Running a Great Candy Bar Fundraising Campaign

Lots of schools, churches, and other charities turn to selling candy bars or other sweets as a way to raise money and have fun with their volunteers and supporters.  Candy bar fundraising can be a great way to generate income, especially if your group has a dedicated team of supporters who are willing to get out there and sell on your behalf.  Here are five tips on maximizing your candy bar sales efforts:

1.  Appoint Candy Captains

Start by appointing candy bar captains who are responsible for certain areas, companies, or groups of volunteers.  For example, if your church is raising money and serves five main neighborhoods, try to recruit a captain for each town who is responsible for motivating members who are selling there and who is willing to store extra candy, keep track of volunteers, and report back to your church on a regular basis.

2.  Offer Fun Benefits

Candy bar fundraising should be fun… so make sure you offer fun benefits to motivate your volunteer sales force.  Benefits could include free candy (obvious!), invitations to a wrap up party, prizes to the top sellers overall and in each category, and recognition in the organization’s newsletter.  Be creative!

3.  Encourage Online Sales

If your organization has the ability to accept credit card donations online, set up a page so that your supporters can e-mail their friends with a request to buy candy.  Be sure you have a way to track who is responsible for each sale that comes in (for example, giving the purchaser a place to list who told them to go to your site) so that you can alert the seller to drop off the paid candy.

4.  Find Good Table Spots

Have someone from your organization (either the development staff, or key volunteers) call local supermarkets, churches, synagogues, shopping malls, and department stores to ask if your group can set up candy bar fundraising tables inside/outside each location.  Then, recruit volunteers to staff each spot.  Well run tables in good locations can sell as much in a single afternoon as a individual seller does during a month-long sales campaign.

5.  Keep Track and Keep Motivating

Keep track of what your sellers are doing by asking for weekly sales reports, and be sure to keep motivating your group by holding events, sending out e-updates, and including fun contests and prizes.

By following these five tips and working hard, your organization can hold a candy bar fundraising campaign that is both fun and profitable.