5 Lessons New Coordinators Can Learn From Liberty North

Earning your first few thousand with RaiseRight is easier than you think. Here's how one band got it right from the start (and how you can, too). 

Many RaiseRight programs build their success over several years. But the Liberty North High School Band Boosters, based in Liberty, Missouri, made their mark in just six months.

Erin S., a band parent and fundraising chair for Liberty North's band boosters, first introduced RaiseRight to parents in November 2025. In just six months, they've already raised over $3,000 across 300+ orders.

For a brand-new, volunteer-run program, that's a remarkable start. And it didn't happen by accident.

Here are Erin's secrets to success—and what other coordinators can learn from her approach to start off strong.

Lesson #1: Try it yourself first 

Having previously been involved in a PTA, Erin already knew a thing or two about fundraising, and kept RaiseRight in her back pocket as an option for years.

So before Erin introduced RaiseRight to the band, she used it on her own for several weeks. She wanted to experience the platform firsthand before asking other parents to try it.

Her approach was deliberate: "I started using it first, so I could explain it better, then choose the right time to roll it out."

When she finally kicked it off, she wasn't presenting a brochure—she was sharing her own life. She talked about using the Grocery & Auto+ Mastercard at her favorite store, ALDI. She talked about how her and her husband gamified their earnings. She could describe, from personal experience, how to weave RaiseRight into a typical week. 

As she puts it, "I look at the weekly emails, shop brands on bonus, and buy eGift cards down to the dollar denomination when I'm checking out."

Lesson #2: Time your launch carefully 

Erin could have introduced RaiseRight once she got excited about it—right at the start of marching band season. But she held back, knowing that busy audiences are rarely receptive.

Instead, she waited until two weeks after the season wrapped up, when families finally had a chance to breathe. She also made sure the timing aligned with a major announcement: the band's next big trip to Washington, D.C. for a Memorial Day parade in 2027. 

"If I launched this when the season started, parents would have been overwhelmed," Erin says. "So I waited until November, when they were ready to hear it and ready to shop for the holidays."

Lesson #3: Give families a goal to rally around 

The Liberty North High School band takes a major trip every four years. With Washington, D.C. on the horizon for 2027, families now have an expense to work toward: $2,000 per student to travel. 

Liberty North's other fundraisers, like crowdfunding, restaurant nights, and frozen pizza sales still have their place, but there's a ceiling. Students can only sell so much pizza to their neighbors before the well runs dry. RaiseRight allows families to chip away at their fundraising goal without having to sell a thing.

"Knowing you can get money back on everyday spending is a huge motivator," Erin notes, "and once you figure it out, you're unstoppable." It's a staying power that's hard to achieve with a traditional fundraiser.

Lesson #4: Meet parents where they are 

Erin didn't wait for families to come to her—or even for freshmen to arrive.

She worked with the nearby middle school band directors to get RaiseRight in front of families early, before other priorities had their attention.

The sooner a family starts, the more they earn, and the more invested they become. So rather than waiting for freshman orientation in the fall, Erin introduces the program at incoming family meetings in spring. "The eighth-grade parents are the most enthusiastic and pick up quickly," Erin mentions.  

Families who get that early introduction don't have to play catch-up; they arrive earning, engaged, and feeling like the trip is already within reach.

Lesson #5: Lower or remove barriers to participation

Erin keeps her program as simple as possible. She strictly promotes eGift cards through the RaiseRight app—no physical inventory, no order coordination, and no extra logistics for anyone to manage. 

The message to families follows the same principle. Rather than framing RaiseRight as another thing to do, Erin frames it as a redirect: money families are already spending, now working harder for them. "You're already buying groceries regardless," she points out.

Her ongoing communication keeps the same steady, low-lift rhythm: a mention in the band's monthly newsletter, up-to-date information on the website, and a recorded informational presentation that parents can rewatch when they need to. Erin also leans on RaiseRight's Coordinator Resource Center for marketing templates, which she's found useful for building something polished without starting from scratch.

What's next for Liberty North? 

Less than a year in, the Liberty North High School Band Boosters have already generated serious momentum. Erin is focused on continuity: introducing the program to incoming freshmen in the spring, maintaining the connection with middle school feeder families, and finding a mentee to carry the program forward once her son graduates.

For other programs just getting started, this story is proof that you don't need years of history to see meaningful results. Start smart, check the right boxes, and watch the momentum follow.