Use Your Sweet Tooth for Good: Help Your Children’s School through Bake Sales

The school year is fast approaching, get the most out of those last weeks of summer before back-to-school shopping begins! It's the time of year when parent/teacher leadership teams are engaged in planning sessions for next school year. This year, many districts are hit hard with budget cuts and engaging parents to fill gaps will be more essential than ever. Fundraising is particularly crucial to the success of our schools, and something that parents and kids alike can be actively involved in.

Bake sales are a great way to raise money AND get everyone involved. You don't need lots of cash to make it happen, and parents (and kids!) can help by baking and/or selling the items. People never get tired of yummy goodies!

We've put together some best practices for organizing a successful bake sale. For more details about running a bake sale, check out our free eBook - Click here: Bake Sale Ideas: Best Practices for Turning Cupcakes into Cash

Best Practices for Bake Sales:

Begin with a leadership team and a willing group of volunteers to bake the items and help during the day of the sale. If they are willing, plan a monthly sale!
Pick a time and a place where an event is already happening or there is some other source of customer traffic flow - a sports tournament, holiday shopping bazaar, festival or assembly.
To make sure you get a broad variety of treats, create a sign-up sheet using VolunteerSpot, where you can list how many of each baked good you will need. Then, invite everyone to sign up to bring something or help during the day of the bake sale.
The day of the bake sale, set up a few tables covered with tablecloths, and organize the treats neatly by category (cookies, brownies, etc.). Make sure to bring plenty of change!
Offer free coffee or lemonade or charge a small fee for beverages.
Publicize the event by hanging up posters, handing out fliers, and sending email reminders to your community. The best way to make money at a bake sale is for folks to attend!
Package breads, cupcakes and cookies in both individual and family-size portions so there is something for everyone.
Offer low-sugar alternatives such as granola or fruit cups for customers who are health conscious.
Increase revenue by selling cook books containing recipes of baked goods for sale.
Have leftovers? Bring them to the local food back or soup kitchen, or wrap them up and place them in the teacher's lounge.

Bakes sales can be a fun and profitable way to earn extra cash for your school or organization. Plan your bake sale online with VolunteerSpot. Once signed up, VolunteerSpot sends automated confirmation and reminder emails that help everyone keep their commitments.

For more information, check out our free eBook: Bake Sale Ideas: Best Practices for Turning Cupcakes into Cash