With school candy fundraising, there are many different choices to pick from. Along with the separate types of fundraising involving candy, there are brands to consider, and the profit associated with each brand.
Catalogue: Along with being one of the easiest candy fundraisers for most elementary and middle school administrations, this type of fundraiser is also one of the most profitable. With a good number of companies, a 60% profit rate is not uncommon. These types of fundraisers work by the school handing out a packet to all students. These packets then contain a catalogue, order sheet, information sheet for parents, and the important prize sheet. For the children, the first paper they inspect is the prize sheet. They then pick out what they want, and sell enough to earn what they want. After a one to two week period of time the order forms and money checks are due back to the school, and then the school sends out the forms, receiving the boxes of candy and such nicely packed into separate boxes for each child who sold. Voila! Now, all the school has to do is give the children their box, and count the money they earned.
With catalogues however, remember to only get the kind with the candy, gourmet foods and gift-wrap. Other kinds with perishable foods such as cookie dough or pies can be difficult to sell in large numbers like at most schools, and the profit rate is less than a conventional candy fundraiser.
If you are doing a Catalogue sale, pay attention to the times when you are having the sale. At the beginning of school, people are swamped with children trying to sell catalogue candy. Rather, wait until right before Christmas, during the height of Christmas shopping. Allow time for candy and products to come in before Christmas, and tell sellers about the timing.
Boxes of Candy: The other form of candy selling, this can be slightly more challenging for schools. Sports teams or clubs, because of the difficulty of keeping up with the number of boxes, usually do this type of selling. With this kind of fundraising, the organization orders a number of boxes of candy for a flat price each. These boxes of candy hold anywhere from 30 bars to 60 bars per box. Each bar is usually priced at about a dollar, and is larger than the average sized candy bar. Once the candy arrives, group members each sell a couple boxes of candy, and all profits go towards the club.
One thing to watch with these kinds of sales is the number of boxes you buy. If you buy too few, you might have to reorder or be left with less money than you had planned. If you order too many, then you have too much candy on the market and selling can be next to impossible. Your candy sale which you had tried to have in a week or less can stretch to almost a month to get rid of all the excess candy, which can be a strain on all the members of the club.
One thing to look for in this kind of fundraising is a coupon. With some companies, they include coupons with each bar of candy, usually redeemable for half or more of the product cost and useable at a local food shop or fast food restaurant. Mention this to your club members when you begin the fundraiser, and tell them to use the coupons to entice customers to buy.
Remember; if you have a box candy sale, pay attention to local trends. If the local favorite candy is a Snickers bar, then buying a M&M brand candy box may not be as profitable as buying a Snickers brand box.
Despite the pros and cons of food fundraising, it can be a very profitable venture for a school, club, troop, or church group. Food fundraising is easy and often very successful. Customers can relate to food, easily finding their favorite candy bar in a box sale, or finding their favorite gourmet chocolate in a catalogue sale. Both types of sales range from hard to easy for the leaders of the fundraiser, and the type of fundraiser can be found accordingly.
Just like in house selling, there are three words that can describe candy selling: Timing, Timing, Timing!
