It’s unanimous. Everyone loves food. And of course, we can’t do without it. These are 2 powerful reasons why it works so well as a school fundraiser.

1. 5 TOP FOOD
FUNDRAISING
IDEAS FOR 2020
F U N D R A I S I N G
P r e s e n t e d B y C l a y B o g g e s s

2. IT’S UNANIMOUS. EVERYONE
LOVES FOOD. AND OF
COURSE, WE CAN’T DO
WITHOUT IT. THESE ARE 2
POWERFUL REASONS WHY IT
WORKS SO WELL AS A
SCHOOL FUNDRAISER. THE
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD
SPENDS OVER $7,000 YEARLY
ON FOOD ACCORDING TO THE
SIMPLE DOLLAR. THIS
EQUATES TO ABOUT $20
EACH DAY PER PERSON.

3. FOOD IS ALSO HIGHLY
CONSUMABLE. IN FACT,
IT’S HARD TO THINK OF
ANOTHER PRODUCT THAT
EVEN RIVALS THE
DEMAND, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF WATER.
UNLIKE ITEMS THAT CAN
BE USED OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, LIKE A SCHOOL
MUG, FOOD IS
CONSTANTLY ON OUR
MINDS.

4. THE BEST FOOD FUNDRAISING IDEAS
WILL ALWAYS SERVE A DUAL PURPOSE.
NOT ONLY SHOULD THEY HELP MEET THE
FINANCIAL NEEDS OF THE GROUP
RAISING THE MONEY, FOOD PRODUCTS
MUST BE ABLE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM
FOR THE BUYER.
THINK ABOUT IT. WE ALL SEEM TO BE
LIVING IN CRUNCH TIME. OUR FAST-
PACED SOCIETY MEANS LESS TIME TO
PREPARE FOOD FROM SCRATCH IN
PLACE OF A HOT MEAL THAT CAN BE
PREPARED ALMOST INSTANTLY. FROZEN
FOOD BROCHURES THAT OFFER
EVERYTHING FROM PIZZAS TO PIES HELP
SOLVE THAT NEED WITH
MICROWAVEABLE PRODUCTS. AND OF
COURSE, IT HAS TO TASTE NEARLY AS
GOOD AS GRANDMA’S HOME STYLE
COOKING.

5. MANY ORGANIZATIONS ALSO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE TAX LAWS WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD SALES.
DEPENDING ON THE STATE, MANY PRODUCTS ARE
TAXABLE, EVEN IF YOU’RE A NONPROFIT. BUT AS
LONG AS THE GROUP IS SELLING NON-PREPARED
FOOD, LIKE PREPACKAGED COOKIE DOUGH, MOST
STATES WON’T REQUIRE THE COLLECTION OF SALES
TAX. ALTERNATIVELY, ‘READY TO EAT’ FOOD SERVED
IN A RESTAURANT ON A PLATE NEXT TO A KNIFE
AND FORK IS TAXABLE.
BUT PERHAPS WHAT MAKES FOOD SALES SO
EFFECTIVE IS THAT MOST OF US ARE IMPULSE
BUYERS. WHO CAN RESIST A MID-DAY SNACK,
ESPECIALLY SOMETHING INEXPENSIVE LIKE A CANDY
BAR OR BEEF STICK?
ACCORDING TO PTO TODAY, SCHOOLS SHOULD
CONSIDER 3 THINGS BEFORE DECIDING ON SELLING
FOOD. FIRST AND FOREMOST IS QUALITY. IF PEOPLE
DON’T LIKE THE TASTE, THEY WON’T BUY FROM YOU
THE NEXT TIME. SECOND IS TIMING. TRY TO AVOID
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WITH OTHER GROUPS WHO
MAY BE SELLING A SIMILAR PRODUCT. THIS WILL
HURT BOTH SALES. AND THIRD, IF YOUR COMMUNITY
SEEMS TO EMPHASIZE HEALTHY EATING, YOU MIGHT
WANT TO AVOID SELLING FOODS LIKE CANDY BARS
OR PIES.
HERE ARE THE TOP 5 FOOD FUNDRAISING IDEAS
ALONG WITH THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH:

6. 1. COOKIE DOUGH FUNDRAISER
THE COOKIE DOUGH FUNDRAISER IS STILL GOING STRONG AND
IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR WAYS FOR SCHOOLS TO RAISE
MONEY. SUCCESSFUL BRANDS LIKE OTIS SPUNKMEYER®,
NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE® AND CRAZY ABOUT COOKIES TOP THE
LIST OF FAVORITES AND ADD INSTANT CREDIBILITY IN THE
MIND OF THE BUYER.
ALTHOUGH AVAILABLE IN TUBS, THE PREFERRED CHOICE
THESE DAYS IS PRE-SLICED PIECES THAT ONLY REQUIRES THAT
YOU PLACE THE DOUGH ON A COOKIE SHEET. EDIBLE DOUGH
HAS CAUGHT ON STRONG RECENTLY AS A VERY TASTY TREAT
THAT YOU CAN EAT “RAW”. WELL, IT’S NOT REALLY RAW, BUT
IT’S MADE WITHOUT EGGS AND USES HEAT-TREATED FLOUR
THAT REDUCES THE PRESENCE OF MICROBIAL PATHOGENS.
MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOW SELLING ‘SHELF-STABLE’ COOKIE
DOUGH. THE ADVANTAGE IS THAT YOU GET THE SAME GREAT
TASTE WITH MORE FLEXIBLE STORING AFTER DELIVERY. THIS
PRODUCT CAN BE STORED IN A ROOMTEMPERATURE
ENVIRONMENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. SCHOOLS NO LONGER
HAVE TO SCRAMBLE FOR THAT DREADED FREEZER SPACE FOR
ANY UNCLAIMED BOXES.GLUTEN-FREE COOKIE DOUGH IS ALSO
AVAILABLE, ALTHOUGH IT TENDS TO BE MORE OF A NICHE
PRODUCT WITH LOWER THAN AVERAGE SALES OVERALL.
PROS

7. COOKIE DOUGH CONTINUES TO GO UP IN PRICE, WHICH IS A
REASON THAT MORE GROUPS ARE NOW SELLING THE SMALLER
2 LB. TUBS FOR SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MONEY.
BECAUSE COOKIE DOUGH IS VERY POPULAR, THE CHANCES OF
RUNNING UP AGAINST ANOTHER GROUP THAT’S ALSO SELLING
IT IS FAIRLY HIGH. THUS, IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO CHECK
YOUR AREA FOR COMPETING GROUPS. IT’S ALWAYS BEST IF
YOU CAN BE THE FIRST FUNDRAISER IN YOUR AREA IF
POSSIBLE.
A FEW GROUPS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SELL HEALTHIER
ALTERNATIVES, BUT THESE PRODUCTS HISTORICALLY HAVE
NOT SOLD AS WELL.
CONS
1. COOKIE DOUGH FUNDRAISER

8. 2. CANDY BAR FUNDRAISING
CHOCOLATE SELLS. REESE’S, OWNED BY HERSHEY, WAS THE
TOP SELLING CHOCOLATE CANDY SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES
WITH ABOUT $171 MILLION IN 2017. CHOCOLATE BARS ARE
HUGELY POPULAR AND THEY LITERALLY SELL THEMSELVES.
OFFERED AT $1 EACH, CANDY BAR FUNDRAISER PRODUCTS
ARE EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE AND LEND THEMSELVES
EXTREMELY WELL TO THE IMPULSE PURCHASE.
BOXED CHOCOLATE, NORMALLY SOLD OUT OF A BROCHURE,
HAS A HIGHER RETAIL PRICE THAN CANDY BARS, BUT GROUPS
CAN MAKE MORE MONEY OFF EACH SOLD ITEM. BUYERS CAN
ALSO CHOOSE FROM A VARIETY OF CHOCOLATES, SUCH AS
CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS AND PECAN CARAMEL
CLUSTERS.
AND IN MOST CASES, UNLIKE DIRECT SALE ITEMS LIKE CANDY
BARS, ITEMS FOUND IN FOOD BROCHURES CAN BE SOLD ON
CAMPUS DURING SCHOOL HOURS.
PROS

9. 2. CANDY BAR FUNDRAISING
WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF STRICTER NUTRITIONAL
GUIDELINES, CANDY BAR SALES CAN NO LONGER TAKE PLACE
ON CAMPUS DURING SCHOOL HOURS.
SELLING BOXED CHOCOLATE IS MORE EXPENSIVE, PLUS
BUYERS HAVE TO WAIT FOR STUDENTS TO DELIVER THEIR
PRODUCT. THIS MAKES IT MUCH LESS OF AN IMPULSE BUY.
CANDY BARS TYPICALLY SELL FOR $1.00, WHICH IS A
CONVENIENT PRICE POINT, BUT STUDENTS HAVE TO SELL A LOT
MORE PRODUCT TO MAKE THE SAME PROFIT.
CONS

10. 3. FROZEN FOOD FUNDRAISING IDEAS
‘MICROWAVE AND SERVE’ MEALS ALONG WITH ‘THAW AND
SERVE’ DESSERTS MAKE FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS A
CONVENIENT OPTION FOR BUYERS. GROUPS CAN OFFER ITEMS
LIKE CHEESECAKES, PIES, BROWNIES, PIZZAS, AND PRETZEL
DOGS. RECOGNIZABLE NAME BRANDS INCLUDE LITTLE
CAESARS, OTIS SPUNKMEYER AND CINNABON.
VARIETY IS KEY AS MANY FROZEN FOOD BROCHURES OFFER
AS MANY AS 75-100 DIFFERENT ITEMS. ORDERS THAT DELIVER
ALREADY SORTED BY STUDENT ARE A MUST AS GROUPS
PROBABLY WON’T HAVE THE TIME TO SORT AND DISTRIBUTE
THE MERCHANDISE BEFORE THAWING KICKS IN. AND SINCE
INDIVIDUAL FOOD ITEMS ARE PREPACKAGED AND NOT READY
FOR IMMEDIATE CONSUMPTION, IN MOST CASES THERE’S NO
TAX.
PROS
CONS
FROZEN FOOD MUST BE REFRIGERATED WITHIN A CERTAIN
PERIOD OF TIME. THE RECOMMENDED GUIDELINE IS WITHIN 4-
6 HOURS AFTER DELIVERY. THIS REQUIRES EXTRA PLANNING
TO ENSURE A SMOOTH DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENT ORDERS.
UNFORTUNATELY, HAVING A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN PLACE
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T PICK UP THEIR ORDER ON DELIVERY
DAY IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED.

11. 4. FOOD MIXES
SELLING FOOD MIXES HAS BECOME POPULAR IN RECENT
YEARS. THESE TYPES OF PRODUCTS TAKE THE WORRY OUT OF
A DELIVERY BECAUSE THERE’S NO REFRIGERATION REQUIRED.
MANY BROCHURES CARRY A VARIETY OF FOOD MIXES THAT
OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE PRACTICAL, LIKE LOUISIANA
GUMBO, TEXAS CHILI AND EVEN GARLIC BISCUIT MIX.
PROS
CONS
MANY BUYERS ARE LOOKING FOR FOOD THAT’S READY TO EAT
AND DOESN’T REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL PREPARATION STEPS.
EVEN THOUGH FOOD MIXES MAKE DELIVERIES EASIER,
THEY’RE NOT SO CONVENIENT AS YOU OFTEN HAVE TO ADD
THINGS LIKE EGGS AND BUTTER BEFORE BAKING.

12. 5. SNACK FOOD FUNDRAISERS
SNACK FOOD IS POPULAR AS A SCHOOL FUNDRAISER
BECAUSE IT’S CONVENIENT AND THE ITEMS ARE REASONABLY
PRICED. WE ALL NEED THAT QUICK PICK-ME-UP TO HELP FUEL
OUR FAST PACED LIFESTYLES. BUYERS USUALLY HAVE A GOOD
SELECTION TO CHOOSE FROM.
GROUPS ALSO DO WELL SELLING BEEF JERKY AND POPCORN
FUNDRAISER PRODUCTS. THERE ARE ALSO SOME ADDED
HEALTH BENEFITS TO MANY SNACK FOODS SUCH AS HIGH
PROTEIN AND LOW SUGAR. MOST POPCORN IS ALSO GLUTEN
FREE.
PROS
CONS
SINCE FOOD ALLERGIES ARE A CONCERN FOR MANY, SNACKS
THAT CONTAIN NUTS ARE OFF THE TABLE. IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD
IDEA TO DISCLOSE THE PRODUCT INGREDIENTS TO POTENTIAL
BUYERS SO THEY CAN BE INFORMED PRIOR TO MAKING A
PURCHASE.

13. THANKS FOR
READING
CLAY BOGGESS