How to Buy: Fund Raisers

advantages | three ways | margins | kits | terms | shipping

Our rainforest products can help your organization raise money while being socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive.

All our products are available for fund-raisers, but food items are particularly good for fund-raisers since they are consumables. That's why they are listed on our fund-raiser page.

"Adding value" to tropical lands by selling carefully-harvested resources is a key part of an integrated conservation strategy. Non-timber forest products are becoming important exports, providing additional sources of income for forest peoples and giving them incentives to conserve forest resources. These products can include handicrafts, nuts, fruits, seeds, essential oils, and other materials that have been used locally for centuries.

We work closely with conservation and development organizations, ensuring that our products and projects protect biodiversity and maximum benefit is provided to local communities. Most of our products are manufactured in-country to add value, increase economic multipliers and enhance their role in sustainable development.

We invite you to use these socially and environmentally responsible products for your fund-raising project. Our program is designed to provide you with low-cost items that can be sold directly to consumers, whether door-to-door, taken to homes or offices, or sold at craft fairs and other fund-raising events.

By working with us for your next fund-raising sales effort, you can help demonstrate that trees left standing are worth more than clearing the land for timber or unsustainable agriculture.

Advantages of our program

• You'll be supporting environmentally and socially-responsible causes while at the same time earning equal or greater support for your own important projects! Instead of selling just the same old t-shirts or candy, you'll be selling products you can really feel good about.
• Our products are educational. Fund raisers and customers alike can learn where and how the products are made and how they support conservation. Selling these products provides an opportunity to really do something about environmental issues, and can even help raise cultural and environmental awareness and responsibility.
• Consumers have additional incentives to support your fund raising project, supporting other worthwhile causes -- gifts that give twice!

Three Ways to Work

I. direct sales

Some of our products may be sold door-to-door directly to customers, avoiding the need to follow up with the customer to deliver merchandise and collect payment. Products that should be used for this category are lower-cost, lighter-weight items with broad appeal. These may be easily purchased in bulk and carried in a bag or box for door-to-door sales. Examples include: Rainforest Seeds, Rainforest Candy, Jungle Gum, Honey Sticks, Twig Pencils, Woody Ball-point Pens, Bookmarks, and Keychains.

II. brochure orders

Products may be sold door-to-door, using the our fund-raising brochure. Each fund-raising kit will include a black & white or color brochure picturing the products. Also included will be sales sheets for recording order information such as names and addresses of purchasers and products ordered.

III. fund-raising at fairs and bazaars ("Rainforest-in-a-Suitcase")

Fund-raisers can also be conducted at school fairs, flea markets, or bazaars. We recommend one of two methods: 1) Purchase samples to display, and take orders using a brochure (much like II above, but with samples for purchasers to look at and handle), or 2) Pre-purchase products and sell them directly.

Profit Margins

Selling at our suggested retail price will yield a profit margin of 35-40%. However, the suggested retail prices are meant as a guideline. Fund-raisers may control their own profit margins by establishing their own prices for products, though of course higher prices may affect the number of products sold.

Kits

Prospective fund-raisers get a kit which includes:

• A brochure showing our rainforest products, with color marketing sheets for some products, and a retail price list;
• Price lists which list all products for sale along with retail prices;
• Instruction sheet describing how to take orders;
• Sales Sheets and Consolidation Sheets - Included will be an instruction sheet on how to take orders, and itemized lists of all the products for sale with prices, and lines to list names, addresses and telephone numbers, the total quantity ordered and cost. Sales Sheets can be faxed or mailed (make sure to photocopy before mailing). Numerous small orders can be transferred to the Consolidation Sheet and faxed or mailed.
• If you purchase samples from us, the samples will also be part of your sales kit. Samples may also be provided for some of the best selling, lower cost products. Samples must be prepaid. Samples can be purchased with a certified school purchase order, cash on delivery (COD) or prepayment terms. Shipping will be added.

Order Fulfillment: Each Sales sheet should be reviewed by the Fund-Raising Organizer and transferred onto a Consolidation Sheet. Then, orders can be faxed, mailed or called in to Forests of the World.

Minimum Order: Submit orders after a minimum of $100 is reached. Minimum reorder is $50.

Order Recipient: Products you order will be sent directly to the fund-raising organizer for delivery.

Terms

Prepayment: You may prepay your orders with check, money order, or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Prepaid orders receive a 2.5% discount.

OR

Net 30: You may receive Net 30 with receipt of a certified school purchase order, or upon approval of a credit check. To perform a credit check we will need at least three (3) references or suppliers whom you have established credit, as well as a bank reference where you have an established checking account. Sorry to be so bureaucratic, but we have to be careful with our own resources and our suppliers' resources.

Shipping

Important Note: Perishable food items (i.e. chocolate) can not be shipped during the hot summer months June through August.

Orders will be filled in 3-6 weeks. Unless we are otherwise instructed, orders will be shipped UPS ground or priority mail (whichever is least expensive). Shipping charges reflect our actual costs. If we prepay for shipping, we'll invoice you for the shipping charges.

Damage and Returns:

• Returns will not be accepted without prior authorization.
• If you receive damaged goods, please contact us at once. We can ship extras if there is damage, just let us know. Save all packaging material and damaged goods for freight carrier's inspection.

[Special Offer: A 10% discount is available for all Forests of the World Educational Products (such as the Classroom Tropical Ecology Kit, Rainforest Discovery Kits or any of the many other FOW educational products) for teachers or the school classroom, if fund-raiser is used to make the purchase.]