Organizing a bake sale is an excellent way to raise money, especially for charity. Bake sales are easy to organize, easy on the pocket, and fun to do. Read on to find out how to do it.

[edit] Steps

Have a Cause. As a rule, bake sales are for raising money for a charity, cause, and the like. Be sure you understand who to send the proceeds to. It may help to have some pamphlets or other literature available to explain your charity.
Get volunteers. Ask your friends and family (as appropriate) to help.
* Make it clear what the cause is, when the bake sale is, and have reasonable shifts available.
*Little kids are often adorable and are hard to say "no" to.
*You will always need additional help setting up and cleaning up.
Decide on a Venue. Hold the bake-sale at a well frequented public spot or in a school or college.
- Sometimes retail stores will be happy to have to set up a booth nearby.
- Festivals, street fairs, outdoor public concerts, and other big public events can also be excellent choices.
- School plays, concerts, and parent nights are excellent bake sale opportunities.
- Make sure that it is legal to hold at the spot you choose, and get permission from the appropriate authorities, if applicable.
- Be sure you have a "rain site" to do the bake sale indoors or under a tent in case the weather turns sour.
Have Your Booth Ready. You may be lucky and have a table and chairs available already and a sign made up already. But if you don't, you will need to plan ahead. You may also need:
- Card Tables.
- Some sort of awning, like a pop-up pavillion to protect from rain or sun.
- Tablecloth
*Decorations: they grab attention.
- Coolers to keep items (like drinks) cold.
- Garbage container and garbage bags for clean-up.
- Folding chairs.
- Crock pots to keep items (like spiced cider) hot.
- Cash Box: You need to keep your funds in some sort of container. Be sure it has change for large bills!
Advertise. Design attention-grabbing and colourful posters and put them up in well frequented areas. Have the date, place, and explain the cause that the proceeds will go to.
* If you are selling at a school, have your bake sale announced over the intercom, in the daily notice, or whatever is available.
*Advertise your organization through your clothes. If you are raising funds for your , for instance, wear your uniform.
*Don't be afraid to look a little goofy--such as swim team members wearing their swim caps and googles at a street fair or drama club wearing silly costumes in front of the grocery store. It gets attention.
*Matching outfits will do as well: for instance, everyone wears school colors.
Bake sales are a good opportunity to bake a variety of goodies.

Create the Baked Goods. A bake sale needs baked items.
- You could bake the items yourself--this is usually the cheapest route.
- Alternatively, buy them from a local bakery or shop. This is particuarly effective if people don't usually have access to the goods, such as at a high school. It also is easier for people who can't cook, or don't have the time.
- Be careful that your items are reasonably priced, otherwise you may have a hard time selling it.
- Ask that Cooks Label Ingredients on the Baked goods. A small but significant population have food allergies and sensitivities. Knowing that the carrot cake has nuts can save a life.
- Drinks Sell!. Lots of people like to have a bit of liquid to wash down sugary treats, and it's a chance for you or your group to earn a bit of extra money.
- Coffee, tea, iced tea, hot cider, lemonade, water, and soda are all good options. However, use common sense: hot coffee probrably won't sell well on a hot summer day.
Package your baked goods to travel. How will visitors take and eat your items? Bring a supply of small paper plates, paper towels, plastic forks, napkins, cups if you are serving drinks that require them, and plastic wrap, plastic sandwich bags, or foil. It's best to keep these to a minimum, as they cut into profits and create waste!
- If many people in an organization are baking, ask them to package things in sale-size quantities, perhaps two to three cookies to a package or one cupcake or larger item.
Get the party going. Buy/prepare the food, put up the booth or table, and start selling. If you planned it well enough, this should be the easiest step of all.
Leave the Area Clean. Be courteous and leave your area as clean or cleaner than you found it.

[edit] Tips

Have a theme! Your French club can offer crepes, baguettes, and croissants and make a statement.
Not everything has to be sugary at a bake sale...fresh homemade bread, pretzels, and corn muffins can sell well, too.
Keep your food affordable.
If you have access to cooking facilities during the bake sale, choose food that doesn't need a lot of time to prepare. That way, you can make food in small batches according to sales, and prevent shortages as well as leftovers.
If you have the opportunity to run an ongoing bake sale, such as at sequential games or other events, make notes of how much business you do so that you can plan the appropriate quantities for next time.
Have a cash box and start with a reasonable amount of change in it. Write down the amount so you know how much you earn. Keep the cash box safe throughout the event.

[edit] Warnings

Be careful of baked goods in peanut- or nut-free facilities.
Be aware of food safety. While most baked goods are fine at room temperature, some food can be dangerous if unrefridgerated or cold.