The Cheese & Sausage brochure fundraiser offers 20 unique meat and cheese products to sell. It is a quick and convenient way to get a healthy snack with 0 grams of trans fat.
Boost your profits by promoting both brochure and online store sales with over 500 total items.
Program Details
- Minimum Price: $13
- Profit: 40% of retail
- Shipping: Free shipping
Sell online without a brochure? Learn more
Have a question? Contact us
Calculate Your Profit
Have a question?
Brochure Fundraising Steps
1. Sign Up
Enroll in our no-upfront-cost fundraiser.
2. Receive Kit
Get your startup kit, including participant supplies.
Free Supply Guidelines
3. Make Sales
Take orders in person or invite people to buy online.
4. Order Processing
Submit your order forms for processing.
5. Receive Products
Order delivered 3-4 weeks after we receive order forms.
Choose a Prize Program
Motivate your sellers to raise more money with a Prize Program
All prizes are free and do not come out of your profit.
Ship to Buyer
Want to avoid order forms, money collection, and deliveries?
Need Help? Contact Us
How it Works
How does a brochure fundraiser work?
Groups use our brochures to sell popular consumer-based items and keep a percentage of the sales. Here's how our brochure fundraiser works:
- Each participant receives a brochure, order form, and money collection envelope.
- Participants ask neighbors, family, and friends to purchase items from their brochures.
- Participants gather orders, and money is collected.
- Participants turn in their order forms and money envelopes.
- You deposit any brochure money in your account, and submit your order forms to us for processing.*
- You receive a sales report.
- We'll email you an invoice for what you owe, and you keep the rest as profit.
- The order is packed and shipped to the group.
- Participants deliver the merchandise to their buyers.
*NOTE: We will invoice you for what you owe for brochure sales, and you will receive a profit payment or credit for any online sales.
Do we pay for fundraising supplies?
You will not be charged upfront for any supplies, and they are free if your group meets the following order minimums based on your group size:
Groups of up to 99 participants
There is no supply charge if you sell 150 or more items. We will charge a $100 supply fee for orders with fewer than 150 items sold.
Groups with 100 or more participants
Supplies are free if your group averages $25 or more in retail sales per member. (Since the average price of an item listed in a typical brochure is about $15, that's less than two items sold per seller.)
| Ave. Retail Sales / Enrolled | Supply Fee |
|---|---|
| $0-$9.99 | $1 / Enrolled |
| $10-$14.99 | 75¢ / Enrolled |
| $15-$24.99 | 50¢ / Enrolled |
| $25+ | No Charge |
Quick Calculation Tip: Assuming an average retail price of $15 per item, if 33% of your enrolled participants average five items or more in sales, you should not encounter a supply fee charge. The higher the participation, the lower the number of sold items required per seller.
Another quick way to determine your average retail sales per enrolled is to divide your total sales by your group enrollment. Consider the following two examples.
If your group raises:
- $2,500 with 150 participants, your average retail sales per enrolled participant would be $16.67 ($2,500 ÷ 150 = $16.67). You would be charged 50¢ x 150 = $75 (See chart above).
- $5,000 with 150 participants, your average retail sales per enrolled participant would be $33.33 ($5,000 ÷ 150 = $33.33). We will not charge a supply fee because you reached $25 per enrolled participant.
Another way is to multiply $25 by your enrollment number. If you have 150 participants, your supplies would be free if your retail sales are $3,750 or more (150 participants x $25 items/participant = $3,750).
Remember that many sellers will sell more than two items while others may not. You shouldn't incur a supply fee if your group averages two or more items sold per enrolled participant.
We will add any supply cost fee to your invoice.
NOTE: Brochure and online sales count towards the minimum free supply requirement. Donations are not items and do not count toward meeting free supply requirements.
Is money collected up front?
Yes. Supporters can pay by check, cash, money order, or cashier's check.
Can participants earn prizes?
Yes. Our prize programs are optional but recommended. You can boost sales by incentivizing your participants. It's important to discuss your incentive plan at your kickoff meeting. Then, continue to remind your participants about your prizes throughout your campaign. This will keep them motivated to sell.
There is no cost for our incentives.
How soon can we start?
You'll receive an agreement to sign after you submit our Start a Fundraiser form. It will take at least 7-10 business days to process your order and pack and ship your supplies.
How long is the fundraiser?
More extended sales typically don’t translate into more earnings because they can lead to increased seller procrastination and worse sales results. We’ve found two weeks optimal, so your end date will be set accordingly by default. You can always let us know if you need to extend your sale about three-quarters of the way through. To succeed, focus on creating a sense of seller urgency, getting out of the gate quickly, and establishing early momentum.
To succeed, focus on creating a sense of seller urgency, getting out of the gate quickly, and establishing early momentum.
Online Store
Can we also raise money online?
Yes, online selling is integral to your Preferred Cheese & Sausage fundraiser. Before your start date, you'll receive instructions so your participants can register. Once registered, they can invite friends and family to shop at your store.
Selling online adds a 2nd way for your group to raise money.
Your online store will include additional items not found in the brochure.
Do participants need to register?
Registration is the most effective way to promote your fundraiser online. Once registered, participants can invite friends and family to your online store using text, social media, and email. They'll also be able to log into their sales portal anytime and track their online sales. If you’re offering one of our prize programs, online sales count towards earning prizes.
When more potential buyers click on the link that your sellers share, your store will experience increased traffic and sales. Once at the store, the participant's name appears at the top of the page, which helps to personalize the fundraiser. Encourage your sellers to personalize the visitor experience even more by uploading their pictures when logged into their dashboard.
(NOTE: Participants who add their picture are ten times more likely to get supporters than those who don't!)
Registered sellers will also be eligible to earn credit toward prizes. We encourage groups to supplement our prize program with their rewards. This can bring in even more sales. Here are some incentive ideas.
Pro Tips:
- Offer teacher, class, or team incentives to help foster competition and boost sales.
- Use a leaderboard to promote and boost sales throughout your fundraiser.
- Incorporate group or fundraiser-specific images on your various social media platforms that will enhance the promotion of your cause.
Do we receive a group link?
There are two ways to promote your store:
- Registration: By default, your group will receive its group ID number. Participants will need it to register and share your store with others using social media, text, and email.
- Direct Link: You can also provide your unique group link to bypass the registration process. Everyone would be able to share this link with their friends and family. You will find this link in your admin portal.
By promoting a direct link, you can only track online sales as a group, not by individual sellers. As a result, participants would not receive prize credit for selling online.
Online Ship-to-Group Orders
Another limitation with a single store link is getting items to online customers who choose the ship-to-group option. Typically, when participants register and send out their unique links, and customers make a purchase, orders are automatically tied to a particular seller.
Any items shipped to the group are already packed inside the seller's box with their other brochure items. Participants then deliver these items to their customers.
But with the single link option, you must let any ship-to-group buyers know to pick up their order because it won't be associated with any seller.
Can we accept donations?
Yes, Preferred Cheese & Sausage accepts donations. You make 70% of the donated amount. You can turn this feature off when logged into your portal.
Donations do not count toward items sold.
Can buyers credit more than one participant?
Yes. Buyers can choose to support more than one participant. Before continuing to the store, supporters would need to select a participant. Then, they would choose the 'Support another seller' link to add another participant.
However, participants themselves need to register individually. Each participant has their own login and sharing options.
When does our online store close?
Your online store closes once we receive your brochure order forms.
When do we receive our online profit payment?
Your online profit will be credited toward your brochure sales invoice. You will receive a check if your online sales profit exceeds your brochure sales invoice.
Making Sales
Is there a minimum order?
There are no order requirements for a Preferred Cheese & Sausage fundraiser.
How much money can we make?
You must know your group size and participant goal. Here's how you can estimate your profit:
Calculation Steps
- Participant Count x Participant Item Goal = Items Sold
- Items Sold x Average Retail Price = Gross Sales
- Gross Sales x Profit % = Group Profit
Example
- Let's say you have 60 participants and set your participant item goal at 10. The items sold would be 60 participants x 10 Items/participant = 600.
- Next, determine your gross sales. The average retail price is about $17, so your gross sales would be 600 Items x $17 = $10,200.
- Since your profit is 40%, your group profit would be $10,200 x 40% = $4,080.
Keep in mind our example is only an estimated profit. In reality, participants probably won't sell the same number of items. In addition, the average retail dollars sold per seller will vary.
Can we track our sales?
Brochure: You probably won't know how many orders you get until you collect your order forms. Yet some strategies can give you a ballpark idea. Learn how to track your fundraising progress
Online: You can track online sales in real time. By logging into your dashboard, you'll see the following:
- Which participants have registered
- Email and social share activity
- Participant and group sales progress
How do we receive our money?
Brochure Sales: Money and order forms are turned in at the end of the sale. The money gets deposited in the group's account, and the order forms are processed.
Groups receive sales reports and invoices once orders are processed. The group sends a check for the invoice amount and keeps the rest as profit.
Online Sales: A credit for your online sales profit will appear on your brochure invoice.
Donations: Any profits earned from donations are factored into your online sales credit.
What is our profit?
Groups make 40% off all brochure and online sales.
You also receive 70% of online donations.
(Use the 'Calculate Your Profit' calculator at the top of the page to learn how much money your group can make)
What about sales tax?
Certain states require that we collect and remit sales tax on your behalf to your state's Department of Revenue. We will need to charge sales tax if your state has determined that we have established nexus and you are not tax-exempt. See our brochure fundraising tax guide for more information.
Shipping
How soon do we receive our order?
We deliver brochure orders to your group 3-4 weeks after receiving your order forms. Online orders generally ship to customers within three business days after purchase.
How are online customers notified about their orders?
Customers receive a confirmation email when they place their order. A notification email is sent once their order ships.
Where do orders ship to?
The product ships from our Indiana warehouse to all the lower 48 states.
How is our order packed?
Orders are prepacked according to each seller.
Is there a shipping fee?
Brochure Sales:
There is no shipping charge for the first brochure order delivered to your group.
Online Sales:
There are two ways that buyers can choose to have their online order shipped:
1. Ship-to-Buyer
Customers pay a shipping fee to have their orders shipped directly to them at checkout—free shipping on all orders over $99. Additional fees apply for ship-to-home shelf-stable cookie dough.
| Order Amount | Shipping Cost |
|---|---|
| $0-$10 | $9.99 |
| $10.01-$20 | $10.99 |
| $20.01-$30 | $11.99 |
| $30.01-$40 | $12.99 |
| $40.01-$50 | $13.99 |
| $50.01-$60 | $14.99 |
| $60.01-$99 | $15.99 |
| Over $99 | Free |
Ship-to-home items include nonfood, nonfrozen food, and shelf-stable cookie dough.
2. Ship-to-Group
Buyers also have the option to ship their orders to your group. In this case, there is no shipping fee, but buyers pay a 5% processing fee to have their order shipped to your group.
Shipping Terms
We pack group orders in the order received and schedule them for delivery within 3-4 weeks after receipt of order forms. Shipments will arrive on the date specified, barring any unforeseen events. Delivery dates and times are not guaranteed.
We may charge a fee for a liftgate, inside delivery, or delivery to a residential address. Inside delivery means we will bring the order inside and place it near the door. The freight company will not break down pallets. We recommend arranging to have volunteers ready to assist.
Only orders received in time to be added to the main order will count toward the minimum order requirements. The group will also be responsible for any late order shipping fees.
Big Fundraising Ideas is not responsible for products not stored properly.
Do you ship orders to sellers?
Yes, this is an option. Instead of shipping Preferred Cheese & Sausage brochure orders to your group, we'll ship them to each participant. Sellers would then need to distribute items to their customers.
Home delivery fundraisers go by the following profit margins:
| Retail Sales | Group Profit |
|---|---|
| $1,000 to $14,999 | 30% |
| $15,000 | 32% |
Orders under $1,000 in gross sales will be shipped to the group.
How are product issues handled?
If you have any items that need replacing, you must submit a form that we'll attach to your delivery notification email. Sellers will have seven days to report any missing or damaged items. Groups are allowed one submission per fundraiser.
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