CHAPTER 1 welcome to your bake sale There is no question that a bake sale is a fun event. What's not to love about a community gathering centered around Red Velvet-Milk Chocolate Brownies, Cinnamon Toast Bars, and Coconut-Macadamia Nut Cookies? But running a successful bake sale also requires a lot of effort, planning, organization, and mediation. Things can get a little tricky when you have to supervise people with whom you have a personal relationship, like the soccer coach, your child's best friend's mom, or the star singer from your church's choir. From early brainstorming sessions to the main event, here are some helpful hints, tips, and ideas to ensure that your bake sale goes off without a hitch. Before the Event Decide on a date, time, and location, and make sure you have permission to hold your bake sale. Don't allow too many cooks in the kitchen. Bake sales also need people in charge of donations, setup, cleanup, and manning the cash box. Make sure all participants are clear about their roles. Communicate. Hold a meeting to plan your sale. Setting up a group e-mail list is also a good way to keep everyone up-to-date and informed. Be clear about whether or not you will reach out to your personal and business contacts. Define the "rules" of your bake sale. If it's at an elementary school, do the baked goods have to be nut free? Should everything be homemade, or are bags of jelly beans okay? Clearly state the purpose of your bake sale. It's important to identify what you are raising money for. Be as specific as possible: The Little League team needs new uniforms; the local animal shelter wants to build a dog run; your temple would like to purchase new books for Hebrew school. Give your bake sale a theme. Instead of the "Lincoln School Bake Sale," think: "Shiver your timbers at the Lincoln School Pirate Bake Sale! All booty from the treasure chest will be contributed to the school's art program." Here are a few ideas: seasonal (summer, fall, winter, spring); holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Purim, Easter, July 4th); international (treats from all over the world); regional goodies (New England baked goods, southern favorites); heirloom family recipes; chocolate lovers (everything chocolate); the Olympics/sports; Mother's or Father's Day; Broadway (desserts on stage!). The possibilities are endless. Utilize social media. Publicize your bake sale via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Update these sites frequently with pictures, recipes, and fun baking facts. Make signs. Children's art and handwriting are at the top of the charm chart. Vintage photographs of local attractions are also a good bet. In a pinch, clip art or stock photos will work just fine. Create the signs yourself, or see if a graphic designer will do it at no cost. In exchange, offer to display the designer's business cards near the event's cash register. Post the signs in local shops and businesses at least 1 week prior to the event. Ask for donations. Each year, Fat Witch donates lots of brownies to New York City public school bake sales. Here's what is effective with most businesses. . Check out the FAQs on the business's/bakery's Web site. Often there is information about donations or charitable giving. Also check out the "Contact Us" section. If you don't follow the Web site's directions, you might not get a response. . Contact the business 4 to 8 weeks ahead of time. Be specific and be reasonable. In the body of your short letter/e-mail/phone call, let the company know a little bit about the charity, the date of the event, how many people you expect, and what would be the ideal donation. Never send more than one attachment. . If you don't hear from the business, limit your follow-up to no more than two calls/e-mails/letters. Understand that no means no, and no response could also mean no. . Have your tax-exempt form ready to e-mail, fax, or mail. . If your event is near a holiday, a local business may not be able to donate. Consider asking for a gift certificate instead. If your state allows gift certificate expiration dates, make it known at the event that there is a time limit on the certificate's redemption. . Ask about purchasing at a discount. This can be almost as good as getting a free donation. Everyone makes some money, and the bakery/business doesn't feel pushed to the wall. . Think outside the oven. You'll probably need small bags, waxed paper, paper plates, plastic forks, napkins, cake boxes, vinyl gloves, boxes, hand trucks, and garbage bags. These things might be more easily donated by your local bakery than actual baked goods. . Think about display needs. A local florist could donate an arrangement; a hardware store could lend wooden planks to be placed between ladder steps or on file cabinets; a kitchen supply store could lend you trays or standing grid panels with clamps for display. . If you pick up the donation, you've taken a burden off the vendor. At Fat Witch Bakery, we have an absolute rule: We donate; you pick up. . A word to the wise: Be sure to say thank-you. You should always credit the business at the event by putting its logo and name on social media and signage at the sale, if possible. A thank-you after the event is a must. A note with a photo from the bake sale keeps it on a personal (dare I say charming?) level. E-mail also works. The Big Day I hate to say it, but at first glance, most bake sales look rather bland: three folding tables covered with cheap plastic tablecloths, laden with an uninspired display of treats on a mishmash of plates. There are no decorations; no flowers, balloons, or pops of color. It's such a shame! With just a little effort, you can make your bake sale look as good as it tastes--and you'll be surprised at how much faster your cash box fills up. Choose a color scheme. Bold color catches and holds the eye, so don't be shy. Think fuchsia over baby pink, gold over pale yellow. Make sure your colors match your theme (orange and black for Halloween, blue and silver for Hanukkah, etc.). Decorate. Ask local schools for student artwork. Use it to make flyers and also display it at the bake sale to create a fun and warm environment. Create different levels. At Fat Witch, we display our brownies on trays, in baskets, on cake stands, and on shelves. When everything is at the same height, it looks amateurish. Don't worry--you don't have to invest in fancy display pieces. Cover a few cardboard boxes in gift wrap, put a child's step stool on the table, or repurpose last year's Easter baskets. Package some of the baked goods. Cute bags, pretty ribbon, and paper containers are available online and in party stores. You'll be surprised how attractive your treats will be with a minimum of decorative effort. This is dessert, not math! Make pricing easy. Have everything divisible by 25 cents, and keep a calculator near each cash box. Consider offering special deals such as one cupcake for $1 and three for $2.50. It's an effective upsell. List the ingredients of each baked good. This is especially helpful for those who want to avoid allergens. Keep a stack of paper plates and napkins, along with plastic forks and spoons, handy for folks who want to dive right in. Also make sure to have plenty of bags and bakery boxes for people who want to take their treats home. Don't forget trash bins! Hopefully there won't be a single crumb remaining, but make a plan for leftovers. See if you can donate them to a local charity. Figure out how the trash will be dealt with-- and decide this before the event. If you are holding your bake sale at a facility that has people on staff to do this job, certainly tip them and give thanks. Either way, organize a cleanup crew and make sure they stick around until the job is done. It's important to have more than one person responsible for breaking down the setup and taking trash to the receptacles. Check with your local health department about any food safety permits you may need. And the Day After Remember to thank everyone involved, whether they were major players from start to finish or they simply donated a few necessary items. If you have an especially large number of people to thank, a form letter or e-mail is okay. Create your message before the bake sale so it's ready to be sent out the day after the event. Give a shout-out on social media, too. At Fat Witch, we buddy up with charities that tweet about us, who like us on Facebook and Pinterest and acknowledge the donation. A little thanks goes a long ways toward sweet success at your next bake sale fund-raiser. Excerpted from Fat Witch Bake Sale: 72 Recipes from the Beloved Fat Witch Bakery for Your Next Bake Sale or Party by Patricia Helding, Lucy Baker All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
