Does Cookie Dough Fundraising Work?

Mention the word “cookie,” and people come running. America is in love with everything having to do with cookies. So, why not cash in on that love and host a cookie dough fundraising event?

Cookie dough has become a popular fundraiser with schools, clubs and churches. The drive centers around the sale of frozen cookie dough provided by an outside company. Your members sell the product and collect the cash ahead of time. Then you place an order all at once under your organizations’ name. When the dough comes in, you distribute it to your happy customers. They take it home and bake their own cookies.

The convenience of selling cookie dough instead of purchased cookies makes sense. You don’t have to stock an inventory of cookies that could go stale or get broken.

Instead, you’re selling tubs of frozen cookie dough that people can go home and bake at their leisure whenever the urge for fresh cookies strikes.They're great for any occasion whether it's a special shower, or you just want to make birthday cookies.

Cookie dough sales are relatively easy to arrange and carry out. You will just need to find a cookie dough fundraiser company (there are many online) and call to ask them about their policies.

After that, they’ll ship you the order forms and brochures already printed. They’ll often provide you with signs you can hang in your organization and around the community to publicize your sale. Your members just have to sell to family and friends, collect the money, and you place an order.

You don’t have to hold on to samples that could get lost or offer items that many would consider junky. You haven’t wasted time explaining what the products are or pushing yet another roll or wrapping paper. You’re selling something that people love and want, so the product sells itself.

It also works because you only need to get volunteers for the distribution, not to man a sale table or ring out orders. You’re asking for much less of a time commitment, so more people are likely to volunteer their time.

As with any fundraiser, there are a few logistical things to consider. First, will other groups in your area be selling the same thing? If so, they’ll water down your market and you’ll have fewer sales.

The second thing to consider is the time of year. Are you offering frozen cookie dough in the sweltering heat in July? Where will you store it when it arrives? It will need to be distributed immediately or refrozen. Consider that many people will not pick up their orders the day the shipment arrives, so have cool storage available.

One thing people forget to ask the distributor is, “Do you sort the orders before they arrive?” If not, your volunteers are going to have more work on their hands. If the company drops off one bulk load, you’ll have to go through each order and pick out the quantities and varieties that individuals have ordered. It’s not hard, it just takes time.

A final consideration is any health guidelines your organization may have. They may not allow the sale of cookies, or any cookies that aren't sugar free desserts, so be sure to check before organizing your event. Many PTOs and schools have banned the sale of anything that’s not within strict guidelines, and you don’t want to be disappointed.