There really is no simple answer. Every community is different and every organization has different dynamics. Demographics play a large part in this decision, but the type of organization you are plays an even larger role. We see some synagogues with 1,000+ members in affluent areas that raise less than synagogues with 300 members in non-affluent areas.

What’s the key factor?  How well your members know each other. Are you a close-knit community? Do most of your congregants show up to your events?  If all of your members know each other, you’ll likely have very large orders, IF you price it right. If your members receive from 50 people on average, you can charge $2 per name, and you’ll gross $100 per recipient!

If your members don’t know each other, charging $1-2 per name won’t necessarily mean larger order sizes. And besides, you’ll need to charge more just to cover the cost of the baskets. If your members’ receive from only 1-3 people, you may need to charge $5-$7 just to cover your costs.

There are lots of ways to “play” with your pricing using HappyPurim.com, such as buy 5 get 1 free, or special group or bulk discounts, that have shown tremendous success.

There’s a lot more at play here that can be covered in a couple of blog posts. Please feel free to call us at 201-47-PURIM, or email sales@happypurim(dot)com to learn more about what we’ve learned from helping run hundreds of Purim project fundraisers over the years.

1. In December:
   1. Identify the person/s who will run the fundraiser
   2. Decide on a “theme” for your baskets (not necessary, but popular; we’ll post more about “themes” later).
2. By January 1
   1. Compile (or get from organization office) a list of all the members in your organization. Make sure to double check for accuracy!
   2. Figure out where you’re getting your Mishloach Monos supplies or baskets from.
3. By January 15 – Finalize all details of your Purim fundraiser; *If you’re usingHappyPurim.com’s Mishloach Manot software, this is when you should setup your administrative console.
   1. Pricing
   2. Are you offering any type of deal? (early-bird discount, send to as many as you want for a flat price, etc.)
   3. Reciprocity (with our software you can easily charge a different price for Reciprocity orders)
   4. Delivering the baskets or having your members pick them up?
4. By January 20
   1. Prepare a letter to your members informing them of the details of the Purim project.(HappyPurim has templates available)
   2. If you have a large contingent of non-internet users, prepare a physical order form or download Happy Purim’s order form.
5. By January 30
   1. Have your order forms, envelopes and/or mailing labels printed. (not necessary if you’re emailing your members)
   2. Make sure you have volunteers to help with the folding and stuffing on January 30th.
6. On January 30 (Sunday) – Prepare mailing: Fold and Stuff!
7. On January 31 – Mail or email order forms.  You’ll notice that we leave a 6 week ordering window. Typically 2-6 weeks is a good amount of time. Read this post for a discussion about the length of ordering windows.
8. March 13 11:59pm (Sunday) – Deadline for placing orders.
9. Week of March 13
   1. Pack the Shalach Monos.
   2. Print your “scrolls” – that is, the personalized letters that list all the names of the people sending to each recipient. (If using HappyPurim.com, this only takes a few clicks of your mouse!)
10. March 20 - Purim! – Deliver the Shalach Monos!
11. Sometime after Purim – Bill for reciprocity charges.  Not necessary if usingHappyPurim.com, it’s automated!

You should modify the above timeline to fit your needs. If we missed anything, or you’ve got a suggestion to add please let us know!

This calendar is designed for users of Happy Purim’s Shalach Manot Software based upon our experience. Click here for a post with more details for anyone still doing this manually.)

We are able to help you out even last minute, but to run a very successful fundraiser you should start your basic planning by December. Here is a suggested timeline based upon the February 28th date of Purim in 2010. Yes, Purim is in February this year, so let’s get started!  (This calendar is designed for users of Happy Purim’s Shalach Manot Software based upon our experience. There’s an older post with more details for anyone still doing this manually.)

1. By December:
   1. Identify the person/s who will run the fundraiser
   2. Decide on a “theme” for your baskets (not necessary, but popular; see this post about Mishloach Manot themes).
2. By December 10
   1. Compile (or get from organization office) a list of all the members in your organization. Make sure to double check for accuracy!
   2. Figure out where you’re getting your Mishloach Monos supplies or baskets from.
3. By January 1– Finalize all details of your Purim fundraiser; *If you’re using HappyPurim.com’s Mishloach Manot software, this is when you should setup your administrative console.
   1. Pricing
   2. Are you offering any type of deal? (early-bird discount, send to as many as you want for a flat price, etc.)
   3. Reciprocity (with our software you can easily charge a different price for Reciprocity orders)
   4. Delivering the baskets or having your members pick them up?
4. By January 7
   1. Prepare a letter to your members informing them of the details of the Purim project. (HappyPurim has templates available)
   2. If you have a large contingent of non-internet users, prepare a physical order form or download Happy Purim’s order form.
5. By January 15
   1. Have your order forms, envelopes and/or mailing labels printed. (not necessary if you’re emailing your members through HappyPurim.com)
   2. Make sure you have volunteers to help with the folding and stuffing on January 17.
6. On January 17 (Sunday) – Prepare mailing: Fold and Stuff! Or simply email your members via HappyPurim.com
7. February 7 11:59pm (Sunday night) – Deadline for placing orders.
8. Week of February 14
   1. Pack the Shalach Manot.
   2. Print your “scrolls” – that is, the personalized letters that list all the names of the people sending to each recipient.  (If using HappyPurim.com, this only takes a few clicks of your mouse!)
9. February 28 – Deliver the Shalach Monos!
10. Sometime after Purim – Bill for reciprocity charges.  Not necessary if using HappyPurim.com, it’s automated!

If you’re ordering from a 3rd party basket supplier, make sure to take their deadline for ordering into account. If you need a basket vendor, we’d be happy to provide recommendations.

You should modify the above timeline to fit your needs. If we missed anything, or you’ve got a suggestion to add please let us know!

The key question is: How far in advance do you need to know exactly how many baskets you will need? (if you’re planning on sending to your entire membership list, then this question is moot)

The deadline should be a few days to a week before that date to allow for any unforeseen circumstances as well as time for data entry if you’re also sending out paper order forms.

Our experience tells us that you don’t want to send information about your Purim fundraiser until after Chanukah at the earliest, as people aren’t in the Purim frame of mind yet. You probably also want to wait until after winter break is over, so your emails and letters don’t sit unread in a pile of mail (for those that go away). Additionally, should try to create a sense of urgency—you want people to take immediate action with your letter or email. If you give them too much time to respond, they’ll simply stick your mailing in their to-do list, and possibly forget about it. We think 3-4 weeks is a good amount of time to allow for your members to respond. Some also build in an extra week, or weekend, for an extension. That is, they will say the deadline is Friday afternoon, but then extend it until Sunday night to allow for one last marketing push via emails, phone calls, announcements in synagogues and newsletters from schools.

Some people are philosophically opposed to this—especially the thought of PLANNING to allow the deadline to be moved, but that is for each to decide on their own.

Please Click Here for a comprehensive calendar/timeline.

-HappyPurim!

UPDATE: Need more ideas? Want to see pictures? See the beautiful Mishloach Manot pictures sent to us by our clients by clicking here.

1. Coffee or Café’ Manot: coffee, sugar packets/Splenda, min-container of creamer, coffee cake, biscotti, Hamentaschen. This is really cute when packaged in a large coffee mug. You can even get the mugs personalized for an extra special touch.

2. Healthy Mishloach Manot:  whole wheat Hamentaschen, nuts, fruit (fresh or dried), dark chocolate.

3. Israeli Purim Basket: Israeli crackers, a little tub of chummus, olives with a box of herbal tea and a “Jaffa” orange.

4. Israeli #2: an assortment of blue and white products.

5. Spices:  spice cake, an herbal spice tea, cinnamon sticks, and an orange. Consider adding scented candles, small scented lotion, for an extra special touch.

6. Wine Mishloach Manot: bottle of dry wine, crackers and cheese. Possibly in a small picnic basket.

7. Wine Mishloach Manot #2: a California Cabernet Sauvignon, good dark chocolate. Possibly in a small picnic basket.

8. Picnic Mishloach Manot – Salmon: can of salmon or tuna, a mini bottle of mayo (or packets), a small onion, crackers, napkins and plastic cutlery.

9. Picnic Mishloach Manot – Salami:  dried salami, a bottle of mustard, crackers or Kaiser rolls, napkins and plastic cutlery.

10. “Good Night” or “Sleepy Time”: Sleepy Time tea, hot cocoa mix, cookies and milk. Consider adding a sleep mask, for an extra special touch.

11. “Nutty Purim”, “Oh Nuts” or “Go Nuts”: a bag of nuts, a mini-bottle of Frangelico (Hazelnut liquor), hazelnut coffee, Snickers or Egozi bar, and a coconut for a unique touch.

12. “Absolut Nuts”: Same as above, but substitute a bottle of Absolut for the Hazelnut liquor. (you can use the Absolut theme for just about anything)

13. Baseball: Peanuts, popcorn, cracker jacks, cotton candy, soda.

14. “Vegas” or “Casino”: A small bottle of booze, chips (potato and chocolate) a lottery ticket, a deck of card or dice.

15. Shiva Minim Manot, The Seven Species of Israel – Hamentaschen (wheat), beer (barley), dates, grape juice/raisins/wine (grapes), olives, figs and a pomegranate (or pomegranate juice or jelly)

16. Breakfast at Tiffany: Items that would be good for breakfast such as coffee, oatmeal, breakfast bars and were able to include a coffee mug that we put our sisterhood logo on.

17. “Movie Manot”: Microwave popcorn bucket or movie theater popcorn bucket filled with Twizzlers, soda, M ’n Ms, Reeses Pieces, movie rental coupon (or a dvd).

18. Beach theme: A sand pail as the bucket and filled it with goodies one would eat at the beach along with a puzzle book that they would use at the beach.  Believe it or not salt water taffy is kosher.

19. The Big Apple: This one can either be a NY theme, or an apple theme. Either way, distribute in an “I Love NY” bag

20. Black and White Shalach Monos: Oreos, marshmallows, black and white cookies and chocolate milk.

UPDATE: Need more ideas? Want to see pictures? See the beautiful Mishloach Manot pictures sent to us by our clients by clicking here.

So what to do about your Purim project this year? If you can, leave your pricing the same and market your fundraiser as being economically sensitive. Or raise your prices a small amount, say 25 or 50 cents. Or, our Happy Purim software offers the ability to charge a higher price for reciprocity orders, so you can leave your initial pricing the same, but raise your reciprocity prices. As always, please feel free to call, email or leave comments below.

I already have a list of 15 or so; I’d like to get a few more before I post them next week. Click Here to see the list of themes.

Thanks and Shabbat Shalom,

Ari

1. In December:
   1. Identify the person/s who will run the fundraiser
   2. Decide on a “theme” for your baskets (not necessary, but popular; we’ll post more about “themes” later).
2. By January 10
   1. Compile (or get from organization office) a list of all the members in your organization. Make sure to double check for accuracy!
   2. Figure out where you’re getting your Mishloach Monos supplies or baskets from.
3. By January 15 – Finalize all details of your Purim fundraiser; *If you’re using HappyPurim.com’s Mishloach Manot software, this is when you should setup your administrative console.
   1. Pricing
   2. Are you offering any type of deal? (early-bird discount, send to as many as you want for a flat price, etc.)
   3. Reciprocity (with our software you can easily charge a different price for Reciprocity orders)
   4. Delivering the baskets or having your members pick them up?
4. By January 20
   1. Prepare a letter to your members informing them of the details of the Purim project. (HappyPurim has templates available)
   2. If you have a large contingent of non-internet users, prepare a physical order form or download Happy Purim’s order form.
5. By January 31
   1. Have your order forms, envelopes and/or mailing labels printed. (not necessary if you’re emailing your members)
   2. Make sure you have volunteers to help with the folding and stuffing on February 1st.
6. On February 1 (Sunday) – Prepare mailing: Fold and Stuff!
7. On February 2 – Mail or email order forms.
8. March 1 11:59pm (Sunday) – Deadline for placing orders.
9. Week of March 1-7
   1. Pack the Shalach Monos.
   2. Print your “scrolls” – that is, the personalized letters that list all the names of the people sending to each recipient.  (If using HappyPurim.com, this only takes a few clicks of your mouse!)
10. March 10 – Deliver the Shalach Monos!
11. Sometime after Purim – Bill for reciprocity charges.  Not necessary if using HappyPurim.com, it’s automated!

You should modify the above timeline to fit your needs. If we missed anything, or you’ve got a suggestion to add please let us know!

1. Baskets for personal use: Level of difficulty: Easy; Dollar Potential: A couple of thousand dollars

Sell baskets for “personal use” to your members. In addition to the “communal baskets” that are the mainstay of this fundraiser, offer baskets for sale to your members for them to distribute on their own. Your members likely have friends, family and neighbors who are not members of your organization, whom they would like to give baskets to. Instead of making baskets on their own, or purchasing them from a store, why not give your members an easy solution that supports your school or synagogue at the same time? You should charge a higher price than what you charge for “communal baskets” – you must ensure that you’re making a profit off of these baskets!  This is very easy to add to your Purim project by using Happy Purim’s Personal Use” module.

2. Shipping Baskets: Level of difficulty: Hard; Dollar Potential: A few thousand dollars

Selling personalized baskets with delivery or shipping included is a great way to significantly increase the revenue of your fundraiser. Many of your members probably order shalach manot from stores or websites and have them shipped to friends and family across the country. Why not capture those orders for your organization? This does add a significant amount of extra work, but people are usually willing to pay a nice premium for this service (just look online for what others charge). Happy Purim’s “shipping basket” module makes this much easier to do by capturing the addresses and personalized messages for these special orders.

We have some other ideas, and tips that can ONLY be done using our system–feel free to call 646-345-4032 or email Ari (at) HappyPurim.com to find out more!