Creating a Fundraiser Cookbook?

[lynninpa]

Has anyone been involved with creating a fund raiser cookbook for their school, church or other organization? I am in the beginning stages of putting one together (using Morris Press Cookbooks) and any and all "feedback" would be greatly appreciated!

 

[monkeyboy]

yes real simple

get recipe from people involed

they will have a site to email them, and copy and paste them into a book


it's all good

 

[Lanshark]

We did one for our school last year. It is a small private school with about 65 people. We sent a notice to all current students and alumni. We asked for favorite family recipes. We also encouraged people to write a few sentences about the history of the recipe, if any. We got some very touching stories and wonderful recipes. The problem is that many people, don't have computers. We got handwritten recipes from grandma, aunts and one from a great grandma. One person typed all of them so the format would be uniform. We also had our kids draw pictures and we scanned those in to with their names on it. We always put the submitters name and their relation to the school. example. Bea Nettle Grandma of John Nettle

We got a great little book that sold for $15 dollars

 

[Ride Junkie]

We did one for our agency fundraiser a few years ago. We also had a place where you submitted them online. We got the bound & printed copies (I forget what company we used) and sold them for around $10. We ended up with a lot of great recipes! Have fun!

 

[SeeDisney]

Hate to be the pessimistic one here but my old church has done this fundraiser many years ago and the cookbooks never sold well. We were begging people to buy them up.

I have one and it's wonderful seeing my old friends' recipes in it.

 

[powellrj]

I love these kind of cookbooks and have submitted recipes to them over the years. My biggest suggestion is to make sure you get real recipes. I hate to spend $10 to get a book that is full of things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken noodle soup in a can. I know people think its cute, but its only cute when its a pre-school class writing those kinds of recipes.

 

[lynninpa]

We did one for our school last year. It is a small private school with about 65 people. We sent a notice to all current students and alumni. We asked for favorite family recipes. We also encouraged people to write a few sentences about the history of the recipe, if any. We got some very touching stories and wonderful recipes. The problem is that many people, don't have computers. We got handwritten recipes from grandma, aunts and one from a great grandma. One person typed all of them so the format would be uniform. We also had our kids draw pictures and we scanned those in to with their names on it. We always put the submitters name and their relation to the school. example. Bea Nettle Grandma of John Nettle

We got a great little book that sold for $15 dollars

Lanshark, how did you bind your books? Thanks for letting me know how much you sold the books for-that was one of my questions.

 

[akhenaten]

does anyone make a profit on these books? (the charity , i mean...not the publishing company)

 

[lynninpa]

We did one for our agency fundraiser a few years ago. We also had a place where you submitted them online. We got the bound & printed copies (I forget what company we used) and sold them for around $10. We ended up with a lot of great recipes! Have fun!

How did you go about actually selling your cookbooks, Ride Junkie?

 

[mandy200587]

We have one done through a fanclub I'm in for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. It's been going for two years and it's been fairly successful.

 

[lynninpa]

I love these kind of cookbooks and have submitted recipes to them over the years. My biggest suggestion is to make sure you get real recipes. I hate to spend $10 to get a book that is full of things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken noodle soup in a can. I know people think its cute, but its only cute when its a pre-school class writing those kinds of recipes.

I am worried that we may get 75 recipes for brownies!

 

[lynninpa]

does anyone make a profit on these books? (the charity , i mean...not the publishing company)

That is one of our goals-to raise money for ongoing projects like a sensory garden for our students. With just the raw numbers, it would cost us about $2.25 per book to have "published" and hoping to sell them for $10, maybe $12, each. Of course, getting advertisers can cut down incredibly on costs.

 

[akhenaten]

That is one of our goals-to raise money for ongoing projects like a sensory garden for our students. With just the raw numbers, it would cost us about $2.25 per book to have "published" and hoping to sell them for $10, maybe $12, each. Of course, getting advertisers can cut down incredibly on costs.

It seems like I have only seen folks trying to practically give away these cookbooks.... I have never been in an organization that has tried to sell them

maybe it is my area of the country....just outside of manhattan....discount coupons for take out would probably sell better here...



good luck with your fundraiser!!!

 

[lynninpa]

It seems like I have only seen folks trying to practically give away these cookbooks.... I have never been in an organization that has tried to sell them

maybe it is my area of the country....just outside of manhattan....discount coupons for take out would probably sell better here...



good luck with your fundraiser!!!

AHHH! You have given me a great idea! Maybe some the of advertisers can include a coupon?! Thanks!

 

[akhenaten]

AHHH! You have given me a great idea! Maybe some the of advertisers can include a coupon?! Thanks!

great idea...sell to the non cooks too.....

 

[mandy200587]

Have you thought about having like a section of desserts, drinks, appetizers, main dishes, salads and etc.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Our school did them. It was fun and I submitted alot of old family recipes that I use.

As far as a BIG money maker it ends up not to be that great. The PTA Prez ordered too many "extras", so any "profit" was lessened to quite a degree.

It would be more effective to sell advanced copies if you are looking to make a profit. That way you don't order too many extras.

I know the people that worked on it said...."never again".....it is VERY labor intensive and time consuming.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Have you thought about having like a section of desserts, drinks, appetizers, main dishes, salads and etc.

We also had a section for "odd things" like playdough and cute recipe poems for children.

 

[mandy200587]

We also had a thing for notes in some of the sections.

 

[lynninpa]

Have you thought about having like a section of desserts, drinks, appetizers, main dishes, salads and etc.

If we go with a publsihing company or do it on our own, we will have sections like you mentioned, mandy. I am just not sure how to go about asking for recipes so we do not get 75 recipes for brownies or chocolate chip cookies!