Blog

Top 5 Product Fundraisers to Combine with Larger Events

When you think of fundraising, maybe you think of a walkathon or your nonprofit’s annual gala. While fundraising events are surefire ways to gather support for your cause, fundraising doesn’t always have to be big to be successful.

Sometimes, tacking an extra fundraiser onto larger fundraising initiatives or events can help you generate significantly more revenue while adding variety for donors.

Product fundraisers are the perfect fit because they allow you to sell useful items to your supporters without distracting from the wider fundraising plans in place. In this guide, we’ll provide five product fundraiser ideas that you can incorporate into your existing fundraising events and activities to earn more for your cause.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser

Selling cookie dough is always a crowd-pleaser. It not only provides a delicious treat but also a fun, family-friendly activity. Plus, you can sell a variety of flavors, from chocolate chip to snickerdoodle, to cater to every taste.

While you can add cookie dough sales to any type of fundraiser, one of the best events to sell cookie dough at is a cake walk. Cake walks naturally gather supporters who love to bake or enjoy baked goods. Once they’ve dropped off their creations or claimed their prizes, they may be enticed to purchase cookie dough so they can bake some additional treats and continue supporting your cause.

Discount Card Fundraiser

When you host a discount card fundraiser, you support local businesses, save your supporters money on regular purchases, and earn additional funds for your cause. It’s a win-win-win situation! Discount cards include a variety of discount opportunities for local restaurants and shops, and you can sell these cards to your supporters in exchange for donations.

Since many supporters can benefit from discount cards, you can sell them at several different types of fundraising events, including:

Parents’ night out. This type of fundraising event allows parents to have a night out to themselves while your staff or volunteers watch their children. You can raise money from this event by charging an admission fee, but discount cards can help you generate extra revenue. Plus, parents can use their discount cards to lower the cost of dinner on the night of the fundraiser!

Holiday party. The holiday season can be an expensive time of year. Adding a discount fundraiser to your holiday party or other holiday fundraising initiatives allows your supporters to save on additional purchases after spending money on gifts.

Food truck fundraiser. Food truck fundraisers are a fun way to bring your community together to enjoy a meal. When you create a discount card featuring the food trucks at the event, you can help drive additional business for them.

To ensure your discount cards entice your supporters, consider surveying them ahead of time to discover their favorite local restaurants and shops. Then, reach out to those businesses to see if they’d be interested in partnering with your organization.

Popcorn Fundraiser

According to ABC Fundraising’s cheerleading fundraiser guide, popcorn fundraisers are extremely popular because they can earn up to 70% profit with no money upfront needed. Plus, you can sell a combination of sweet and savory flavors for your supporters to enjoy.

Popcorn fundraisers are an easy way for sports teams or athletic organizations to raise money because they can sell popcorn for spectators to enjoy at their games. This type of fundraiser also works well for other in-person events, such as carnivals, trivia nights, and movie nights, where families can enjoy the popcorn while they participate.

Branded Merchandise Fundraiser

Put your organization’s brand at the forefront of your fundraising by selling branded merchandise. Walkathons and 5Ks are perfect opportunities to sell branded t-shirts that commemorate the event. If it’s cold, you can also sell branded hats and gloves to keep people warm as they cheer on the participants. Additionally, you can cap off the event by selling branded water bottles that participants can use for their next run or walk.

Branded merchandise allows donors to show off their support for your cause to the people around them. It also doubles as an extra marketing opportunity since merchandise may spark conversations about your nonprofit between supporters and prospective donors.

Candle Fundraiser

Candles are an extremely versatile fundraising product. You can select seasonal candle scents based on the time of year, selling ocean-scented candles during the summer and peppermint-scented candles during the winter, for instance. 

One of the best fundraising events to sell candles at is an auction. It can be disheartening to walk away from an auction empty-handed. With a candle fundraiser, you can provide an opportunity for people to support your cause and bring home a small item, even if none of their bids were successful.

It’s also very easy to sell candles on your website. Since candles aren’t perishable like food items, you can stock up on them and consistently sell them on your website for an extra revenue source year-round.

When you’re planning a fundraising event, you might end up spending more money than you’re expecting. To balance out upfront costs, try using these product fundraisers to supplement the revenue generated from your event. For extra help, partner with a product fundraising team that can assist you with procuring and selling items to your supporters.