It’s no secret that the economy isn’t enjoying its shiniest times, and economic downturns leave many organizations turning to fundraisers to keep afloat. Add to those organizations all the others that run fundraisers regularly regardless of economic hardship, such as smaller clubs and sporting teams, and you have quite a few people hoping you’ll donate some of your spare cash to their pizza, candy bar, or scented candle offerings. The problem? Money is a bit tighter for everyone else, too – potential customers included. So what can you do to help your fundraiser stand out and bring in the bucks? Three simple things: Keep It Cheap – Be Creative – Offer Something Different.
Keep It Cheap: Many candy fundraisers focus on chocolate bars, and honestly, who can blame them?! Chocolate is delicious, and most people love it, but chocolate does have a few drawbacks. For one – it easily melts. And for another – it’s more expensive than most candy. If you combine the two, and add in the Spring and Summer weather, you have the potential to lose a lot of money on your hands if you aren’t careful! But there are other options, of course, including Penny Candy. We recommend choosing a varied mix of candies, including several colors, types, and flavors, and filling clear sandwich bags or Penny Candy Bags with a small handful or so of an assorted mix of each. Charging just a dollar a bag, you can give supporters a flavorful mix of 30 or 40 treats and still make a sizable profit!
Be Creative: If you’ll be selling your fundraising candy from a booth or table, consider presentation. Set the stage for success! Even if you just have a colorful sign and tablecloth, it will draw people in to see what you’ve got. If you’re working with the penny candy bags mentioned above, consider lining them up neatly in rows across the table with a large smiley face drawn on each bag in colored marker or crayons. Tape a penny to the bottom of a few bags and let people know if they pick that bag, they’ll get an extra treat, whether it’s 2 bags for the price of 1, or a special candy you bought just for winners, like a Giant Gummy Bear. Keep people interested, play fun music, make your table lively, approachable, and profitable!
Offer Something Different: Consider who your fundraiser will attract when choosing your candy menu. Will there be more adults than children there? If so, a Nostalgic Candy table might work best. We all remember the candies we loved growing up, and many of them are very difficult to find. BlairCandy.com works to bring as many of these sweet treats to you as possible, and if you can bring them to others, you’ll not only get a donation, but could really make someone’s day as well. You can even break your nostalgic candy out into categories on the table and separate them with signs such as, “Children of the 60s”, “Children of the 70s” and “Children of the 80s”. Whatever makes most sense for the occasion and guests!
