I usually try to avoid going to the market on a Saturday. If I need something, I will go to a local convenience store and pay more for just the necessities rather than go to the market for my normal shopping. No, I am not avoiding the crowds or have an aversion to driving in the traffic that where I live can only be described as “When did they let the maniacs out?” type of traffic. What I am avoiding tends to be much more aggravating. I avoid those groups that set up tables to sell doughnuts and peanut brittle.

Those foods are never on whichever diet I may happen to be on at the time. However, the thing that concerns me the most is the fact that I do not know these people. How do I know it is not some fraud that they are pulling and are not actually trying to raise money for a charity? Sure I could take the time to stand there and ask them for all sorts of credentials and question them extensively but who has the time. It is much easier to give them the money to shut them up.

However, honestly, this can be a very beneficial way to raise money. If I am familiar with the store and the “customers” are people that know you, then you are almost assured of not being a fraud. If I see someone that is participating that I know and trust, I will be much more likely to stop and share my paycheck with them to help benefit their cause.

However, what if I do not know the people participating? How do I know for sure that I am not being swindled? Sure I can trust them, and often do. Still there are some steps that the organization could do in order to reassure possible customers that they are not being swindled. True, frauds could do the same thing and fool me into believing it is a true charity. I tend to try to believe in people but I have been swindled enough to be a little cautious.

For that reason, if I’m going to be collecting money, food, clothing, or any other sort of donation, I try to take steps to reassure those that are making the donations that they are making are to a legitimate organization or cause. Look at your fundraising or donation gathering campaign and see if there are ways that your methods could be changed in order to promote more trust in those that are donating. Remember that just because you may not have a store to be selling out of, you still need to consider the customers and earn their trust. So while you are modernizing the bake sales of old by selling baked goods at the market, take some time to modernize your approach in order to achieve the same sense of security that the former bake sales give their “customers”. Customer satisfaction and trust often means repeat business for future fund raising events.