How To Run A Successful Bake Sale Fundraiser With Pool

A bake sale fundraiser is a great way to show off your grandmother's scrumptious cookie recipe and raise money for an important cause. But as much as patrons want to snatch up homemade brownies, payment options usually get in the way.

Cash boxes used to be the gold standard for bake sales. But few people use cash these days, and even fewer people feel comfortable using it in this post-pandemic world.

How can you ensure your bake sale is a sweet success in a cashless society? You need Pool: a simple way for bake sale organizers to collect, manage, and spend fundraiser funds together.

This post shows you what Pool is, how to set it up, and how organizers can manage bake sale finances together.

Contents:

• Is a bake sale profitable?
• What is Pool?
• How Pool helps bake sale organizers work together
• How to set up Pool for your bake sale
• 4 ways to manage bake sale costs
• How to set bake sale prices and create price lists
• How to run a virtual bake sale with Pool

Is a bake sale profitable?

Bake sales are tantalizing displays of buttery, sugary goodness. But are they profitable? You bet. One of the biggest reasons why bake sales are a smart fundraising idea is because volunteers prepare the treats themselves. Additionally, local bakeries are often happy to donate something yummy for a good cause.

Of course, there are other costs to consider, and we'll dip into those below, like how to manage bake sale costs and create attractive price lists. First, allow us to introduce you to Pool!

What is Pool?

Pool is a shared money management tool that helps groups collect, organize, and spend funds together. Whether you're coordinating a bake sale fundraiser with a school, nonprofit, club, or community group, Pool gives organizers a dedicated place to manage contributions and expenses.

Unlike traditional payment apps designed for one-to-one transfers, Pool is built for collaboration. You can invite other organizers to join, assign permissions, and manage fundraiser finances together in one place.

Pool is to your bake sale what a glass of milk is to a plate of chocolate chip cookies: a refreshing accompaniment and the perfect fit. Keep reading to see why.

How Pool helps bake sale organizers work together

Bake sales are often run by multiple volunteers. Pool makes it easy to collaborate by allowing organizers to join the same Pool and help manage fundraiser finances together.

Pool Admins can invite trusted volunteers, track contributions, monitor spending activity, and use Pool debit cards for approved fundraiser purchases. This keeps bake sale funds separate from personal finances and makes it easier to stay organized throughout the event.

How to set up Pool for your bake sale

1. Start your Pool — Sign up at Poolmoney.com and set up your Pool in minutes. Choose a name for it and invite other volunteers to become Pool admins with you. We don't check your credit history or report anything to the credit bureaus. We just need to verify your identity before you use money on Pool — it only takes a couple of minutes, and once completed, you're free to use your Pool.
2. Manage your Pool with other volunteers — Unlike popular peer-to-peer money transfer apps like PayPal or Venmo, Pool is designed for multiple users. Other Admin members can view the Pool balance, track contributions, and—if granted spending permissions—use the Pool debit card to make approved purchases. With Pool's collaborative design, selected volunteers can help manage fundraiser finances before, during, and after the bake sale. To add new Admins or members, invite them to join the Pool. Once they sign up and accept the invitation, they can help organize contributions, monitor activity, and share management responsibilities.
3. Easily disburse funds — When your bake sale is done, it's easy to disburse funds to the organization or charity of your choice. You can spend Pool funds directly using the free digital debit card that comes with your Pool, wherever Visa is accepted. Because there are no transaction fees, maintenance fees, or overdraft fees, you can donate 100% of the profits. If you want to transfer Pool funds to your organization's bank account, you can do so using your Pool's account and routing number. It's free, fast, and secure.

4 ways to manage bake sale costs

Now that you know all about Pool, you're well on your way to having a fantastic bake sale. Consider these four ideas to minimize overhead costs and maximize profits.

1. Create a sign-up list — Create a list of popular baked goods and how many of each you need. Ask volunteers to sign up for one or more items. If you know that brownies usually outperform snickerdoodle cookies, your sign-up list ensures you have enough treats to meet demand and don't end up with too many unsold goodies.
2. Ask volunteers to bring supplies — Folding tables, chairs, tablecloths, coolers, cups, beverages, napkins, and paper or plastic bags.
3. Pre-wrap or package baked goods — Give patrons a convenient, time-saving experience by pre-wrapping the goodies. Once purchases have been collected and recorded, patrons can quickly grab their treats and enjoy the event.
4. Choose a date, time, and location — Try to schedule your bake sale around local events like elections, community events, school events, and PTO. These are all good opportunities to reach more people and hit your fundraising goal.

How to set bake sale prices and create price lists

When cash was prevalent, the standard pricing for baked goods was in increments of 25 cents: 50 cents, 75 cents, a dollar, etc.

If you're looking to simplify pricing and encourage larger purchases, try these ideas:

• Set up tables where people can pick a set number of items for a flat rate — for example, 6 items for $5 or 11 items for $10. That way, people submit one easy payment and get to pick their treats.
• Sell larger items like pies or cakes at higher price points.
• Sell bundles: a dozen cookies, 4 cinnamon rolls, etc.

This approach encourages people to indulge in your offerings and contribute more to the fundraiser.

How to run a virtual bake sale with Pool

You might decide that a virtual bake sale is a better way to run your next fundraiser. It's a clever way to make sure inclement weather doesn't rain on your parade, helps people feel safe in a post-pandemic world, and ensures patrons can participate even if they can't make it in person.

Here's how it works:

• Advertise your bake sale online
• Invite volunteers to sign up to prepare specific treats
• Decide on a location where people can pick up their goodies
• Share pictures of the baked goods on social media
• Invite supporters to participate in the fundraiser, join the Pool if appropriate, and coordinate payment and pickup details with organizers.
• Patrons pick up their goodies from the pick-up location

Pool simplifies the coordination: manage your Pool together with any volunteer you invite to join and refer back to the Pool transaction history to ensure everyone gets the correct treats at pick-up.

Running a bake sale is a great way to share your family's best dessert recipes and raise money for an important cause. Sign up today at poolmoney.com to organize contributions, manage fundraiser finances, and collaborate with fellow volunteers — it's the secret ingredient for your next fundraiser.