The Goodies Factory Blog

The goal of every school fundraiser is obviously to earn money for a particular school or organization. While there are many great fundraising options available, one of the most popular is the cookie dough fundraiser. In this fundraiser students take orders from family and friends for tubs of delicious premade cookie dough. The orders are then turned in and tubs of the dough are delivered and distributed. Here are five helpful tips to help you earn more profit on your next cookie dough fundraiser.

Choose the Right Provider

The fundraising company that you work with will largely determine the amount of profit that your school can earn on a cookie dough fundraiser. Often these companies set a particular profit margin that will be given for each item you sell. Generally you can earn profits ranging from 30%-50% per sale. The amount you will earn will depend on the company you choose. Find a company that will provide you with the highest profits available. Be sure to ask about fees, shipping charges and other expenses as these can cut into a fundraiser’s profitability. Call a few school fundraising companies and compare profit margins before you make your final choice.

Sell Large Amounts

Of course with any fundraising venture, the more you sell the more you earn. However, in cookie dough fundraisers this principle is true in more ways that just one. Most companies will offer you a percentage of each sale. This percentage will fluctuate depending on the amount of product that you are able to move. For example if you sell 100 tubs of dough you might earn 30% and if you sell 1,000 tubs of dough you might earn 50%. Selling more cookie dough secures you a higher profit margin in addition to the earnings that you make with each item sold. Finding ways to sell more can really increase profits.

Reduce Losses

Losses are a part of fundraising, but keeping them to a minimum is important to your profits. Make sure that you plan ahead to reduce potential losses. For example once the cookie dough is delivered it will need to be stored in a refrigerated area. If this isn’t possible you will need coolers. Plan for storage of the dough and find efficient ways to distribute it so that you can limit the amount of dough that cannot be used.

Appeal to Teachers and Support Staff

Many school fundraisers expect the students to handle all of the selling, but if you reach out to others that have an interest in the school you may be able to earn more. Encourage teachers, school staff and others to participate in your fundraiser. You may even want to ask parents to play an active role in the fundraising process. The more people that sell, the more you will earn. Parents, teachers and other adults often have more connections than children and may be able to sell more effectively.

Hold More Than One

While one cookie dough fundraiser can be profitable, two is even better. Remember that some people would love to make a purchase and support your school, but are financially not able to do so at the time of your fundraiser. Others love the cookie dough you sell, but can only use so much before it expires. Hosting multiple fundraisers allows you to reach more customers and will increase your profits.

While earning money is an important part of fundraising, remember that it isn’t the only goal. Take this opportunity to teach students and encourage them while earning the money that your school needs.

Is it time for another school fundraiser? Your school may be used to hosting one or two fundraisers a year, but for maximum profitability fundraising should be considered all year round. Here are five great reasons to start planning your next school fundraiser today.

New Playground or Sports Equipment

Playground and sporting equipment is often the first expense to be cut from tight budgets. This can be a great reason to host a fundraiser. Another great benefit of having a school fundraiser to purchase playground items is that they are often very affordable. This means that a small fundraiser can easily help your organization to purchase all the equipment that they will need. Students will be excited and willing to help make this fundraiser a success.

Keep After School Programs Available

All too often after school activities like tutoring, after school sports, day care and other programs are cut from school budgets. These programs can really benefit working parents since it gives them an affordable alternative to child care. Another huge benefit of keeping these programs available is that they keep students safe and help them to stay out of trouble. If these programs aren’t available at your school consider hosting a fundraiser or two to earn the money needed for these programs. They will be a great benefit to students and parents alike.

Expose Students to New Cultural Experiences

A well rounded educational experience should feature both classroom learning and educational field trips. Field trips enhance the classroom learning experience and expose students to new cultures, ideas and experiences. School fundraisers can help schools to afford more frequent field trips. Students will have a richer educational experience and teachers will be better able to make learning come alive for their students.

Purchase Classroom Materials

Many teachers spend their own money purchasing items and supplies for their classroom. This can be financially draining especially since teachers don’t always earn a lot of money. Fundraising can provide the additional money that teachers need to purchase classroom materials and supplies. This will relieve the strain on teacher’s pocketbooks and will allow teachers more flexibility in planning art projects, lessons and classroom displays. Even a few hundred dollars can make a huge difference to already overworked and underpaid teachers.

Add More Technology

We live in a technological world and students need to have early exposure to technology. This may mean updating computer labs, putting computers in every classroom or purchasing new software programs for students to try. Fundraising can help your school to earn the money needed for technological improvements. This will provide students with a stronger technology background and will benefit both their educational experience and their future lives.

As you can see there are many reasons to start planning your next school fundraiser. If you would like to earn more money for your school start thinking of ways that your school could use the extra money. Once you have a goal in mind, plan a fundraiser and make it happen. School fundraising provides benefits to teachers, students, parents and even the community.

If you have spent any time researching school fundraisers you know that there are many different ways to earn money for your school. Let’s look at three popular school fundraising options to see how they can be a benefit for your school or organization. Remember you can hold more than one fundraiser, so if all of these options seem like a great fit, consider hosting a few school fundraisers this year. The more fundraising your school does, the more money they can earn.

Candy Bar Fundraisers

Candy bar fundraisers are always a popular school fundraising option. In this type of fundraiser your school will purchase cases of candy bars, suckers, gummy candies and other snacks and then will sell these items to students and community members. There is an upfront investment required since your school will need to purchase their products before they can start selling. Another potential downside to this fundraiser is that candy cannot be returned, so if you order too much you can end up losing profits since you will still have to pay for the candy you can’t sell.

To make this type of fundraiser a success your school needs to have an accurate idea of how much you can sell. It is always better to order a few cases of candy too little than to order more than you can sell. It is also important to get students involved. They can sell candy around school, around town and to family and friends. You also need to keep seasonal considerations in mind. For example if you plan on holding a chocolate bar in the middle of the summer in a hot climate you will need to find ways to keep your chocolate cool so that your product doesn’t melt. On the other hand if you are selling holiday treats you will be more successful at holiday times.

Cookie Dough Fundraisers

Cookie dough fundraisers are another great fundraising option. In this style of fundraiser students will use order forms to sell tubs of premade cookie dough to neighbors, family and friends. The dough is then delivered to the purchasers. This type of fundraiser doesn’t usually require an upfront investment. It is also popular with purchasers since they can use the dough they buy to make fresh from the oven cookies any time they like.

If you choose to host a cookie dough fundraiser make sure that you have a strong distribution plan from the beginning. The cookie dough must be refrigerated so it will need to be given out to purchasers quickly once it comes in. Enlisting help for dough distribution is critical. Also make sure that you work with a reputable fundraising company known for producing high quality and delicious cookie dough. If purchasers aren’t delighted by their cookies they will be much less likely to purchase from your school in the future.

Catalog Sales

Catalog sales offer some of the most variety when it comes to school fundraising. There are many different types of fundraising catalogs available and you will easily be able to find a great fundraising choice for any season of the year. Generally your school will be able to choose from gift wrap fundraisers, gourmet treats, holiday gifts, spring bulbs and more. These fundraisers offer a percentage of each sale to the school and often include an incentive plan for students. Family and friends can use this fundraiser to buy unique products that they can’t find elsewhere without having to leave their home. This is a fun and convenient fundraising choice.

If you choose to have a catalog sales fundraiser make sure that you time it properly. For example if you decide to host a holiday gifts fundraiser hold it early enough that shoppers won’t be done Christmas shopping before your fundraiser and in plenty of time to order the gifts and distribute them before the holidays. Timing is critical on a catalog fundraiser. Also remember to choose your fundraising provider carefully. It is so important to ensure that your orders come in on time and that everyone receives the high quality products that they order. The success of your future fundraisers lies in your ability to choose a great provider the first time around. Disappointed parents and friends won’t be likely to purchase again.

Here are three great school fundraiser options for you to consider. All can be great options for your school and will help you to earn extra money. Choose a great fundraiser today and start making money for your school.

School fundraising is a lot of work, so it is important to use the money that you earn carefully. Without a plan your earnings will quickly disappear and your school won’t have much to show for all of your efforts. Here are four quick tips for maximizing the spending power of your school fundraising earnings.

Start with a Plan

Before your fundraiser even begins you should have a plan in place for the fundraising earnings. Your plan needs to be very specific. For example if your spring cookie dough fundraiser is going to earn money for your school’s music program you should decide exactly how this money will be spent. Dedicate the fundraising earnings to a specific purchase like new violins or a band field trip. Then you can determine how much money you will need to earn to achieve your goal. You can also set up a backup plan for the extra money that you may earn as well.

Stick with the Plan

Once a plan is in place you need to stick with it. Don’t use the money that you earned for new playground equipment to purchase text books or to pay for a teacher’s retreat. It is so easy to let fundraising earnings slip away by using them for other needs in the budget. If you need more money, plan another fundraiser; don’t use the money that was earned for a different purpose. When you stick to the plan you will see progress and will know where your earnings are going. When you just use school fundraising earnings like cash, they will quickly disappear and your efforts will seem like they amounted to nothing.

Maximize Your Earnings

It is important to spend every dollar carefully, whether you earn hundreds or thousands with each fundraiser. In addition to spending carefully, you can also earn more with each fundraiser which will make the money that you earn last longer and buy more. Work with reputable fundraising companies. Before signing up for any school fundraiser, carefully research each company that you are considering. Try to find a provider that can offer your organization high profit margins and a quality product. Remember that shipping charges, upfront fees and other expenses can take away from your profit potential, so keep these expenses in mind as you determine which fundraising company will bring your school the highest earnings. Once you have a great fundraiser provider in place strive to sell as much as possible as this will also increase your profitability.

Use Your Earnings Wisely

Fundraising earnings will go quickly, so find ways to make the most of every dollar you spend. If you want new playground equipment shop around and find the best prices or see if you could receive a discount by ordering other items at the same time. Also try to fulfill some needs for your school with donations. You may be able to get local businesses to donate food or gifts to a teacher appreciation lunch or school supplies for your classrooms. These donations will save your school’s money and will allow you to use your fundraising money for larger ticket purchases.

Fundraising earnings are hard earned, so make the most of them. These money saving tips will help you to make sure that each dollar you earn in the fundraising process is used to provide maximum benefit for your school.

Candy bar fundraisers can be a great way to earn money for your school. They are easy to plan and can be very profitable if done correctly. Here are five helpful tips that will help you to make the most of your next candy bar fundraiser and to earn as much money as possible for your school.

Don’t Order Too Much

Most of the time you will need to pre-order your candy bars and then sell them. This means that you must estimate how many candy bars you will need. It is important to calculate carefully because if you order too much you probably won’t be able to make any returns. Ordering too much can really cut into your profits.

Make Sure You Order Enough

While you don’t want to order too many candy bars, you will want to be sure to order enough. Many candy bar fundraising companies offer higher profit margins to those that order larger quantities of candy, so order as much as you will be able to sell. One great way to determine how much to order is to calculate how many candy bars each student will be expected to sell and then to order accordingly.

Store Your Candy Properly

Proper candy storage is essential for keeping your candy fresh and tasty. Storage is an important concern any time of the year, but it is an especially important concern during the summer months. Chocolate candy bars melt quickly, so they will need to be stored in a cool environment at all times. Before you order your candy think about how you will store it. Once the candy arrives at your school make sure that it is stored properly and that you educate students about properly storing their candy as well to reduce melting and product loss. Any candy bars that you can’t sell will be profits lost for your school.

Take Advantage of Prime Selling Opportunities

Once you get into selling mode you will easily find many places to sell the candy bars that you order. They are great additions to snack stands and vending machines. They can also be sold at sporting events, around campus and even around the community. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with state and local regulations so that you can take advantage of these great selling opportunities. For example in some areas there are restrictions about the type of products that can be sold on school campuses. In these areas you may do better selling healthy treats to students rather than candy bars, since candy bars might not be able to be sold at school.

Evaluate and Try Again

Once your candy bar fundraiser comes to an end you can learn important lessons that will improve the results of your next school fundraiser. Were you able to sell all of the candy you ordered? Do you wish that you had ordered more? What products sold well? Which products did not sell as well? The answers to these questions will help you to determine how to increase your profitability and results with the next fundraiser. Each fundraiser will get a little easier and your profits will continue to increase. If you need a great fundraising choice for your next school fundraiser, consider candy bar sales. It is an easy and fun choice that can really earn great profits for your school.

The supplier you choose for your cookie dough fundraiser is very important. They will provide you with all of your cookie dough and ordering materials. The right supplier will make the school fundraising process easy and enjoyable, but the wrong supplier might leave you regretting your decision to hold a cookie dough sale. Luckily there are many great cookie dough fundraising suppliers out there. Here are five key questions to ask potential suppliers so that you can be sure that you are making the right choice for your next school fundraiser.

How is the Cookie Dough Made?

Delicious cookie dough is an important part of any cookie dough fundraiser. You will want to choose a cookie dough supplier that makes their dough using high quality ingredients. Look for companies that use fresh ingredients like flour, sugar, butter and real vanilla extract. This will ensure that each batch of cookies will taste like homemade. Delicious cookies will be easier to sell. Plus your purchasers will be more likely to spend money on your next fundraiser if they were pleased with the quality of product that they receive on this one.

What Profits Will My School Receive?

Profitability is an important consideration for any school fundraiser. Most fundraising providers offer schools a percentage of the total amount sold. For example your fundraising company might offer you 40% of your sales total. This means that if you sell $10,000 worth of product your school will receive $4,000. Each cookie dough supplier’s profit potential can vary so it is a good idea to check with several companies so that you can find the best rate available. Remember that quality is important and you may need to work with a fundraising company that offers lower profits to get a better product.

Do You Offer Customer Service?

During the fundraiser you might have questions, so choosing a supplier that offers customer service is important. Ask if customer service is available and what options you will have if assistance is needed. Some companies offer email support, others assign sales representatives to each school and some may offer phone support. It might be a good idea to contact customer service once or twice before choosing a company to learn more about the quality of the customer service team before you make your final choice.

What Fees Can I Expect?

Hidden charges and extra fees will take away from your school’s profits. Talk with your fundraising supplier and find out what fees your school can expect. Some companies charge for shipping and handling. Other companies might have an order fee or supply charge. As you compare company profitability don’t forget to include these fees.

Why Should I Choose Your Company?

This question might seem simple, but the answer that is provided will teach you a lot about the potential supplier. Many companies offer special services that their competitors do not, and asking this question will give the supplier a great opportunity to explain the benefits that they offer. Asking companies why they are a great choice will help you to see which companies really are a good choice.

The cookie dough supplier that you choose will have a big impact on the overall success of your next school fundraiser. Take time and do your research so that you can pick a great one.

Candy is an essential part of any candy bar school fundraiser. The candy that you choose will determine how easy it is to sell your product and will determine how much money your school is able to earn. Choosing the right candy doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you make your selection.

What is the Profit Margin?

Different types of candies offer different profit margins. Make sure that you know how much profit you can earn with each candy bar before you make your choice. Profitability is important, but so is being able to sell the candy. Don’t choose a high profit candy bar that won’t sell over a popular candy that will easily sell. By choosing a candy choice that is both profitable and popular you will earn more money.

Does My Fundraising Company Offer The Candy?

Your students may want to sell a particular type of candy. Before you commit, make sure that the candy is offered by your school fundraising company. While you can go out and purchase candy on your own, it is much easier to work with a fundraising company. In most cases it is also more profitable since they are able to offer candy at a much lower initial cost than if you tried to purchase the same product on your own. If your fundraising company doesn’t offer the candy that you want, see what other options they have available.

Will It Melt?

Chocolate bars are always a popular choice for school fundraisers, but you do need to remember that they can melt. This is especially important to remember if you live in a hot climate. Melted candy bars cannot be sold or returned and will just be lost profits for your school. If you do choose to sell candy that will melt during warm weather have a plan in mind for candy storage so that you can sell your candy bars without ruining them.

Can We Sell It?

Many schools have instituted strong guidelines for treats that are sold at school. This means that in some areas you will not be able to sell candy bars on your school campus. If this is the case in your school, you might want to consider selling healthy treats since the school is one of the best places to make money on a candy bar fundraiser.

Suckers, Chocolates or Other Sweet Treats?

Many school fundraising companies offer a variety of different treats to schools. These treat options often include suckers or lollipops, chocolate bars and candy items like gummy worms or jelly beans. Each type of candy has its benefits. For example chocolate bars often earn more profit per item sold than smaller treats like a lollipop. Lollipops are often very affordable which means that almost anyone can buy one using just their spare change. Some items melt and some are popular choices with students. Before you make your final decision think about the benefits of each type of candy and use these benefits to choose the best choice for your school. Remember if you have trouble choosing, you can always hold more than one school fundraiser.

The right candy is essential to the success of your fundraiser. Make your decision carefully and don’t forget to ask your student sellers if they have a preference about the type of candy your school will sell.

Without the right help school fundraising can be very difficult. Imagine trying to find great products, taking care of orders and creating fundraising materials all on your own. This task would definitely be overwhelming. Luckily, you don’t have to do everything yourself when it comes to school fundraising. There are many great companies out there that will help you through the fundraising process. This will save you time while increasing your profits. Let’s take a quick look at a few reasons why should enlist a fundraising company’s help before your next fundraiser.

Supplies Provided

One of the biggest benefits of working with a fundraising company is the simplicity of the fundraising process. They typically provide all of the supplies that you will need from catalogs to order forms to inventory sheets. This means that all you have to do is distribute the product information and let your students start selling. This can save a huge amount of time and makes ordering much easier.

Since your fundraising company will provide all of the order materials you won’t have to worry about creating your own order forms. This means that you won’t make mistakes and you will be sure that everything is priced and described appropriately. Many fundraising companies include the cost of the supplies in their portion of the proceeds which means that you won’t have to invest any money upfront.

Help Every Step of the Way

School fundraising can be difficult, especially if you haven’t planned a fundraiser before. When you work with a school fundraising company they will work with you every step of the way as they answer your questions and help you to learn to fundraise effectively. This means that planning a school fundraiser can be simple, even for those with no experience.

Having someone with experience to turn to will really take the stress out of fundraising. Your fundraising company will be there to help with questions about products, ordering and much more. Each fundraising company handles customer service a little differently so find out how your provider will be there to assist you. Some companies will assign you with a sales representative that you will call directly with questions while other companies will have you call a main customer service number.

Risk Free

Often schools that are planning a fundraiser don’t have extra money to spare. When you fundraise on your own you might have to invest money upfront or pay for supplies on your own. This creates a level of risk for the fundraiser because if your earnings are short, you will have to cover the expenses on your own. Fundraising companies cover this initial investment so that you can fundraiser without taking a risk.

If you are looking for a risk free fundraising choice, make sure that you choose a fundraiser that won’t require an upfront investment. Cookie dough fundraisers and catalog sales are a great choice if you are looking for a risk free fundraising choice.

There are many great reasons to work with a school fundraising company. These are just a few of the many benefits that you will receive. Working with a fundraising company will save time, money and make the school fundraising process much easier.

School fundraising companies can literally determine the success of your school fundraiser. A great fundraising company will make the experience easy, enjoyable and profitable while a bad company can make fundraising difficult. Knowing what to consider when choosing your school fundraising company will help you to choose a great provider the first time around.

Reputation

Reputation isn’t everything, but when choosing a school fundraising provider it can be a great place to start. Look for a company that has an established reputation working with schools. You may want to talk with other schools in your area to find out which fundraising company they use. A company with a great reputation will have the skills and experience necessary to help you succeed in the fundraising process. You can also ask your fundraising company for references if you want to talk with past clients before making a commitment.

Profit Margin

Profitability is another important consideration when choosing a school fundraising provider. Each company determines the profit margin that they will offer to schools and you will find that profits can vary greatly from company to company.

Most school fundraising companies offer schools a percentage of each sale. Look for companies that offer a high percentage. Remember that fees, handling charges, shipping and other expenses can take away from your profits, so be sure to factor these expenses in when making your comparisons.

Customer Service

Fundraising can be difficult, but a great school fundraising company will help you throughout the entire process. As you compare providers pay attention to the level of customer service that you receive. Is it easy to get ahold of someone when you need help? Are the customer service agents helpful? When you encounter problems you will want a fast and reliable source of fundraising answers, so shop around until you find a fundraising company with a helpful customer service team.

Some school fundraising companies will assign each school a sales agent. This agent will work with your throughout the entire fundraising process and will be there to answer any questions that you may have. If this is important to you, make sure that this is a service that your fundraising company offers.

Product Variety

Choosing a fundraising company is a lot of work, so you won’t want to do it again the next time you plan a fundraiser. Look for school fundraising providers that offer many different types of fundraisers so that you can work with the same company each time you plan a fundraiser. Try to find a company that offers cookie dough, candy bars and treats, catalog products, magazine sales and more. A large variety of fundraisers will make choosing your next fundraiser much easier.

School fundraising companies take the worry out of school fundraising. These tips will help you to find a great provider that will help you to plan a profitable fundraiser for your school. Don’t be afraid to shop around and compare several different companies until you find the fundraising provider that is right for you.

When you plan a school fundraiser it is important to let everyone know. The more people that know about your fundraiser, the more money you can earn for your school. Publicity is important and is a great way to increase profits. Let’s look at five ideas for letting people know about your upcoming fundraiser.

Send Home a Parent’s Letter

Parents can be a great help in school fundraising. Parents can sell your products to their friends, family and coworkers. They want their children to have the best education possible and this means that they are often more than willing to talk to others about your school fundraiser. Create a well written parent’s letter and send it home with the students before the fundraiser begins. Ask parents for their help and encourage them to spread the word about your school’s fundraiser.

Take Out an Ad

Advertising can also spread the word about your school fundraiser. You can take out an ad in a local paper or create a radio ad. These advertisements can help community members to learn about your fundraiser and to offer their support. Many times you can even find newspapers or radio stations willing to donate the cost of the advertisement so you can publicize your event without having to spend a fortune.

Work with Local Businesses

Local businesses can help you to get the word out about your fundraiser. For example if you plan a fundraiser with a local business they will spread the word about your fundraiser and you in turn will publicize their business. This helps your school while increasing profits for your school fundraiser.

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is another great way to publicize your fundraiser. Encourage students, parents and school staff to talk about the fundraiser. The more they talk the more people will know about the fundraiser and the better able the community will be to offer support. Word of mouth is a great communication tool. Another great reason to rely on word of mouth for school fundraising publicity is that people are much more likely to support a fundraiser when they understand the purpose behind it. When parents and students talk with others about your fundraiser people will be more willing to open their wallets and support your school.

Banners and Flyers

Banners and flyers can also help your school to spread the word about their fundraiser. Have a large banner made to hang in a prominent location near the school. If your school has an electronic sign, you can also publicize the fundraiser there. In addition you can have students sit outside of local businesses with flyers for your fundraiser. This can really get the word out about your fundraiser. Make sure that you get permission before standing outside of a store to pass out flyers.

Publicity should be a primary concern as you plan a school fundraiser. These ideas will help you to inform community members about your fundraising efforts and will increase your profits. Many of these ideas are simple to implement, but pay off with big publicity rewards.