The Ultimate Guide to Cookie Dough Fundraising

Cookie dough fundraisers are among the most popular fundraising ideas for schools, churches, and various nonprofits.

But are cookie fundraisers the best way for your organization to raise money? Learn more about the effectiveness of cookie dough fundraisers and discover a popular alternative in this useful guide. 

Cookie dough fundraising: How it works

Cookie dough fundraisers are a classic sales-based fundraising strategy: sell goods and receive a portion of the revenue. 

Here’s how cookie dough fundraisers typically work.

Take orders

Organizations take cookie dough or cookie orders from fundraiser participants and collect money upfront. Depending on the provider or supplier, they’ll have a specific product catalog from which customers can order.

Purchase and distribute inventory

Once all the orders are in, the organization will purchase and distribute the cookie dough and cookies themselves, either through pick-up or delivery.

Count your dough

The organization keeps a percentage of the sales (typically 30 to 50% if you're working with a cookie fundraising company). Or, simply tally the profits after you've accounted for product costs and operational expenses.

Types of cookie dough fundraisers

Aside from ready-to-eat boxes of cookies, you can sell many types of cookie-related products for a cookie fundraiser. Some popular ideas include:

Frozen cookie dough tubs or buckets

This might be what you first imagine when someone mentions cookie dough fundraising. Frozen cookie dough fundraisers are beloved by many—this product is easy to store for whenever you want to whip up a batch of cookies.

Frozen pre-portioned cookies

You might find it easier to fundraise with frozen pre-cut cookies—this option requires minimal preparation and is even more convenient because customers will know exactly how many cookies they can make.

Cookie mix

Cookie mix fundraisers are ideal for groups that can't accommodate frozen goods. However, your buyers will need to purchase other ingredients, such as eggs or milk. 

Cookie dough coupons

This option eliminates a lot of the hassle that comes with selling physical products. Instead, customers can purchase coupons to be redeemed online, and the cookie dough provider will ship their order directly to them.

Cookie dough fundraiser profit

How much can you profit from selling cookie dough or pre-made cookies? The success of your cookie fundraiser will rely heavily on volunteer power and marketing momentum. The more people you have selling, the better.

Costs and profits will also vary depending on which provider you decide to use, but the general numbers you need to keep in mind are:

• Cookie dough cost per tub/box
• Profit margin per tub/box
• Shipping costs, from the provider and/or to the customer

How to effectively sell cookies for your fundraiser

Keep these quick tips in mind to boost your cookie or cookie dough fundraising sales.

• Crunch the numbers and weigh your options first. What is your fundraising goal? Is it feasible to work with a cookie fundraising company (which will likely take a cut of your earnings)? Or would it be more ideal to acquire your own products or even run a bake sale instead?
  
  
• Offer popular flavors. Appeal to a wide audience by including fan-favorite varieties in addition to seasonal offerings.
  
  
• Emphasize your cause. In your sales pitches, be sure to mention what you're specifically fundraising for, such as new uniforms, gym renovations, or a field trip.

Pros and cons of cookie fundraisers

With a solid understanding of how cookie fundraisers work, it’s important to consider the advantages—and disadvantages—of organizing one. 

Let’s start with the pros:

• Cookies are well-loved – Many people enjoy eating cookies. Pre-made cookie dough is great for those with a sweet tooth who aren’t necessarily the best bakers.
  
  
• Precedence – There are many examples of successful cookie dough fundraisers, and there are many cookie dough companies well-equipped to handle your orders. 

• Storage – Cookie dough must be kept in a freezer to maintain freshness. If you’re a large organization with access to freezers, this may not be an issue, but smaller groups might not have the proper storage space. 
  
  
• Competitors – Because cookie dough fundraisers are so popular, other groups may be doing their own, which would decrease your sales.
  
  
• Requires extra time and effort – Executing a cookie dough fundraiser requires a lot of work. For instance, you’ll need multiple volunteers for both selling and distributing. Smaller organizations might not have the numbers to make a substantial profit. Remember, you’re only earning a small portion from sales. 
  
  
• Health concerns – While cookies are universally loved, they aren’t the healthiest snack. Similar to candy fundraisers, cookie fundraisers could deter people who regulate their sugar intake or are dieting.

Cookie fundraisers are generally still very effective. After all, this fundraising method has been around for years! However, it might be worth exploring alternative fundraising platforms, such as RaiseRight, that you can use in conjunction with cookie dough sales.

With RaiseRight, there's no pressure to sell products. Simply shop online or buy gift cards for hundreds of brands, and earn up to 20% back per purchase. 

Essentially, participants can fundraise for your cause while dining at restaurants or shopping for items they're already planning to buy. It’s that easy!