Anyone who has kids at school or is involved with any sort of charity group will know that there is a constant stream of demands for items to use as raffle prizes or to sell to raise funds for the group. Schools are charities are finding their funds ever squeezed in the current economic climate, so it is important to know what sells well and what takes minimum effort to produce.
Baking
Bake sales are an eternal favourite as a way of raising funds but the thought of baking from scratch strikes fear into the heart of many. Baking for a bake sale doesn’t have to be complex as often the best sellers are the simpler types of products like scones, fairy cakes or chocolate crispie cakes. If baking for a school, get the kids involved in the preparation of the cakes, but make sure they don’t eat all of the profits at the same time. Presentation makes a huge difference as to how well the items sell, so take time to put your finished items into little plastic presentation bags and secure them with colourful ribbon or string. Whatever you choose to make for selling, avoid nuts as many schools have strict nut free policies to cater for children will allergies.
Handcrafts
If you’re crafty, knitting, crocheting or sewing items to sell can be a great money spinner. Smaller items like scarves or gloves sell better than larger sweaters or blankets, and can be made relatively quickly too. Try using fancy yarns such as the Rico Can Can yarn which knits up into a frilled, professional-looking finish. Consider asking local yarn shops if they are prepared to part with odd balls of Rico Can Can or other similar yarns which will be used to raise funds for local charities as this can cut the cost of making the items.
Toys, Books or Games
News that the school is holding a sale is music to the ears of many parents as it gives the opportunity to have a clear out of junk. Only donate items which you would be prepared to buy yourself, so make sure all jigsaws are complete, books don’t have ripped pages and that the instructions are with the games before handing them in. Get your children involved in deciding what to donate, with the promise that they can buy something with their pocket money when the sale comes around.
Clothing
More and more groups are adding good quality, second hand clothing into their fundraising efforts, and the key to making money from this is correct pricing. Rather than having a policy of charging a flat fee for everything, stagger prices so that you are charging considerably more for a Monsoon party dress, and less for a t-shirt from a supermarket’s range. Have somewhere set up so that parents can try clothing on their children and if the fundraising is for a school, have a separate section for second hand items of school uniform such as blazers, sweatshirts and jackets.
Citations:
For a host of wonderful yarns, including Rico Can Can, perfect for your next charity knitting project head to Pack Lane Wool's wonderful online store.
