Don't Underestimate Candy Fundraisers
Getting Back To The Basics:
The most common, direct sale fundraiser ideas is selling good, old-fashioned chocolate bars. In fact, based on industry estimates, candy fundraising produces more than $250,000,000 in profits. That is an enormous amount of money and cannot be easily dismissed when considering what type of fundraiser would be best for your group.
Over the years sports leagues have become infamous for their candy bar fundraises. Long ago fundraising candy bars were actually larger than the candy bars from vending machine or the corner store. But those days are long gone; today's fundraising candy is no longer bigger than the retail or vending machine equivalents.
Now instead of bigger candy bars, the major fundraising candy manufacturers offer incentives on the candy wrappers and specific fundraising packaging to differentiate the product.
In spite of the anti obesity movement, which has hurt candy fundraising for years, this segment of fundraising has seen a sharp upturn in popularity as people are returning to the basics and sell more and more candy.
Name Brand vs. Fundraising Only Candy:
One of the biggest decisions you will need to make when deciding whether to hold a candy fundraiser is what type of candy you want to sell.
Hershey's and M&M/Mars are the two biggest national brands dominating chocolate candy fundraisers. Also, one of the largest fundraising-specific candy lines is produced by The Original One Dollar Bar. Here is a brief description of each including benefits and weaknesses:
- Hershey's Chocolate Fund Raising: Hershey's is the largest player in the one dollar chocolate fundraising business. It has a wide selection of candy that it makes available in four different variety packs, along with straight packs of each of their major brands. Most fundraising groups choose to sell variety packs since they offer a selection based on historical sales data. Hershey's not only offers four different variety packs but also packs them in two different sizes. You can choose the 40-count carriers or the 52-count carriers. The candy packs are sold by the case and each case contains four carriers. With Hershey's you can choose the amount of candy you want in a variety pack based on the amount each participant needs to sell. Hershey's best known candies include Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups and Twizzlers.
- M&M's Fundraiser Candy: Unlike Hershey's, M&M's offers only one variety pack of candy but it is the best selling single variety pack in fundraising. Their variety pack comes with four 52-count carriers that include Plain M&M's, Peanut M&M's, Snickers and Skittles. All four of those items are also available in straight packs.
- The Original One Dollar Bar: This is the largest, one dollar, chocolate, fundraising candy bar available. The Original One Dollar Candy Bar weighs 2.25 ounces as opposed to the fundraising Hershey's bar that weighs a little over 1.5 ounces. The Original One Dollar Candy Bars are not available in vending machines or discount stores, so there is less competition and pricing pressure. However, the offset to that protection is the lack of brand name recognition. The quality of the candy bars is outstanding, and sells well for groups wanting a new candy option.
How Does a Candy Fundraiser Work?:
Candy is considered a direct sale fundraiser. Meaning, you have the candy in your hand and give it directly to the buyer when they pay for it. In order to do that you obviously must have the candy on hand.
To start a candy fundraiser you first choose your candy and then decide how much candy you can sell. Price is based on volume; so the more candy you purchase the better per case price you will get and the higher your profit per candy bar sold will be. But be careful! Candy cannot be returned because of safety issues.
Candy is either shipped or delivered to you within 7 to 10 business days. It typically sells for one dollar and profits range up to 55%.
Other fundraising ideas:
- Cookie dough fundraising
- Fundraising flower bulbs
- Fundraising with an online shopping mall
- Easy fundraising ideas
Other Partners: In the course of our research, we have found other organizations with impressive products and services regarding fundraising. We have provided you with the links to some of their websites because we feel they offer valuable assistance to planned giving and fundraising programs.
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