Whether it's candy bars or cookie dough, selling sweets is one of the easiest fund raisers to carry off because of the popular appeal of the sales items. In addition to candy bars, many other kinds of candy products make good fund raisers, such as chocolate-covered pretzels, candy apples at Halloween, candy cane and other Christmas candies, gourmet chocolates, and cotton candy, which can be sold at school events throughout the year.
Cookie dough is a popular fund raising item, and selling it could be coupled with all kinds of ideas at a Cookie Festival. For example, cookie recipes could be collected and made into a cookbook that would then be sold at the event. Area bakers might be asked to appear at the event to give demonstrations (and thereby advertise their businesses). A "cookie walk" is a variation on the classic cakewalk, where paying participants march around a numbered circle to music; when the music stops, everyone stands on the closet number. A number is drawn from a hat, and the person standing on that number receives the cake, or, in this case, a batch of cookies.
Whether you're selling $20 raffle tickets giving buyers the opportunity at winning a car or $1 tickets offering the chance for some free movie tickets, the basic process is the same. PTO members canvass friends, relatives, neighbors and area businesses, looking for those willing to donate items for the cause. Fund raisers sometimes buy items to be featured in an auction. But in doing so, make sure that the price of the item, along with some added funds, will be covered by the number of raffle tickets sold.
Raffles can be held together with a school event such as a carnival. However, some schools ask parents to buy a block of raffle tickets at the beginning of the year and then distribute the prizes weekly, giving them additional time to gather prizes. Raffle tickets can be printed for free at raffleprinter.com.