Do you have an organization or group that needs a good fundraising idea? Boy/Girl Scouts, church groups, school bands or sports teams, motorcycle clubs, and most other organizations will eventually need to raise money for some reason. It could be for a local child with cancer, or just to help pay the cost of your charity group’s daily bills. The idea is to raise as much money as possible and do it with the least amount of effort and time spent.
You can choose one of many fundraising ideas. A car wash in the parking lot. Sale of sweets and popcorn from door to door. Raffle of a handmade quilt. Holding an auction in which donated items are sold. However, some fundraisers are simply more effective than others.
What else is there?
Cookbooks, that’s the rest. Instead of spending many “man-hours” feeding pancakes or going door to door, you could use a method that has been around for many years and has also been quite successful. That idea is the family-style cookbook.
What is a family style cookbook?
Personalized Cookbooks are professional-looking cookbooks that contain the best recipes from the best cooks in your club or community. Gather recipes from everyone you know and insert them into a well-organized cookbook.
Try these methods to collect recipes:
- Put up posters in stores, the library, schools, and churches. Attach prescription forms for people to use.
- Distribute or email flyers at trade shows or other public events. Include prescription forms that can be filled out and returned.
- Make announcements at meetings; making phone calls to individuals Sometimes just “hitting the pavement” is a good method.
- If your book is a community-wide effort, use your local TV and radio stations, as they may do it for free, as it’s for a good cause.
- Send notifications to everyone on your email list and request prescriptions. (You can even use that same process to request early sales!)
Cookbooks can be sold at fairs, school or church functions, in stores, online, and even door-to-door if you like.
Why are they so successful?
Imagine having a cookbook with all those wonderful recipes. You know… the ones from all the old ladies in town. The recipes that have gained local fame over the years. Of course not all of them will be old ladies. I am a 58 year old retired law enforcement man who contributed 2 recipes to a custom cookbook made for a local fundraiser. It was a resounding success… even with my recipes included.
So when the cookbooks are finally in print and available, everyone who contributed recipes will buy one. You have a built-in customer base before you even start the process! The rest of the citizens in your area will also be interested in buying one. Humans are a very generous species, and will gladly help out with a charity or good cause. But if you offer them a professional-looking cookbook that’s unique and special, they’ll usually be more eager than ever to part with their hard-earned money.
What is the process?
It’s not hard. It’s not rocket science. It also doesn’t require a lot of work. The following is a summary of the steps to follow when designing a cookbook for a fundraiser:
- Form your cookbook committee
A group of people must decide when/where/who/how and other logistics points.
- Collect and organize your recipes
Members of your organization is the place to start. From there you can contact neighbors and friends. You can even try your local fire department or city hall to see if they allow employees to contribute prescriptions.
- Design your cookbook
There are many options. The binding style, cover design, type of dividers, font and ink. You can choose between different graphics or images. There is no right or wrong way to do it. You just have to choose what you like best.
- Sell Advertising
Advertising is an optional step. Ask local businesses if they would be interested in having their information included in a cookbook that potentially hundreds of people will see on a regular basis. Tell them it would be a long-term investment, as opposed to a radio, television, or newspaper ad.
- Place your order
self explanatory.
- Market your cookbooks
As mentioned above, there are many avenues to sell your cookbooks. Local businesses may be willing to help you out by placing a stack of them next to the cash register next to an informational sign. He may also go door to door in your neighborhood.
Bottom line. Find the perfect cookbook editor. It must be one that has been in business for a while. One I know of has been publishing fundraising cookbooks since 1947. That’s a pretty good track record. Then start raising those funds.
