Three product-program shapes, one worksheet. Order-taker catalog, ship-to-home, and no-upfront-cost. Compare them on profit dollars per participant and total profit, not on which brochure has the louder slogan.
Figures use estimated profit per item. Do not promise these numbers at a meeting until you have the program’s actual numbers.
| Program | Profit per person asking | Total profit | Items each to hit the goal | Share of goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order-taker catalog Packets, a selling window, and a sort night. Friends, family, and neighbors — not a cold walk-up. | $138 | $4,140 | 23 | 103% |
| In-hand / ship-to-home The item can be shown. Nothing sits in a gym waiting for a sort night. | $136 | $4,080 | 17 | 102% |
| Online — no cash handling Checkout is a link. The treasurer does not collect envelopes. | $135 | $4,050 | 27 | 101% |
How to choose a shape without a religious war
Order-taker means a packet, a window, one consolidated order, and a sort night. It fails when you counted enrollment as sellers or you cannot staff distribution. Ship-to-home sends items to the buyer. It fails when you picked it only for convenience and the per-participant dollars are worse than you will admit. No-upfront-cost means the treasury does not float product. It fails when you treat the slogan as a substitute for the dollar line.
A no-upfront program that puts fewer dollars per participant into the account can still be the right call if the alternative is “we cannot run anything.” Write that in the motion. An order-taker that needs a closet you do not have is the wrong call even if the worksheet row looks larger.
Events and donation pages are not rows on this table. If the calendar is too short for any last-safe-order date, leave this page and read quick fundraisers or event fundraisers. If the ask is one family, this table is the wrong tool.