Fundraising For Civic Organizations - Family Style Cookbooks Work Well

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It is common to have a fundraising activity for schools, churches, civic organizations, Scouts, charities and other good causes, but how many of you have thought about conducting a fundraiser that would benefit our Military troops and their families back home? It never occurred to me until just a few weeks ago when I was doing some work on a website for a client. I found that the people involved with the 501st Forward Support Battalion stationed in Friedburg, Germany decided to create a personalized family style cookbook that would not only honor the men and women of our Armed Forces, but it would generate funds that could be used to help the families and soldiers directly.

Can I Do It, Too?

Personalized cookbooks have been a successful fundraising idea for generations. Literally. It isn't a new idea at all. The process has been refined, tweaked and adjusted to the point where you just follow the instructions and suggestions from the various cookbook publishers, and you skate right on through. Now that the internet has become the de facto source for such publishers, it has become even more streamlined.


Why Are They So Successful?

They are unique. There isn't another one like it anywhere. Also, they contain the best recipes from the finest cooks from your organization, club, or community. People who buy them know that each recipe has been "family tested" There is little doubt that they are all very tasty dishes.

In addition, much like the cookbook designed for the 501st Forward Support Battalion, it honors the men and women who serve our country. They are keeping us safe and free. The least we can do is design a cookbook for them.

Step One: Find A Good Cookbook Publisher.

There are many on-line publishers. A quick Google search for "cookbook publishers" will yield page after page of them. What you want to look for is one that has been in business for a long time, one that allows you to have as much (or as little) creative control as you want, that has lots of options for the design, and if possible…one that has a guarantee. Yes, a few publishers offer a guarantee. The guarantee doesn't cost anything, so there is no reason to choose one that doesn't offer that feature.


Step Two: A Committee, And Gathering Recipes.

You'll need a committee to handle logistics, of course. They will be the ones ultimately responsible for the design, the deadlines, and assigning duties to others in your group. The first real task is collecting recipes. That is actually quite easy. Everyone in your organization will surely have one or more recipes to contribute. Then you can speak with the stateside commanding officer for the military group you have chosen. He can speak with his personnel and "order" them to cough up some recipes. Perhaps he could send an e-mail request to all the families of the soldiers deployed overseas and ask them to submit some. Last, you can talk to your friends, neighbors and relatives. Again, e-mail is a great way to contact those that live out of town.

A relatively new feature that a few publishers now offer is the ability to submit all the recipes via e-mail. It makes the process even easier than it is already. That is another feature to look for when selecting the proper cookbook publisher.

Step Three: Design The Cookbook.

The publisher should have all sorts of different choices for the various elements of the cookbook. They should have options for the cover design, dividers, overall organization of the book, the style of pictures and graphics, paper stock, font, and whether or not to include dedication pages or to sell advertising. Obviously, the publisher can help you make decisions if you don't feel qualified, but with the on-line and phone help, they should be able to guide you through with little trouble.

Do not let them force you into using one of a handful of templates. Your cookbook should be unique, not the same one as the last guy but with a different name on it. If they try that on you, just say "no thanks" and move on to another publisher.

Step Four: Marketing and Selling.

It isn't a mandatory part of creating a cookbook, but selling advertising is a good way to increase the amount of funds raised. Local businesses are often willing to pay to have their business information printed on advertising pages. They know that unlike TV, radio and newspapers, these ads will be around for years to come. Anyway…give the idea of selling advertising a thought. Now, on to selling the cookbooks.

You will have no difficulty generating interest in your finished product. Everyone who contributed recipes or was somehow involved in its creation will want one. Many will be purchased stateside and sent to the soldiers in the military outfit. The patriotic citizens in your community will quickly snatch the rest up. Sell them at school activities, at church events, street fairs, and in businesses that provide some counter space for a stack of them. Mention it to your relatives and friends. You might be surprise to find that you will need to have the publisher print more of them to keep up with demand.

This is a great way to do your part to support our troops, so get started soon.

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Andy Barber is a retired police/fire/EMS dispatcher. After a quarter of a century of "stomping the pedal," as he likes to call it, he took an early retirement and became a freelance writer. Currently he is working for Cookbook Publishers, a company that has been helping people and organizations raise money since 1947. When Andy isn't writing, he spends time on his eastern Kansas farm with his wife and the 2 younger of their 3 sons. Andy also has a love for Harley Davidson motorcycles. He regularly criss-crosses the USA on his bike to meet with friends and see this beautiful country. Cookbook Publishers has been helping people with fundraisers for years, so check them out and see what they can do for you.


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