What's your recipe for a better world?
Bake sales are a great way to help support your favourite cause, like We Bake for Change. Whether you’re putting this on yourself or as part of a larger group, here are a few helpful things to remember when you’re planning your next bake sale.
Plan and prep
- Are you coordinating a team or going solo? For larger sales, organize a team with specific tasks assigned to volunteers.
- Select a time, day and location for your sale. Choose a high-traffic area or hold the sale during another event when there will be a large number of people.
Build buzz
- Go traditional and digital! Hang posters and signs around your community, school or work and use social media and email to help spread the word.
- If you’re baking for a certain cause, provide information about the cause and how the bake sale will help. This will help get everyone excited!
- During the event, play music and have bake sale ambassadors walking around to attract people to your sale.
Get baking
- Consider your audience and offer a range of baked goods and sweet treats, from squares and cookies to cakes and pies.
- Consider baking items that cater to different needs, such as nut-free, gluten-free or other restrictions.
- You can also try other goods such as chocolates, candies (e.g. toffee), homemade bread, pretzels or muffins.
- Bake ahead and freeze any goods you can. Then simply take them out one day ahead and let them reach room temperature.
Put on a display
- Presentation is everything! If you have time, buy ribbons, bows and boxes from your local craft store to help decorate your items. Packaging—individually or in groups—also makes items easier to pick up and sell.
- Display the smaller items (e.g. cookies, squares, cupcakes) at the front of the table and the larger items (e.g. whole cakes) towards the back of the table so none of the baking is blocked from view.
- It’s a good idea to label products. Have a card or poster with the products and the ingredients to allow people to determine any possible allergies or diet restrictions.
- In addition to baked goods, have beverages like coffee, iced tea, lemonade, water or juices available for purchase.
- You may want to have plates, utensils, napkins and a garbage can handy for your customers.
RECIPE: Granola Flax Cookies
Start selling
- Make prices easy to calculate. Consider setting a minimum donation per item rather than set price points for everything. This will encourage people to donate at their own discretion.
- Bundle items together. Bundling some of your items can maximize the number of items you sell (e.g. a cookie, muffin and bar for $5). It also makes it easier and more attractive for the buyer.
- Provide a jar to allow people to make donations without purchasing a sweet treat.
The most important ingredients for success: relax and have fun! Volunteers can take their own leftovers home; or you can provide the option to donate them to a local shelter or nursing home. Don’t forget to share how much you have raised after the sale through friends, newsletters, local media and social media.
Looking for a cause? Host a bake sale and help support Free the Children and use these free printable materials that can be customized for your sale.