Tips for Hosting a Successful School Bake Sale

Due to the lack of upfront costs, bake sales have been among the most popular ways to raise money for schools for decades. Follow these tips for hosting a successful school bake sale and reach your fundraising goal in no time.

Organize a Committee

Every successful bake sale needs an organized committee comprised of leaders and volunteers. To ensure the success of your event, select a leader with excellent organizational skills and the ability to delegate responsibilities. In addition, the leader will need several volunteers focused on tasks such as handling publicity, setting up tables, selling goods, collecting money, and cleaning up.

Also, you should have a brainstorming team to determine what baked goods you’ll need for the sale. After all, you don’t want to end up with dozens of chocolate cupcakes and nothing else. Be sure to distribute sign-up sheets with a list of the desired items. Collect the contact information for all participants to remind them of their donation and be specific on how you want the goods packaged.

Follow Food Safety Guidelines

Keep in mind some states have specific health codes regarding bake sales that you’ll need to consider. For example, your local health code may require you to individually wrap every baked good, so be privy to the latest food safety guidelines before hosting the fundraiser.

Each baked good should have information regarding the name of the dish and a list of ingredients. Also, specify any potential allergens. If possible, offer a variety of dairy-free or gluten-free treats to accommodate special dietary needs.

Perfect Your Presentation

People often say you eat with your eyes first, so hosting a successful school bake sale requires a beautiful presentation. Set up decorated and organized tables, use tablecloths, and divide the baked goods according to type to create an aesthetically pleasing fundraising event.

You can also encourage participants to wrap their baked goods in fun packaging or use colorful ribbons to improve the overall presentation of the event. If you’re hosting a larger event with several tables, consider separating the treats into specific categories.

Expand Your Offerings

There are several strategies to raising money for your fundraiser that you can use beyond selling baked goods. For instance, you can increase your profits by serving a variety of beverages. If sales are slow during a specific period, offer hourly specials to encourage visitors to buy more. You can also ask volunteers to provide the recipe for their baked goods and compile an inexpensive cookbook to sell during the event.

If your bake sale coincides with a holiday, encourage participants to donate specially packaged treats to sell as gifts. Selling cookie ingredients in a nicely decorated jar is another great way to increase profits during your event.

A school bake sale is an easy way to raise money and have fun at the same time. For generations, students and their families have participated in this delicious fundraiser, so what are you waiting for? Use these helpful tips and start baking!