Bake Sale on Steroids
Posted by Jim Berigan on 04 Dec 2008 in: Bake Sale, Fun Fundraisers, Fundraising Ideas
Yesterday, I wrote about a teacher in San Diego who has taken to selling advertising space on his tests and quizzes in order to pay for all the printing he needs done during the school year. A few days before that, I wrote about the idea of setting up a passive fundraising system in your school, one that operates 365 days per year. I am going to continue this theme of extreme fundraising measures today by writing about a school in Stamford, Connecticut, that is not passively raising money, but rather actively doing so.
According to The Advocate (Stamford newspaper), the students at Stamford High School have taken to operating a bake sale every single day. It takes place in the time before school starts each morning. There are over 70 different student groups that sign up for the time slot on different days. An average morning of bake selling can bring in upward of $200.
The article is quick to point out that in addition to all the sweet morning treats, there are often healthier options, such as bottled water and mandarin oranges. Some groups even bypass food altogether and collect money in other creative ways.
Wow. Can you imagine being faced with fundraising efforts every single morning? I mean, who do they think they are? It would be absolutely unbeara- …wait a second. Going into a place each morning where they sell muffins, bagels, coffee, juice, etc. and paying money in exchange for these goods. Hmmm. Where have I heard this idea before? Oh yeah, it’s called a gas station or a Starbucks, or one of those little drive-thru shacks. Except, instead of making the gas station owners rich, I’m giving it to a school-related cause.
I think this is a brilliant idea! Here is a school that knows it needs to raise money to support all of these extra activities and it allows its students to really get involved in helping themselves.
Could this idea work at your school for your group? People, especially high schoolers (and teachers!) spend their disposable income on food like this anyhow. Why have them spend it at some store down the road?
If a typical student spends just $5 a week on these bake sale items, by the end of a 36 week school year, he’s made a total gift of $180. Does this exceed what he might raise if you only hold a couple of fundraising events a year? Which are you more likely to get close to 100% participation in- a product sale or a bake sale? Also, what percentage of the profits do you get to keep from a product sale? 40%? 50%? In a bake sale the group keeps 100%.
Granted, a product sale can raise much more money in a condensed period of time. However, with more and more parents balking at the idea of their children becoming candy bar salesmen, this daily bake sale approach may be growing in its appeal.
(For more outstanding reasons to hold a bake sale, please visit my previous post “9 Ways to Rake in the Dough at Your Next Bake Sale“)
Think about it.
2 Responses to “Bake Sale on Steroids”
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Unfortunately, our school district has enforces an extremely stringent policy about food due to allergies etc. You can only purchase certain items, everything must be individually wrapped etc. Home made anything, forget it! We actually had to get specific approval for the $900 worth of cookies donated by a local bakery as dessert for our dinner/concert fundraiser…Can you imagine having to have to turn down that type of donation…I have a child with a peanut allergy and feel he should be able to be personally responsible about what he eats, not dependent on school to do it for him. But I love the idea! Maybe during high school
Hi Judy,
Thanks for your comments. You are absolutely right for pointing that out. I hate to say it, but things have changed and even bake sales have been affected by all the concerns about everything from salmonila to obesity to peanut allergies.
As you mention, high school would probably be easier than elementary or middle school for this kind of idea to work. However, a daily bake sale would be mostly organized by the students anyway, so that would almost have to mean that older kids would be involved. Hopefully, by the time they reach this grade level, the students are able to make good choices about what foods than can or cannot eat.