Bake Sale Basics

With the following strategies, raising money for a good cause is a piece of (cup)cake.

Getting Started

Choosing a Charity

Most bake sales are planned for a specific reason. But if you’re thinking of a sale as a fun community event with your kids, find a worthy beneficiary at JustGive.org, a database of 1 million charities covering such causes as animal welfare and disaster relief.

Soliciting Help

• Two to three weeks before the event, post sign-up sheets at your school, church, synagogue, or community center, and e-mail or call around to request contributions. (Have people commit to making a specific item so you’re sure to have a wide variety.)
• Ask nonbakers if they’ll work at the sale or drop off leftovers at a soup kitchen.
• Try soliciting a bakery for donations, says Debi Lilly, a Chicago event planner and a mother of two: “Explain the sale’s purpose and note that you’re offering a chance to introduce their bakery to 200 potential new customers.”

Involving Your Kids

“Holding a bake sale is a way to pass down your values. You’re sharing something sweet and giving back to the community,” says Pam Abrams, a mother of two and a coauthor of The Only Bake Sale Cookbook You’ll Ever Need (William Morrow, $15, amazon.com). The most obvious way to include kids is to let them help in the kitchen. “Children learn math, manners, and safety while cooking,” says Barbara Grunes, author of The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook (Chronicle Books, $20, amazon.com). “Plus, I don’t know a child who doesn’t want to decorate a cupcake.”