Other fundraisers besides popcorn in a rural community

[Joni4TA]

I remember Trails End Popcorn being an exciting time, with plenty of potential opportunity for sales - - - - When my son was a Cub Scout at least. Now that our Troop is having to sell Popcorn and compete with two Packs (one quite sizeable) in a very small rural town - needless to say our Boy Scouts aren''t faring very well at Popcorn sales. It was no different for Girl Scout cookies - our daughters, as Brownies, always sold better than our Juniors and Seniors.

 

We''ve been considering $1 candy bars, wreaths, first aid kits, $1 slim jim type meat sticks, etc. We''ve also tossed around the idea of a big community spaghetti dinner. And of course any sales we do will always fall within a sales time where the school, theater group, football team, cheerleaders, Girl Scouts, etc. are also trying to raise money - plainly said, there is never really a "good time" to sell anything in this town, without some stiff competition.

 

We have done bake sales, rummage sales, can collecting, popcorn.

 

Just curious what other non-city Troops (of less than 15 boys) have done to earn money for their units that''s worked?

 

 

[SSScout]

Keeping in mind the need for a "Fund Raising Approval Form" (I think that''s what it''s called) from your Council, some possibilities I''ve seen/heard tell of/participated in:::

 

* "Rent-a-Scout" ::Reserve a time to do yardwork, clean a garage, muck out the barn, paint the fence, etc. So much an hour per Scout. Don''t forget physical limitations, safety concerns and adult supervision. ("how come I can''t get my boy to do his chores at home but he''ll clean the neighbors garage?" One of life''s imponderables...).

 

*Yes, we sell wreaths. Check on possible competition, and plan well for door to door selling, sidewalk selling ( table in front of the store with permission). Brochures to pass out? Posters? Newspaper/radio PR? Who accepts the tractor trailer delivery of wreaths? How much $$ up front? Order in advance? Lots of considerations, but our Troop makes $3,000 plus profit each year.

 

* Three Troops divy up service at our County Fair. A week long in the summer, they deliver ice to concessions, pick up trash, direct traffic, messenger boy duty, help conductor the fair ground shuttle bus ( farm tractor and trailer), all for a contracted amount. This is their ONLY fund raiser and I understand do quite well by it.

 

* For a fee, a Troop contracts to put up and take down an American Flag in the contractees yard every holiday (think up your list of patriotic holidays)

 

Just a few ideas...

 

 

[Ohio_Scouter]

Joni4TA,

 

Our troop is a bit larger (about 35 scouts), and we have determined, after a lot of trial-and-error sales projects, that an annual Troop garage or yard sale works best for us. We generate anywhere between $3,000.00 and $5,000.00 per year to help fund our Troop''s operations and equipment needs just from this one activity.

 

We collect donations from the surrounding neighborhoods all throughout the year, and early in June, just before summer camp and high adventure trips, we conduct the garage sale which lasts the entire weekend. Our scouts and scouters camp out and are on hand to staff the sale bright and early each day. We work in shifts and feed the workers with normal camp food all weekend. It works well for us.

 

Good luck to you!

[Joni4TA]

SSScout - It''s a Unit Money-Earning Application! And yep I know we''ll need one of those. We just happen to be in the talking about it phase right now.

 

Wreaths were something one of our lady committee members suggested. While I believe they might be great sales in the northeastern US, New England, and most "cities", I just don''t get the feeling they''ll sell too hot in rural, farm-town South central Texas. I could be wrong.... Plus, I believe just about anything that the boys will have to sell door-to-door is going to give us trouble. Here''s why:

 

Our town has a population of 931. In our town itself there are not that many homes on "regular streets" as in a normal city-type of subdivision. Property around here is in excess of 2 acres per house in most cases. I live on 5 acres in the unincorporated county (5 miles from "town"), and many homes further down the main drag than mine are on 10 acres and more - much more in some cases.

 

When you have that many acres between houses, it''s very time-consuming and very difficult to get sales door-to-door.

 

We do not have any "stores" in the area with the exception of Dollar General, which we have lovingly named our "Town Mall" because it has a little bit of everything inside. We have 3 gas stations (who all serve food like pizza and fried chicken), one Dairy Queen and a Sonic. Generally, we try to set up Popcorn tables at one of the 3 gas stations each year. Those haven''t netted us very well for Popcorn. Not sure how''d they''d do for us on some other product.

 

A Car Wash was brought up once - but our Chartered Org. felt that would be a liability having Scouts wash cars on their property. Not just for what might happen to the Scouts, but what might happen to people''s cars. So we left that one alone.

 

SSScout, all that service you guys did at the County Fair? *Faint* We just did that for FREE! Logged in over 160 Community Service Hours for a Bicycling/Racing event sponsored by our town''s Historical Society. We handled all the trash and emptied the trash cans in the park into big dumpsters, sorted all the recyclables for the day, moved ice from a reefer truck to the various coolers around the city park, handed cold water to bike racers who crossed the finish line, helped direct traffic, cheered on the racers, you name it. No $$$ for that - We worked our tails off! It would have been nice to get a little dough for it, but what can one do?

 

I don''t know - that''s why I came here, to bounce around some ideas. We''ve done a garage/yard sale too - we made $300 over 2 days. It was doable, but a major pain in the rear, and the money we made as profit wasn''t all that great - again - exposure was an issue.

 

[SSScout]

Yep. We are in a much more urban area ( I like to say we are on the edge of "creeping suburbia").

 

There are "Good Turns" and there are "Money Makers" . Depends on the expectations and previous arangements. The family that has lost a parent (however it happens) gets a "Good Turn" of yard work. The rest of the community contracts for shrub trimming and leaf raking.

 

* I like the Yard Sale combined with Camp Cooking. I know of a Kiwanis Club that roasts a WHOLE STEER on a spit, over a VERY large charcoal pit. Lot of planning but oh, the PR and good eating. Not to mention the down wind aroma.

* Any history nearby? Organize a guided tour? House tour?

 

*Halloween is coming up... Haunted House? Local Lions club works with a Kids Sports League to hold a "Field of Screams" each year. Campfires, scary make believe walk thru.

 

*What sort of touristy places are nearby? Sell nightcrawlers to fishermen?

 

*Movie Nights? Borrow or rent a Digital projector and show the movie on the building side, have a family night movie picnic. Sell popcorn and cider too!

 

Brainstorm!!

 

YiS

[PeteM]

--->>>>>Movie Nights? Borrow or rent a Digital projector and show the movie on the building side, have a family night movie picnic. Sell popcorn and cider too!

[Pack212Scouter]

.(This message has been edited by Pack212Scouter)

[evmori]

We did car washes with varied success. Our best fund raiser was selling hoagies & pizzas.

 

Is there something that a lot of the people like that is sorta hard to get? You might want to look into it!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Joni4TA]

Honestly I am beginning to think food serving is going to be the way to go for us. A Spaghetti dinner is dirt cheap to make and would net some profit. Exposure could be done in the newspaper and of course selling "plate tickets" - sort of like raffle tickets but you KNOW you''re going to get something out of it.

 

Texas is the BBQ Capitol of the world of course and we''d have too much competition on that front, from the little hole in the wall mom & pop restaurants close by. Texans are dead serious about TWO things for sure - their Football and their BBQ! LOL Bad BBQ is talked about in every social circle, and folks around here are willing to travel far and wide for GOOD BBQ. I wouldn''t want our Troop to be associated with the bad goo-goo of negative BBQ critique

 

We are Chartered by a Baptist church. I, myself am not a Baptist and our family does do Halloween trick-or-treating, but many of our Troop members don''t believe in the whole Halloween scene. They do have other things going on at the church. I think they do something called a "reality house" and have what they call a Fall or Harvest Festival, instead of "Halloween."

 

Personally I would lean towards the spaghetti dinner, but I think I am biased. I am Sicilian and I can help whip up a few huge pots of homemade pasta sauce like it''s nothing. I don''t know yet what the Boys will be interested in doing. (You know pre-teens and teenagers, they don''t really WANT to do ANYTHING unless you are dragging them by the ears) But we''re gathering information from all possible sources to give the boys some ideas. Ultimately they are the ones who need to make a decision on the matter.

 

In the meantime, we are still busting tail trying to sell that Popcorn. We are driving all over with the boys trying to hit the "subdivisions" we do have in the local area (houses are more than 500ft. apart so it''s slow-going). We have like 8 days left for Show & Sell/Deliver and we''ve sold $560 worth of Popcorn (and have over $1300 left to sell). The Scouts, collectively, have put in over 34 hours sales time doing this. Of course, what does the Troop end up getting out of $600? Like $200 dollars - OUCH!

 

 

[SSScout]

Movie nights:::

Copy right fees are a concern, but not a bad one. From our experience, there are three possibilities:

 

* Use your own, personal, bought and paid for DVD. Show it "privately", that is to say, without "public" invitation (no advertising outside of the CO), but you will accept a donation and sell refreshmants.

 

* Go on line and find the movie rental companies. There are fewer now than some years ago, but they do exist and will license a non-profit to show a film at a discount rate. That is to say, cheaper than a professional theater. Either DVD or real (reel!) film, usually 16mm. Got that old projector?? You can advertise and charge an admission. You are licensed to show the movie a specific number of times. Do not ask for a presently in the theaters flic. Think about your possible audience and ticket take versus the rental fee and see if it''s worth while.

 

* If its a Disney film, they have (had? It''s been a while) a three tier contract: 1) Pro theater (big bucks), advertise all you want. 2) non-profit (church, school,etc.) show it ONCE, do not advertise to the general public, do not charge admission. 3) General showing. Ask for "donation", you may say you are showing a "comedy" or an "animated cartoon" or the like, but may NOT tell the name of the flic to the general public. And they may still tell you the film you ask for is "unavailable. Would you like ''Dumbo'' instead?"

 

YiS

 

 

[anarchist]

as one long time growing, small town troop to another...food sales and drinks are great small town fund raisers...

 

pasta and salad dinners have raised $1,000 per supper in profits, pancake breakfasts $7-800...pop corn and sodas/ water/ cocoa/ coffee at local parades, civic events and flea markets clear two -three hundred...We took on the job of setting out American flags for the local ruritans because their membership was no longer able to do it and they reward our boys with $200-$300 per year for equipment....we also have been paid by local clubs to direct "field parking" at carnivals and large flea markets, sold fire wood, and mulch and hot dogs at the county fair...just dot your "i''s" and cross your "t''s" before you dive in....

Anarchist

[msmaryrn]

we have been tossing around the idea of a spaghetti dinner but emphasizing the boys involvement by waiting on the tables, clearing the plates, filling tea glasses and leaving mints at the end of the dinner. Nice, small signs will be posted "tipping accepted". Have carnations donated by a local florist to give to the female customers. Also, have take-out available. Good PR for your pack would be to have a projector slide show of the past events. It could get those boys that are not in scouting interested about joining.

 

Bake Sale: our pack has the capability to use our chartered organizations kitchens x 2. Our meetings are on Thursday night. We are going to get the ingredients donated from various grocery stores and have the boys learn more about baking, working in a kitchen, reading recipes, working together, wrapping items for presentation and pricing strategies. Then on Saturday morning we would set up at local businesses to promote our organization with the boys selling their own products. Lots of good learning opportunites for this type of fund raiser.

[BuffaloSR793]

You may try publishing calendars. Sell small ads (business card size) for $25 and more for larger ads. Make sure every page has a Pack or Troop photo. Troop action photos of camping, hiking, fishing or performing community service.

 

Most business's will be very willing and proud to help the Scouts. You'll find most are very enthusiastic about the community knowing they are supporting Scouting.

 

After you sell enough ads, get them printed and give them away to the business's who purchased ads.

 

Jeff

 

 

[CA_Scouter]

We just did Christmas trees last month, grossed about $1500. We got a permit from the forest service for 100 trees ( $2 per tree ), drove up and cut 'em ourselves, brought 'em back and sold them from between $15-30.

 

We are toying with the idea of a yard sale this spring also.

 

 

[local1400]

Man CA, that's some markup! Has anyone thought about a play? You could fulfill several merit badge requirements writing, acting, building, selling, promoting your play. And it is something different than the same old, every group does it, car/wash, etc..