Is your school or non-profit looking for innovative ways to fundraise or raise brand awareness?

With many years of experience servicing our community, AlphaGraphics offers a broad range of print solutions to meet your specific needs. As an extension of your organization we put professional design and state-of-the-art printing technology within reach. With affordable prices, efficient print methods and no order minimums, you can afford to create and sell memorable (what matt calls them) for a fraction of the price. This allows your group to work within its budget, and eliminate the spending of precious funds on excess inventory. We’ve included a collection of the most memorable efforts to fundraise we’ve supported in the Chicagoland area over the past year.

How to Fundraise for Non-Profits

Fundraising is necessary for all non-profits to sustain themselves. Over time, even the most successful organizations find themselves facing new challenges and reacting to ever changing landscapes. Lucky for you, we have solutions to help guide you through it. From advocacy material to remittance envelopes, each touchpoint should be impactful and well-coordinated.

• Advocacy and Awareness Material
• Remittance Envelopes
• Donor Recognition

[caption id="attachment_740" align="alignleft" width="480"] A great example of an invitation for the Chicago Opera Theater Holiday Soiree.[/caption]                           [caption id="attachment_741" align="alignleft" width="640"] Chicago Opera Theater Donation Envelopes double as remittance cards as well as envelopes.[/caption]                     Advocacy and awareness materials typically focus on recent achievements, alarming trends while underscoring the importance of every dollar invested.  Often sent out on quarterly basis, this is a limited opportunity to convey the value of your service and recent accomplishments. A tri-fold brochure or saddle stitch book are powerful tools that can deliver your message clearly and efficiently. Over the past 10 years we’ve helped hundreds of local Chicago non-profits create and disseminate beautiful print material on time and under budget. Remittance envelopes can be used to reach loyal supporters, gather information and provide a convenient way to make contributions to your organization. These specialty envelopes typically have very large flaps so the envelope itself can be used as a form to collect important information. The form can be also be printed on the inside of the flap and the back of the envelope so when the envelope is sealed, the form is hidden. This type of envelope is commonly used by charities, schools, churches, fundraising groups, or as order forms for businesses. Finally, donor recognition is a brilliant way to acknowledge generous donors. A well-planned recognition program motivates donors to give more by incorporating the recognition from the beginning. Whether you’re using paper prints to temporarily display donor names or utilizing a custom plaques recognition often encourages donors to give every year. This allows donors to see how they can leave their mark. For more examples or ideas, feel free to give us a contact us today.

How to Fundraise for Schools

Some of the best advertising campaigns over the past 20 years have inspired an emotional response. For schools, capturing team spirit and school pride are excellent ways to connect with fans and the surrounding community. The trick is to find solutions that are not only provocative and engaging but most importantly act as long-term revenue generators. We’ve included three examples of large format print solutions below that can help fundraise and generate serious brand awareness.

• Student Achievement Banners
• Pole or Boulevard Banners
• Stadium Sponsorships – Custom Fence Wraps

High school athletic facilities typically tend to draw the biggest crowds and excitement throughout the year. Utilizing the space in and around the stadium is an excellent way to highlight academic and athletic accomplishments. We recently had success using agOnline for a local school district, offering the parents of senior varsity athletes the opportunity to purchase ‘Achievement Banners’ – a custom vinyl banner that can be displayed in hallways, on track fences or light poles around the school. Setup is simple, AlphaGraphics provides a school branded template that includes space for the student’s photo and achievement. The banners are printed then displayed for an athletic season and given back to each student in the end as a memorable keepsake. Our state-of-the-art production equipment means these banners can be created efficiently, creating higher margins which can be used to fund additional events. Custom windscreens are another fundraising sensation that is helping local high schools support athletics. Vinyl mesh banners transform perimeter fences or athletic facilities with colorful designs that make a statement to your fans, students and the community. This powerful branding tool can also be an excellent funding source. Designated sponsorship space around the perimeter of the track or bleacher sections can be offered to local businesses or private donors on a seasonal or yearly basis. The best part, our 13 oz vinyl mesh material can be printed on two sides. This creates double the space for sponsorship opportunities. Because this material is designed to last, the only pieces you need to replace are the sponsorship sections - giving the athletic department the ability to sell the same space year over year. Want to learn more? Stop by or set up a call with your trusted sponsorship partner - AlphaGraphics.

Great Design Will Help You Fundraise

We want your prints to look amazing, and a huge part of that is setting up your files for the best possible quality for printing. AlphaGraphics features a full-service, in-house graphic design studio, so we’re happy to help with any edits needed, whether it’s a major design overhaul or minor tweaks to photos and text. Art files can be sent via email or submitted through our file sharing website. You’ll need to provide your contact information along with any useful photos, logos, taglines, and text. From there, our team of design experts will work quickly to show a range of different design options. Simple revisions or formatting typically takes 24 hours or less. For full-service graphic design options from scratch, the first round of graphic design proofs can be ready within 48 hours. Subsequent rounds of graphic design changes and edits are typically turned around within 24 hours. High standards, excellent customer service, and quality assurance ensures an unmatched level of personalized attention. Contact us, give us a call or stop by one of our convenient locations for free face-to-face consultations.