Raising Money with Food

Food Stands

These are good fundraisers that can be piggybacked on to a carnival, fair, or sporting event. First contact the sponsor, and see if they are charging fees and if electricity is available. You must be responsible for set up, supplies and clean up. Keep your food simple. Have a banner with your group's name and logo, and be sure to have a clear price list. You must also provide the serving containers, utensils, and condiments. Although they are labor intensive, a popular food stand can really bring in the funds. Some suggestions

• Hot dogs or hamburgers
• Donuts
• Giant pretzels
• Lemonade
• Snow cones
• Ice cream
• Stuffed baked potatoes
• Cotton candy
• Elephant ears
• Caramel apples
• Pizza-by-the-slice
• Apple dumplings
• Strawberry shortcake

Donut Delivery

Contact a friendly baker, and ask him to assist you with your fundraiser. Tell him that you plan to sell a large number of donuts on a specific day that you will deliver yourself. Ask what kind of a discount he can give you, keeping in mind that this is great advertising for the bakery, and then sell the donuts at the regular price. Be sure to include the cost of delivery in deciding what to charge. Advertise to your group that you will be delivering a dozen fresh donuts on a specific Saturday between 8 and 10, and take orders. You can advertise in your newsletter and have a telemarketing campaign. Make duplicate copies of the orders, one for your records, and one to be attached to the bag. You can bag up the orders yourselves, or the bakery may insist on doing it. This basic idea can easily be adapted to other food items.

Magnificent Meals

Your group provides the meal, waitstaff, and bussers. Decide what kind of meal to serve and where, taking into account rental charges and kitchen facilities. Choose a convenient date and decide on a price that will cover your costs plus some. Request donations of everything that you can-food, napkins, cups, etc. Sell tickets ahead of time so that you know how many people you will be feeding. It is always a good idea to add a raffle, tombola or auction to increase your profits. This can be simple or complex-some ideas:

• Barbecue Dinner
• Pancake breakfast
• Chili supper
• Spaghetti dinner
• Salad bar
• Baked or mashed potato bar
• Deli-style sandwich bar
• Specialty soups
• Dessert or sundae bar
• After meeting lunch
• 'All you can eat' chocolate and champagne (Remember that calories consumed in the name of charity don't count.)
• Afternoon Tea with scones and strawberry jam.
• Special dinner at a special home. The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet holds a serious of small events for a limited number of people in private homes. Example: Après Ski Fantasy for 16 guests at $100 each.
• Wine Tasting-A local wine merchant provides the wine and the expertise. He or she will be able to give you price estimates for your consumption. You provide the bread and cheese or a supper. Be sure to sell your raffle tickets after the tasting.
• Two fun variations on the dinner theme
  ­ Dinner by the Dip-Do it cafeteria style, and charge people by the amount they take.
  ­ Take out-Save money by doing your dinner 'to go.'

Multi-chef Dinner

Get local chefs to do the cooking for you like Christine Cooper from the internet:

My name is Christine Cooper and I am the Fundraising Chairperson for HOSPICE CALEDON. We just finished our second annual fundraiser "The Caledon Culinary Carnival". Six Chefs and Restaurants donated their services and created an incredible dining experience. I found sponsors for each course served through local businesses and this paid for materials needed. I gave Sponsorship credit throughout the beautiful programmes placed on each place setting. The affair was held at a local Golf Club, who we rented the room from and they waved the Corkage Fees. The event is hosted by a celebrity who also donates their services. A small silent auction is held only for a few items. We sold 250 tickets at $75.00 per. In two years we have raised $28,000 from this event. The real benefit has been the profile this event has given HOSPICE CALEDON and we have noticed an increase in random donations over this time.

Dinner at a Friendly Restaurant

Approach a local friendly restaurant to see if they will open on an evening they are usually closed especially for you. Arrange for a special menu with three selections at a certain price including all expenses. Price your tickets so that you make a profit from each one sold. Customers pick out their menu selections ahead of time so that the restaurant knows exactly how much to prepare. Of course, sell raffle tickets for donated items after the guests have had a couple of glasses of wine to increase your profits. They expect it, it is a fundraiser, after all!

Cooking Contest

There can be many variations to this event-chili, pies, whatever! Decide how many contestants you can handle and induce them to participate. Personal challenges and 'grudge matches' are a good way to generate publicity. Ask area chefs or local celebrities to be your judges. Contestants fill out a registration form with a number, and the entries are numbered as well so that the judges won't know who made each entry. Make sure that the contestants know that their entries are the property of the group once they're entered. After the contest, you can auction or sell the winning entries for additional profits.

Menu Auction

Ask the members of your group to donate menus that they will prepare. Don't reveal the donor until after the auction. The donor and buyer make their own time arrangements. Sample menus Specialty Coffee and Dessert for four, Spaghetti Dinner for six, and Fondue for four.

Picnic Basket Surprise-Collect picnic baskets and fill them using different themes, e.g. homemade breads, specialty pastas, gourmet cheeses, home-style jams/jellies, and gourmet coffee. Shut the baskets and decorate the outsides with a hint of the contents. Auction them off, only allowing the buyer to see the contents after the sale.