Raising money can be challenging and exhausting to say the least. That’s why many schools are asking, “What is the easiest fundraiser?” What they should be asking is which fundraising products are selling well for groups like theirs. There’s no ‘do overs’ when it comes to deciding on a campaign. Therefore you have to get it right the first time. 

Choosing the right fundraiser for your school comes down to understanding your area as well as your potential customers. Common questions that you should consider asking yourself are:

  1. Has the product that’s being considered been sold recently in my area?
  2. Have there been groups nearby that have already experienced success selling it?
  3. When is the best time to sell this product?
  4. Are people asking for a change from what you’ve been selling?
  5. Is the product going to be affordable for potential customers in my area?
  6. Will offering a variety of products work or do you think selling one product or product line work better?

So why put all your eggs in one basket and risk everything on a single product type? One example of selling one product line is the cookie dough fundraiser. It’s popular because a lot of people like to bake cookies, but it’s also very niched. What if some of your previous customers won’t want to purchase it? 

On the other hand, we’re all familiar with the old adage, “if you throw enough against the wall, some of it’s bound to stick”. Like spaghetti on the wall for instance. Said another way, if you offer buyers enough options they’re bound to find something they’ll like. 

This stands in contrast to the easy and simple single product line option approach that says, keep it simple by narrowing down people’s options to only those products that are proven sellers. 

Many school fundraisers feel that it’s a safer bet to offer a lot of options. In fact, more is better. While you’re at it, why not add a second, or even third brochure? This is the primary reason the big fundraising catalogs that offer over 100 items are, by far, the most popular school product fundraiser in the U.S. They’re considered a safe bet because the perception is that you can reach the masses by offering more alternatives.

But there are drawbacks to selling the large shopper. One is that buyers can sometimes feel overwhelmed with the vast selection of products. Still another reason is that because so many schools are already selling something similar, everyone’s seeing the same stuff. 

So unless you can guarantee that you’ll be the first school fundraiser in your area, chances are, people will have already seen a lot of your products from other groups before you can even get to them. 

So back to the frozen cookie dough fundraiser. Why does it work well for so many groups? Aren’t you taking on a lot of risk as some buyers may not want to buy it? Sure. After all, you’re limiting yourself to one type of item. To some this may be too risky.

However, here are some compelling reasons why only selling cookie dough may be more than enough to help you reach your goals:

The cookie dough fundraiser catalog has been around for a while now and it won’t be going away anytime soon. People don’t seem to be getting tired of it. According to a 2017 Yelp data post, user reviews that mention the words “cookie dough” have increased by nearly 70% year-over-year from the previous year and are at an all-time high. 

Therefore, as long as there’s room in the refrigerator, people are going to buy it. Chocolate fundraisers have been universally used by many school groups and probably always will be. Yet, ready-made cookie dough is just as recognizable. People already know what they’re getting and are extremely comfortable with the product. Most don’t think twice about ordering it.

5 of the best cookie dough fundraiser flavors by sales include:

  1. Chunky chocolate chip
  2. White chocolate macadamia nut
  3. Snickerdoodle
  4. M&M
  5. Oatmeal raisin

And contrary to popular belief, scoop-and-bake tubs are more popular than pre-portioned cookie dough.

2. Establish a Powerful Fundraising Product Niche

As mentioned earlier, it seems that everyone is out there pushing the large seasonal brochure. It seems that there isn’t a grade school student that isn’t already selling wrapping paper or novelty gift items. 

The frozen cookie dough fundraiser provides a familiarity that buyers look for, but it’s not being offered by every organization in the country like the large shoppers are. It’s unique enough to still get your attention. Plus, it’s consumable so the demand will remain high over time. 

Why not become known year after year for offering the most amazing gourmet cookie dough fundraiser in your area? This way, you may even get people asking about when you’re having your next sale. 

Many schools want to know, “How does Otis Spunkmeyer fundraising work?” The reason they’re asking is because so many people are already talking about it. This product sells itself.

Another way to establish a niche is to offer brand name merchandise. People are already familiar with it and will become more confident buyers because they know what they’re getting. Otis has proven to be a great fundraiser for schools over the years because people love excellent taste and quality.

Otis has been around for a long time. So long in fact that not only are your children familiar with it, your adult peers also probably remember selling it when they were in grade school as well.

Another brand that is just as well known and is also considered one of the best cookie dough fundraiser products in the country that practically sells itself is Mrs. Fields.

Here’s another idea. Since so many elementary schools are already selling the mega shopper, why not sell cookie dough products as a high school fundraiser? It’s simple to sell, and easy to manage the delivery because older students are able to help with order distribution. Plus, some shelf-stable cookie dough products can be left at room temperature longer than most other frozen food items.

Shelf stable cookie dough offers other advantages as well. Many people are now asking, “Can I sell cookie dough from home?” The exponential growth in the online cookie dough fundraiser for schools in recent years now allows people to order their favorite flavors online and have them delivered directly to their homes. 

Not only are there no school product deliveries, but sponsors don’t need to worry about having to chase down order forms and collect money either. In addition, there are no group minimums or delivery fees so virtually any group can sell cookie dough online.

Selling cookie dough can meet your 2 most important objectives. You can raise a lot of money without having to compete with other groups by offering a “me too” school fundraiser program. Another commonly asked question is, “How much should I sell cookie dough for?” As much as we want to be able to sell products that are affordable to virtually anyone, cookie dough is more expensive than many fundraising products. 

But even though the $10 cookie dough fundraiser catalog is no longer an option in today’s higher priced world, your customers can still receive excellent value for their money. Paying $20 or more is now commonplace. However, this also means that you make more profit.

An amazing gourmet cookie dough fundraiser is something every school can now experience.

TIME BUSINESS NEWS

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