How to set up a Bake Sale

General preparations 

Plan the date and location. Pick a day and time, when people won’t be busy or away. You may also schedule your fundraising by another event such as sports tournament, monthly market, school/church function or town celebrations, so the potential of visitors is more likely. Let us in Kids Action for Kids know by email mail@kidsactionforkids.org about your event.
 
Engage others. Ask your friends to join by providing items to sell, donating their time behind the sales table and by promoting the event to their networks at home, school, work, activities and so on. Ask your local businesses if they would like to donate some items or match or double your earnings for your good cause.
 

Advertise. Make posters and flyers, promote your event any way you can by utilizing email, Facebook, Twitter, chat groups, your local newspapers and even radio and tv. We encourage you to use Kids Action for Kids materials to help you advertise in advance, decorate your event and get your core message through about the event being for charity purposes, how the proceeds will be used.
 

  • Download Kids Action for Kids logos and pictures from Press kit here
  • Add links to Kids Action for Kids TV and video material here
  • Print posters, brochures, bookmarks and name cards in Printable materials here

Hang up posters in your neighbourhood and drop off flyers to cafes, library and shops.

 

Baking preparations 

Plan the scale. Assess what kind of a baking sale you are going to have. Setting up a table in front your house may require less treats than going to a community event, where there is naturally more traffic. Taking pre-orders is another alternative that helps you estimate amounts in advance. You can also make your bake sale an active happening with craft workshop, a special visitor (e.g. Santa Claus), preparing and decorating treats at spot (waffles, cookies), facilitating games and lotteries, playing music and so on.  

Assess your own capacity, time and resources: if you are more people contributing, then it is easier to go bigger. You can also try to engage local bakeries, cafes and shops in your neighbourhood and ask if they would like to join forces with donating some products to your bake sale.

Plan your menu. Our active supporters have noticed that people like to buy treats that look good and are easy to either eat at spot (with a drink!) or easy to carry away. Therefore, cookies, brownie, cakes, buns, pies and muffins (different sizes, also bars and slices, packed individually and in bigger quantities) are highly recommended, and baking something e.g. waffles at spot definitely spreads a mouth-watering, inviting smell to the surrounding. Popular are also themed bakes such as Easter egg and bunny cookies, Halloween horror treats and Christmas cookie houses etc. Some items do not even involve any baking: with marshmallows, berries, pretzels, salt sticks and supermarket cookies you can for example put together creative Christmas elves, Halloween bugs, Winter huts. Consider offering nut-free and other alternatives for special diets, marking the treats accordingly. 

Bake. Get your baking ingredients and start baking early enough. Store the treats according to requirements, and reserve some as small samples for tasting. 

Decorate. The more bling bling, the more attention. Good decorations are colourful candies, sprinkles, choc chips, dry and fresh berries. Icing and chocolate coating stay best in form in cool or cold conditions, when again they often melt in hot weather.

 

Selling preparations  

Package and display in style. Pretty sales table looks inviting, and treats decorated with ribbons, stickers and thank you notes can make miracles. You can use any materials you have at home, and those that are almost forgotten in the cupboards. Play with colourful plates, trays of different heights, and cute decorations  – hang up Kids Action for Kids posters and place brochures, book marks and business cards next to a donation jar. Your sales table will look professional and amazing. For easy transportation, collect paper bags and recyclable trays in advance to give away.     

Think about prices.  It is better to have a variety of prices and numbers that are quick to count together. In your country the prices may depend on the numbers on notes and coins, which makes the need for odd change less accurate. Try not to sell too cheap, but also not too expensive. Place price tags directly on your items or prepare signs next to treats. 

Start your bake sale. On the day, make sure you and your table are all set before the sale starts. Hang up some signs that help visitors find to you and your bake sale. 

 

After your event 
 
Give a tap on your shoulder for a meaningful job well done! Then count the money raised and let us know by email

Place your donation to Kids Action for Kids account either here  or via your own bank. For bank transfer details see Contact us.