Pampered Chef as a Fundraiser

[Christine]

Have you had experience with this.

My DD's drama group is doing a trip to NYC this year that is close to $1,000 per student for 4 days. I am letting her go and will be paying for it.

So, now they have made it "mandatory" that all students going on the trip must attend a "fundraising" meeting. I don't have a problem with this. If helps defray some of my costs, I am willing to do a little fundraising.

She goes to the meeting and brings home the fundraiser. It is Pampered Chef. I guess I'm a little dismayed. I asked how much the group would get from the sales. It is only 20%. I think that is a low return for fundraising. Yet, I'm sure the Pampered Chef representative is getting a nice cut.

For those that have experience with Pampered Chef fundraisers, is it a good fundraiser. Frankly, I don't know how I'm going to sell this stuff. At my office, I have two Pampered Chef reps that have saturated the office staff over the last 3 years. No one wants any more Pampered Chef. I refuse to have my DD go to the neighbors to sell them a $100 pan or a $30 chopper.

I'm thinking of complaining to the director but probably won't (unless of course I can come up with a better idea).

Any thoughts?

 

[laurie31]

My guess is that somebody involved with the fundraising plan sells Pampered Chef

I agree that 20% is too low. There are many fundraisers that do 50% (we just did cookie dough...and before that wrapping paper. Both were 50% profit for the organization).

It seems a shame for someone to spend $100 and you only get $20 of it. I found that many people didn't need or want the wrapping paper, but they were happy to give a small donation to the school instead. If you got $100 in donations, it would be the same as selling $500 worth of the Pampered Chef (btw, I LOVE Pampered Chef products, but I do hate selling fundraising stuff to my friends and family...)

How old is your dd? Could they do anything else to raise money? I guess it's too cold for a car wash but surely there's something they could do as a group.

Hey, they are a drama club - are they doing a play? They could charge admission or ask for donations at the door. Most people wouldn't mind paying $5 or so to see the play and the money raised would be pure profit - and nothing to deliver later.

Laurie, dreading the day all that frozen cookie dough comes in - at least I can carry the wrapping paper around in my car and give it to people when I see them. Frozen cookie dough has to be delivered ASAP...and it's heavy!

 

[Christine]

My guess is that somebody involved with the fundraising plan sells Pampered Chef

I agree that 20% is too low. There are many fundraisers that do 50% (we just did cookie dough...and before that wrapping paper. Both were 50% profit for the organization).

It seems a shame for someone to spend $100 and you only get $20 of it. I found that many people didn't need or want the wrapping paper, but they were happy to give a small donation to the school instead. If you got $100 in donations, it would be the same as selling $500 worth of the Pampered Chef (btw, I LOVE Pampered Chef products, but I do hate selling fundraising stuff to my friends and family...)

How old is your dd? Could they do anything else to raise money? I guess it's too cold for a car wash but surely there's something they could do as a group.

Hey, they are a drama club - are they doing a play? They could charge admission or ask for donations at the door. Most people wouldn't mind paying $5 or so to see the play and the money raised would be pure profit - and nothing to deliver later.

Laurie, dreading the day all that frozen cookie dough comes in - at least I can carry the wrapping paper around in my car and give it to people when I see them. Frozen cookie dough has to be delivered ASAP...and it's heavy!

I'm sure you're right that someone involved in fundraising sells Pampered Chef. My only hope is that she "donates" her cut. That would be the right thing to do.

I agree with cookie dough/wrapping paper. Even though people are just SICK of these, it is usually easy to get them to buy a little something.

As far as other fundraisers--yep--too cold for a car wash.

My DD is 14 and is a freshman. She attends a high school that has a fine arts program and she auditioned to get in, so I guess this isn't really a "drama club", it is much bigger than that. They have plays all the time and always charge for it, but those costs go toward the auditorium, costumes, and anything else. I know that if my DD "works" the plays (she is not in any yet) then she can get some money off of her trip cost.

 

[BrinxFam]

We kind of adjusted the PC fundraiser to fit our needs for our church witness team. My mom and I co-hosted a party (we are sponsors of the group) but everyone was in charge of collecting outside orders and inviting people to the party. We used the free merchandise we earned to make a basketful of Pampered Chef products then each member of the group sold raffle tickets. So everything we made on the raffle ticket sales went straight to the group since the merchandise was free. The only investment we had in it was the cost of supplies for the party, which mom & I took care of as a donation. The benefit we got as hostesses was the discounted products and the PHD. This worked much better for us and we raised more $$ than we would have with the traditional PC fundraiser.

Just a suggestion
Good Luck!
Missy

 

[barkley]

the best (top dollar) fund raiser i ever participated in (music/theatre group in highschool) involved getting a department store to donate all the stuff for gift wrapping and let our group set up a free gift wrap booth at the store. we took donations for our efforts. we staffed the place evenings and weekends (and some parents staffed during school hours). the store got happy customers (and got a big tax write off for the supplies) and we made alot of money from people who were thrilled to not have to wrap their holiday gifts.

i also like the car washathons. the kids get pledges for the number of cars they will wash, then they do a free carwash for tips only (so they make money a both ends). our local safeway store lets the kids do them in a portion of their parking lot on the weekends.

i prefer to give money to fundraisers where the money is going directly to the kids-this is why i tend not to buy from the fundraising giftwraps, cookie doughs...

 

[kbkids]

My DD's cheerleading squad just did this, and we really raised alot of money. Out of 22 cheerleaders, only 9 moms participated, but we still raised over $400 just between the 9 of us. All we did was send out emails to everyone we knew to see if they wanted anything. All of us had a great response, and it was so simple. One quick email - that was it. Most people are familiar with Pampered Chef, and it sells itself, in my opinion.

We had a garage sale at the beginning of the year. Everyone participated in that, spent hours setting up, worked all day on Saturday, made $300. I'll take the Pampered Chef fundraiser anyday!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

20% is an excellent return on fundraising when it involves product parties. However--someone is still profiitng from this "fundraiser"--and I imagine it might be another band parent. IMHO--they should offer at least half of her profits towards the efforts since it is quite possible she can make a killing.

However--there are better fundraisers. Wouldn't parents rather instead of spending $50 on kitchenwear and getting only $10 towards their students trip--just write a check for $50 for the trip????

Got any cow pastures nearby---you could do cow patty bingo?

Flamingo flocking (those silly plastic flamingos--offer a flamingo removal service--then for a fee--you collect the invading flamingo and they can provide you a name and address of who to flock next).

Not sure of when your deadline is--but Walmart--if you do a fundraiser..they will match with a community matching grant. However--right now...they are about busy with bell ringers and holiday donations and such.

The latest one I have just heard of that my homeschool group did--Krispy Kreme donuts--with a twist. They just sold coupons (professionally printed and provided by Krispy Kreme at time of purchase). You sell them for $5 and once you have sold a minimum of 50--you can purchase them from a local Krispy Kreme. All you need to do is create fliers--and the coupons make great stocking stuffers or card stuffers during the holidays. Very quick and easy to set up--just confirm a local Krispy Kreme offers the coupons--and if they do--prepare sales forms to distribute to band members. The coupons I believe are purchased at half-price once your fundraiser is over, yielding 50% for the group. My group made $980 (almost 400 coupons sold). The coupons are good at ANY Krispy Kreme in the country. You could have this fundraiser ready to go by the end of the week--barring school red tape in getting it set up.

 

[Christine]

Well there are no "parties" with this particular PC fundraiser. It is just "book" sales. Also, it is set in stone so to speak. They are already underway with it. I was just complaining that it seemed like a small return fundraiser. But who knows, maybe it will be more profitable than I imagine. I took the book to work and, so far, NOTHING. But, as I said, we have been hit up so many times by our co-workers that no one needs anything else.

 

[mom2grace]

We kind of adjusted the PC fundraiser to fit our needs for our church witness team. My mom and I co-hosted a party (we are sponsors of the group) but everyone was in charge of collecting outside orders and inviting people to the party. We used the free merchandise we earned to make a basketful of Pampered Chef products then each member of the group sold raffle tickets. So everything we made on the raffle ticket sales went straight to the group since the merchandise was free. The only investment we had in it was the cost of supplies for the party, which mom & I took care of as a donation. The benefit we got as hostesses was the discounted products and the PHD. This worked much better for us and we raised more $$ than we would have with the traditional PC fundraiser.Missy

I am a former PC consultant, and this is a great way to do this, but you wouldn't get the 20%!

Also, PC has personal websites now, so people can order directly from the website and your fundraiser would get credit. Also, they can direct-ship anywhere in the US.

If the PC consultant is affiliated with the group, I would hope that she would be donating all of her commission, (15%), to the group. (Commission is lower for fundraisers). She will still be getting points for the trips and other incentives.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

or a $30 chopper.

An aside--


That chopper is worth EVERY penny.

 

[Christine]

An aside--


That chopper is worth EVERY penny.

You know what? I have that chopper and I don't care for it. I keep thinking I'm not using it correctly. Like when I put an onion in, alot of the outer layer won't even chop. I know I must be doing something wrong.

 

[zagafi]

My mothers of twins group has had great success with Gold Canyon Candles--40% profit and no upfront costs. We did *very* well because it was different and most people like scented candles.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

You know what? I have that chopper and I don't care for it. I keep thinking I'm not using it correctly. Like when I put an onion in, alot of the outer layer won't even chop. I know I must be doing something wrong.

Turn the onion over...with the outer layer on top...not the bottom. It works every time for me, and my PC chopper is almost 10 years old.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

My mothers of twins group has had great success with Gold Canyon Candles--40% profit and no upfront costs. We did *very* well because it was different and most people like scented candles.

My dd's school did this as well, and they made several thousand dollars on it. The organization got to keep 40% of all sales. The rep who organized it made 25%, however she donated half of that to the school. I don't agree that a rep should have to donate all of her commission - a ton of work goes into organizing a fundraiser, inputting a couple hundred orders (in a school's case), and then receiving the shipments, organizing by order and delivering the products to the school.

Gold Canyon candles are awesome, and really sell themselves! Who doesn't love candles?

 

[mom2grace]

For Pampered Chef, the products are delivered to the host of the fundraiser, and THEY are the ones who sort and distribute! Great for the consultant, bad for the host!!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You know what? I have that chopper and I don't care for it. I keep thinking I'm not using it correctly. Like when I put an onion in, alot of the outer layer won't even chop. I know I must be doing something wrong.

Not sure--but I have to completely press and completely release--so it takes practice to get the quick chopping done.

But I have never chopped an onion.

 

[ilovepcot]

Pardon me, but you people just might be the ones to help me. Just took a pizza out of the oven and it was baked on Pampered Chef. What a holy mess!!!! Can't get any of the crud scraped off using the tiny little plastic scraper they provided. How do you guys clean them? Or better yet, is it even possible???? The aggrevation isn't worth a "nice crust" at this rate.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You only want to removed textured crud. The flat/smooth crud is the stone curing or whatever it is called. Your lovely stone will turn into a very shiny "dirty-looking" piece...but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. You will get some brown, very dark brown, very very dark brown spots on it.

If this is your first time using it and this doesn't sound like what you are experiencing--contact the rep you bought it from as nothing should stick to it.

Make sure that you followed all instructions (been a while since I used a stone--but remember thinking how yucky they do look when they are nice and used and asking my pc person about it).

 

[ilovepcot]

Thanks Lisa. Maybe I don't have a problem after all.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Thanks Lisa. Maybe I don't have a problem after all.

Make sure to NEVER clean it with soap. I hear that is bad.


(IOW--your pizza will have a hint of Dawn or Palmolive when you bake it).