Fundraising ideas for new pack

[TundraHawk]

I need ideas, ideas, and more ideas for fundraising for a new pack! Besides popcorn sales and carwashes, I've never really been involved in fundraising for any activity (be it scouts, little league, etc.).

 

What have been y'all found to be your most successful fundraisers?

 

 

[Eagle1973]

Spagetti dinners worked well for us. A very well known restuarant donated everything, and we advertized that it was from his place. We used the school's cafeteria to prepare and serve.

 

Our Troop is also near a large outdoor concert place, and the adults volunteer in the concession stands. The concession company then divvies up some of their profits to the organizations that served beer.

 

We also just got the results of our Christmas wreath sales, we made $3000.

[Texas Scouter]

We hold garage sales. We get members and friends to donate items then sell them a little higher than you might find in a normal garage sale. Then we contact the local resale shop at the end and they come pick up the rest. Quick money with little effort

[Trevorum]

Ditto TexasScouter. A garage sale is easy to prepare for, fun for the boys, and lucrative. Make sure you advertise. Have everything ready to go the night before, and get up early!

[Eamonn]

You do need to read and file the paper work!!

We have done well selling Pizza kits. There are 3 kits in a box. They sell for about $15.00 a kit and the profit is $5.00 to $5.75 a kit depending on the amount sold.

We also have a bakery that makes the worlds best sticky buns- I know all about sticky buns!! They sell for $5.00 a doz, and each $5.00 brings in $1.25.

We have looked at non-food sales but the schools seem to have them.

We were going to look at First Aid kits - I will try to remember.

Eamonn.

[Eagle1973]

one that we talked about, but never did was selling US Flags. One of the leaders noticed that hardly anybody flew the flag in front of their house on appropriate holidays.

 

We didn't go any further with the research, but, still think it is a good idea.

[Joni4TA]

Let's see... besides Popcorn...

 

Bake Sales

Garage Sales

Spaghetti Dinners

Wreath/Christmas Tree sales

First Aid Kits

Carwashes

Candy sales

Solicit donations from local merchants

Tupperware

Party-lite candles

Performance tickets (Cubs do the performing!)

craft sales

silent auctions

 

Just make sure you check out the procedures for Unit Money Earning, and turn in the proper applications before doing a funrasier! Here's the link for the application:

http://www.scouting.org/forms/34427.pdf

 

Good Luck!

 

[TundraHawk]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful ideas!! I've already talked to one parent, and it looks like we've decided to do a garage sale this spring. This will be held about two months after our first recruitment. I don't want to have to ask the new scout parents to help with a fundraiser that involves selling anything, especially so soon after they have had to pay for registration, uniforms, etc.

 

Of course we will need to conduct other fundraisers in the future so I have written all the ideas down!

 

Thanks for the reminder about the paperwork - that is one thing I am a definite stickler about (drives some folks nuts...LOL). I have never had to pay much attention to the financial side of a pack until now, and I'm doing my homework!

[cubiemom]

I know we do this in our area we sell Entertainment Books. The ones with all the coupons in it we get a great profit from them I think it was $9 a book we sold or was it $6 either way it really adds up just get them early enough before a;ot of people have bought them other places.

[pack561]

Our main fundraising is port-a-pit chicken sale. You don't list your location but in our area it is the primary fundraiser for alot of packs. Net is in the 2,000 to 3,000 range. Just be carefull of over ordering (we have donated a couple hundred chickens quite a few time because someone panics we will run out) and watch out for shady part time operators.

[t487scouter]

Pack561, what is a port-a-pit chicken sale?

[CyndiA]

Dollar candy bars have worked best for our group. A case of candy runs $24 for 50 bars. They sell for $1 each, so profit is over 50 percent.

 

This is a fairly low income area, but almost everyone can afford a dollar. Some neighbors and friends spring for $10 or $20 in candy while some just buy a single bar. In any case, it does add up with this being our best income maker.

 

Often the candy bars include a coupon. The last coupon was $1.00 off a Subway sandwich. So, the candy bar ended up free for those who bought the candy and also ate at Subway and took advantage of the coupon.

 

Check the yellow pages for a candy company. We had one about 25 miles away. A parent picked up the candy on the way to work in the city.

[johndaigler]

Time to get a slice of the Internet Pie!!!

 

try Schoolpop.com!!!!!

 

It's not a quick fix, (though their E-Bayish auction is supposed to be their quick fix event)but it solves many of the traditional problems of traditional fundraisers.

 

That is:

People don't see value in products we sell at inflated prices (I DID NOT say popcorn. . .) and given that we're often selling JUNK FOOD (. . . other than popcorn), I think many would just as soon we asked for a check and skipped the $1 candy bar they see at the store for $.54.

The same Parents are hit up continuously by us, school, church groups, soccer teams . . .

Most fundraisers are short term answers and need to be "resold" every year or so.

Management of the fundraising process is a pain in the . . . NECK

 

schoolpop gives you a piece of the action that's going on anyway. For the Christmas holidays, I sent ~$200 worth of flowers to my wife, our moms, etc. Our Pack earned $27. That's a larger slice than you usually get, but imagine if every Scout family just gets a tiny nip of the money they spend on line - travel, toys, gift cards, clothing, software, etc., etc. It adds up, and even after the boys age out, the family might well continue to painlessly contribute.

 

Now, if I could just convince them to give me a commission on these unsolicited sales pitches . . .

 

jd

[EagleInKY]

Lots of good ideas. We also have sold Krispy Kreme Donuts. You sell them for $5/dozen and keep 1/2. Pretty good deal.

 

Some restaurants around here have specials where they will sponsor a group for a night. You provide some "free labor" to them (bus tables, etc.) and also commit to bringing in some business. They then give a percentage of sales back to the group (10-20%). This is usually done on Mondays, which are slow nights in the restaurant business.