We’ve all heard about Girl Scout cookies even if we don’t live in the USA.  They are so famous that they pop up in movies and TV shows.  Girl Scout cookies are legendary.

I recently read an article at Pursuant about why the Girl Scout’s cookie drive is so successful each year and they attribute it to three key points.

1. The result of your donation is immediate.
2. The product is consistent and quality reliable
3. Great brand recognition.

Let’s take a look at each point.

1. Immediate results.  Apart from the instant gratification of getting your hands on a box of cookies, any donor can instantly see the happiness on the girls faces.  There is an emotional component to the transaction and it happens right there when the money is handed over.  (No wonder school chocolate drives still work well.)

2.  Consistent product.  Everyone knows and recognises the cookies.  They have been around for a long time and each donor knows exactly what they will find in the box, and it never varies.  There is great comfort and safety in that consistency.

3.  Brand recognition.  The Girl Scouts have existed for over 100 years and their brand is solidified in our minds.

If these are the three key elements to the success of this long running fundraising campaign, how can you apply them to your not for profit’s fundraising activities?

You may not sell cookies, nor might you have an army of uniformed girls to do the selling for you, but the principles behind what they do can be applied to any fundraising plan.

In our next post we will look at some not for profit organisations to see if they use these same principles and how they apply them.