School Fundraising Products for the Holidays

Festive fundraising programs that set your school up for success.

At Big Fundraising Ideas, November through New Year's is one of our favorite times because many of our products are great fits for the gift-giving season. That means our schools can see some seriously profitable results when hosting a fall fundraiser.

Across cultures and nations, something about the cooler weather, time together, and delicious food brings out the best in the giving spirit. Fall fundraising makes sense, especially when you have good products to offer.

However, you've probably already noticed your local shops and markets filling their shelves with holiday goodies before you even picked up the last pumpkin from Halloween. The competition increases dramatically when it comes to selling products around the holidays. Still, school fundraising programs have our version of the "home field advantage" by bringing high-quality and valuable products to the doors of our friends and neighbors, with the added "feel-good" bonus that their holiday purchase will be doing something positive in their community.

In an earlier post, we shared several factors to consider when selecting the right product for your school fundraiser. One of these factors was seasonality: considering the time, place, and cultural circumstances and what that meant for your fundraiser.

For some brief context, before we introduce you to top-selling items that are an excellent fit for the holiday season, let's look at some of the national shopping trends. According to the National Retail Federation:

• Sales will rise 3.6% this year, slightly up from 2015.
• Sales during the holidays will constitute 20% of overall annual retail sales.
• The average consumer will spend $800 on holiday decorations and gifts.
• Online sales could increase as much as 10% this year.

Your school fundraiser can always benefit by considering how market trends like these could play out in your community. With this data in mind, we can rest assured that 2016 will be a growth year in holiday sales and that consumers are willing to spend a bit more for November and December. We know that people budget for decorations and gifts and that more and more people are shopping online because of its convenience.

Big Fundraising Ideas seeks to help you make your fall fundraising program a huge success. With more than 15 years of industry experience, we're here to help you pick the best product and raise the most money possible.

Fundraising ideas abound during the holidays, but knowing these trends shape the holiday consumer market, we've selected a few products that might make this the best year yet for your school and community.

Cookie Dough School Fundraiser

Cookie dough school fundraisers are something of an American tradition. Millions of students each year sell tubs of cookie dough to help their school reach its fundraising goals. But the holidays are an especially appropriate time to sell cookie dough.

In 2014 AAA said nearly 100 million people would travel around the holidays. Undoubtedly, many of these people are traveling for work or leisure, but many more are visiting family, and that means fuller houses and more cooking.

Big Fundraising Ideas offers a sweet solution to dessert during the holiday season with five different cookie dough products. Our cookie dough products are perfect for the holidays because they appeal to virtually any sweet tooth. Cookie dough products also make the chefs in the family happy because they're straightforward to make and delicious to eat.

Depending on which cookie dough line you choose, your friends and neighbors will have the choice of up to 16 different flavors, which can save a tremendous amount of time during the hectic holiday season when it comes to finding a snack with that homemade feel that will satisfy a picky cousin or fussy aunt.

With classic flavors like chocolate chip and Snickerdoodle to mint chocolate and pumpkin pie spice, you'll be the talk of the cookie swamp this year, and it can be our little secret!

Despite its success as a classic school fundraiser, many folks are afraid to try cookie dough because of storage concerns. Worry not—Big Fundraising Ideas has you covered! Offering cookie dough and mix-based options, we help you steer clear of worry and ensure that your product is as safe as it is delicious.

As you fundraise for your school, remind your neighbors about these benefits as the holidays approach, emphasizing the convenience, quality, and variety you're putting at your fingertips with your cookie dough school fundraiser. Chances are, they'll wish they had ordered more!

Gourmet Pie School Fundraiser

A gourmet pie school fundraiser is another strong choice for schools seeking to meet their fundraising goals over the holidays. After all, a delicious pie can be challenging and time-consuming, not to mention the costly purchase of ingredients and the laborious clean-up afterward.

Our gourmet pie selection is from the "Ovens of Ashley" at Ashley Farms and includes eight incredible classic varieties of your favorite pies. For those who like something light and fresh, the key lime and lemon meringue offers a rich yet refreshing option, while apple and peach pies are perfect for something on the sweeter side. Of course, you can always go for total decadence with the chocolatey French silk cream.

We take pride in offering these sweet treats that are certified kosher and trans-fat-free, meeting high-quality standards. Equally as important is that these pies are simply delicious.

Many pies arrive already baked and need only to be thawed to serve. The apple, peach, and caramel apple pies need a quick stop in the oven for a warm, flaky fall treat that eliminates the hassle of making a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert.

If your school selects a gourmet pie fundraiser this year, encourage your friends and neighbors to think about the parties, work functions, and family gatherings where an easy-to-prep and excellent dessert option can save them time, money, and stress.

And we might also recommend letting them know that the apple and peach pies are delicious as an indulgent morning treat with a cup of coffee once winter arrives!

Image two: Mom and daughter browsing catalog

Charleston Wrap School Fundraiser

At first glance, a wrapping paper school fundraiser may seem like a hard sell. But, when you consider the market trends mentioned above, all those purchases will demand lots and lots of wrapping paper.

We offer Charleston Wrap as part of our collection of Fall Fundraising Products in "The Merry Gift Wrap Guide." This year, the guide offers over 80 stunning holiday designs to add a special touch to your gift-giving tradition. And, for those less inclined to wrap, there is also an assortment of gift bags and adornments.

Charleston Wrap has a reputation for quality, so it's one of our favorite products this time of year. The paper is of trademarked UltraHeavyTM construction, preventing rips, tears, and that awful splintering of colors at the edges.

Even better, the designs offered in this guide are some of the most festive you can find. This brochure offers items not found in your local department store, from the whimsical and tropical Fa-La-La-Mingo to Rustic Winter Wreaths and Barnwood. In matte, metallic, and even embossed styles, this wrap will be too beautiful to tear off the presents.

Appeal to your community by letting the designs and outstanding prices speak for themselves. Help them visualize a beautiful home with gifts celebrating their holiday traditions, and emphasize the convenience of ordering all their gift wrapping needs in one place—while giving back to their community.

The guide also offers boxes, tags, ribbons, and stickers for convenience!

Kitchen and Home School Fundraiser

Around the holidays, one great fundraising strategy is to pair up needs by offering a selection of "giftable" products alongside your wrapping paper. Having two brochures can make your school fundraiser the one-stop shop for friends and neighbors.

The Kitchen and Home brochure offers home accessories, kitchenware, and more and is one of our top suggestions for pairing with a wrapping paper brochure.

During the holidays, everyone is looking for a quality gift with a personal touch, and that's precisely what this fall shopper option allows you to offer to your community.

For starters, the kitchenware in this brochure might have mom finding her presents this year. With handy tools like spiralizers, perfect brownie pans, water infusers, and ultra-efficient choppers and slicers, these products are as helpful as they are affordable.

Beyond cooking, the Kitchen and Home shopper has a large selection of personalized items ranging from phone cases to aprons to throw pillows. With artistic and stylized monograms, family and friends will feel extra special when their gift arrives this year.

Finally, this brochure offers some of our favorite treats and ways to unwind. With candles, candy, and an incredible selection of magazines, countless ways exist to unwind and treat oneself during the holidays.

When presenting this with the gift wrap guide, be sure to stress that your school fundraising options are taking all the hassle out of the holidays by delivering high-quality goods right to their doorstep and the wrapping essentials they need for the holiday season. As one of our most popular brochures, it's sure to have something for everyone.

Stocking Stuffer School Fundraiser

One additional option for schools using a "high-volume, low-cost" strategy for their product is to pair two or more products and bill them as "stocking stuffer fundraisers." This original and seasonal idea will set your school apart during the holiday season and help you meet those all-important fundraising goals.

With goods like smencils, lollipops, chocolate bars from a candy bar fundraiser, and discount cards, you'll meet an entirely different need that many people find themselves scrambling to meet during the last few hours of the holiday rush. Regarding fundraising products like these, you can close the deal by emphasizing the fun and affordability of these simple options that will give parents one less thing to worry about during the gift-giving season.

Here to Help

We're all about school fundraising programs here at Big Fundraising Ideas, and from start to finish, we're here to support your school in meeting its goals. With first-hand knowledge and experience with dozens of products and brochures that add up to hundreds of high-quality gifts, we can help you select the right fit for your school.

Advertising guru David Ogilvy once said, "Good products can be sold by honest advertising." We agree. Sourcing and partnering with great companies to offer you and your community a fundraising solution founded in great products is one thing that sets us apart and helps you meet your goals.

The holidays can be stressful for schools, parents, and students, too, so if fundraising is on the horizon, we'd be glad to help ease the stress and add even more joy to this season of giving and giving back.

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.