Are you back in the swing of school again? It normally takes me a few solid weeks to fully adjust until we find our scheduling rhythm again. We’re over the hump now and so that means I’m ready to tackle another aspect of school being back in session: fundraising.
If we lived in a perfect world, schools would have an unlimited amount of money and resources at their fingertips. But sadly, that is not always the case. So awesome parents get together to raise much needed funds for schools. How? Well there are a lot of different options, but the most popular by far is the bake sale.
And I just happen to be the bake sale master; the Queen of Cupcakes if you will.
Now I’m sure you’ve either planned, baked for or eaten treats from a bake sale at some point in your life. While they do take a little work, I’ve got the bake sale down to a science. I’ve probably baked so many cupcakes for bake sales through the years that I could legitimately give tips to a baker. I’ve also eaten so many of those cupcakes that I could legitimately support a baker single-handedly if I was buying them in his shop. Good thing I’m not!
Seriously though, I’ve learned a few helpful morsels of wisdom along the way that can help you execute your next bake sale perfectly. Use this bake sale bible and you’ll probably just be cleaning up crumbs.
Planning:
1. Have a purpose. What are you raising funds for? “The children” just won’t cut it. Field trips? Awesome. New books for the library? Perfect. Instruments for the music teacher? I’ll buy your cookies for that! If you are specific about what you are supporting, you’ll see wallets open a lot faster.
2. You need help. Don’t try to do this alone or you will never want to look at another sweet again. On second thought, that’s a great diet idea. Seriously though, recruit help. You need to be specific in what type of volunteers you need. You’ll need bakers obviously, but you’ll also need help organizing, bagging, tagging and manning the sale. Send out sign ups early {I use Sign Up Genius and it has seriously changed my life!} and often. Don’t feel like you’re over-asking if you ask for help repeatedly. Busy parents won’t mind the reminders!
3. Consider a theme. If you’re hosting a sale around a holiday, having all items decorated in line with the holiday theme might be a great option. If you’re looking for a fresh idea, you could also do strictly a “Cookie Sale” or a “Cupcake Sale” and then go crazy in that dessert genre. We’ve had great success with just a “Pie Sale.”
4. Locations, location, location. Setting the date is important {day after payday anyone?}, but the location is the key to your success. If you can set a table up at the entry to a busy grocery store or a crowded sporting event, you’re already a step ahead. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to move the sale off campus if necessary.
5. What’s cooking? Determine some baking parameters and form a list of accepted items. Having these guidelines might seem harsh, but you don’t want a bunch of fruit cakes showing up at drop-off. Brownies, cookies, rice krispie treats and cupcakes are historically the best sellers. Parents are welcome to get creative and make crazy cupcakes or cookie sandwiches. You’ll still see a lot of variety, but they’ll be items you’re sure to sell. Also, think of assigning a few gluten free or vegan items to someone. Food allergies are everywhere these days!
Executing:
1. Advertising or bust. It might have worked for Kevin Costner, but trust me when I say you can’t rely on the motto, “If you bake it, they will come.” Because they won’t unless you tell them to. Send out fliers to all students, post it in your local paper or on your local news station’s free calender. Make huge obnoxious signs and post them all over town, at the school and directionally in front of your sale {make sure you remove everything you put up!}. The more you talk about it, the better your turnout will be!
2. What, when and where. Parents need specifics on how to package their items, what items are acceptable and exactly where and when they should drop them off. Make sure you leave plenty of time between the drop-off and the sale, because bagging and pricing those little brownies takes more time than you think!
3. Price to move. Sure that pie is awesome, but no one is going to pay you $20 for it! Set reasonable prices because the end goal is you want people to buy them without taking out a second mortgage. We never price anything over $2, and the $1 price point sells like crazy. $1 for a large cookie or a cupcake is perfect. Package small cookies together so they think they’re getting more for their money, and price those a bit higher.
4. Make ’em drool. We like to package all the products at the same time and not have the parents do that beforehand. That way things will look consistent and their won’t be uneven portions. This will also allow you to package them correctly. Humans are visual. Make sure what you’re selling can be seen through the packaging and you’re more likely to see those goodies fly off your table.
The Finishing Touches
1. The table. Presentation is everything here. A nice tablecloth goes a long way! Make the items visible and arrange them so they’re easy to get to. Also make sure your table has napkins and utensils if necessary. Plus, an easy to read price list is essential.
2. Mo’ money, mo’ problems. Be prepared for someone to hand you a $100 bill. It’s happened and you need to have the change ready. Most people will pay with small bills, but a large supply of change will keep you from turning any customers away.
And that my friends should have you on your way to a successful bake sale! Now here are some easy bake sale recipes to get you started:
- Double Chocolate Brownie Bites
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Nutella Hazelnut Cookies
- Lemon Bars
Kathy says
When my kids were in preschool we did a few bakes sales to raise money for art supplies. Teachers wanted something different so i made mini cream puffs and made the filling. Took them in for taste test amd bingo! I made 200 of them for first sale; they sold out in 30 minutes. Since it was a 2 day sale, of course more were made and again, gone in 30 minutes. We were set up in Walmart of all places, management was firm believer in kids. Sign said who we were, what it was for and prices. Each time we did it, i was called on to make cream puffs. They were different in the fact people were just geting into low fat no fat things and i make a great low fat custard you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference (it’s all in the cream used).
Haven’t made, or eaten, a cream puff since and it’s been years. I’m all puffed out.
Sakura says
Your very lucky, our school district will not allow us to sell or even provide home made treats.
Cheri says
Remember to check for state and local public heath guidelines. State and local guidelines for bake sales where I live include individual wrapping and providing complete recipe lists available. Also, nothing custardy that needs refrigeration, but that probably goes without saying.
Everyone should know, too that there are new Federal guidelines that are going to begin placing restrictions on when you can have bake sales and how many you can have in a school year. Here in Illinois, we’re restricted to nine (no problem), but it’s possible that that number will decrease as the years go by.
That said, whoopie pies are GREAT for bake sales!