items as well. That’s why Charleston Wrap recommends combining their gift wrap brochure with their Kitchen & Home gift assortment catalog. They found that by offering schools two catalogs instead of just one increased sales significantly. In fact, in a sample of fall 2011 schools that used Innisbrook and Sally Foster in 2010, sales increased by an average of 110% over Innisbrook and 653% over Sally Foster respectively once they made the switch to Charleston Wrap.

If you are going to be emphasizing gift wrap in your next school fundraiser there are some things that you should consider like:

• Wrapping paper thickness. Make sure that you are selling 60 pound weighted paper
• Having a good selection of 2-sided wrap. Many people prefer the flexibility and convenience
• Offering paper that is unique and eye-catching. Make sure that people will be able to buy gift wrap that has ultra-embossing, metalized papers, foils and high gloss UV
• Favorable pricing. Gift wrap should retail for $7-10 a roll

As long as people have depleted their wrapping paper inventory from last year they will be ready to buy again this year as well. If your group is planning to focus on gift wrap for your next school fundraiser, make sure that you not only offer a great selection of wrapping paper but also a broad choice of other types of products too.