Candy Fundraisers 101: Everything You Need to Know

Fundraisers are a classic, beloved way for any group in need of financing to engage their communities and earn money at the same time.

There are plenty of fundraising ideas you can tackle for your organization—from pizza parties and event fundraisers to raffles, community sales, and more. Candy fundraisers have been around for decades and are still common today.

Today, we’ll break down what candy fundraising is, how it works, and the potential benefits and downsides that come along with it. This way, you’ll be well-informed once you set off to start your own fundraising journey.

What is candy fundraising?

When broken down to its most simple form, candy fundraising is when you sell candy—typically chocolate bars—at a profitable rate to raise money. This type of fundraising works by purchasing the chocolate or candy from a provider, who sells it at a discount in bulk. 

The group hosting the fundraiser can then sell the chocolate to others at a profit, using that money to fund their activities.

Just a few of the organizations that can benefit from this type of fundraiser are:

• Private and public schools
• Churches and other religious organizations
• Sports teams
• Bands or music groups
• Other nonprofits, such as community aid groups or scout troops.

Is candy fundraising effective?

Rather than evaluating its overall effectiveness, it’s more important to ask whether or not candy bar fundraising will be effective for you. 

Overall, candy bar fundraising is an easy, low-cost way to start raising both funds and awareness for your club or group. In particular, this fundraising strategy has a long-standing history of effectiveness for sports teams, clubs, and schools because candy and chocolate are always popular among kids.

However, despite its popularity in past decades, candy fundraising has been on the decline. These days, folks seem more interested in opting for decadent treats if they’re going to spend money on candy or desserts.

That isn’t to say there aren’t any benefits in a candy fundraiser, though.

Pros and cons of candy fundraising

If you want to boost funds for your group or event, you’ll want to consider any possible fundraising option available. Fortunately for you, candy fundraising isn’t entirely out of the running just yet.

The pros

If you’re interested in going the sweet route and raising your money via candy bar fundraising, there are a few prime benefits you can expect:

• Lower upfront cost – Compared to other popular products used in fundraising events, chocolate bars don’t typically cost much. If you don’t have deep pockets and can’t make a significant upfront investment for your fundraiser, chocolate bars may be the way to go.
  
  
• Easy products to work with – Bake sales and large-scale events can be fun, but they can also be difficult to navigate, plan, and execute. Selling candy bars is an easy and simple way to earn money with a fuss-free and highly portable product.
  
  
• Popularity in certain groups – As mentioned, most kids won’t say no to a candy bar, especially for the right price and for a good cause. If your fundraising event is centered around school activities or groups, this might be a major win for you.

The cons

Of course, candy fundraising does have its drawbacks—and in this case, some heavy hitters might dissuade you from giving candy fundraisers a go.

The cons of candy bar fundraising can include:

• Candy fundraiser fatigue – With great popularity comes great consumer fatigue, and people may not be as excited about purchasing candy to support your cause. This is why, in more recent years, fundraising groups have ventured into more creative territories, selling things like cookie dough or candles to raise money instead.
  
  
• Allergens – As with any food-based fundraiser, there’s always the risk of allergens. Since many major chocolate companies operate in factories that also handle peanuts, several schools have banned the sale of chocolate bars out of concern for student safety.
  
  
• Health concerns – In addition to eliminating people with allergies, you may also miss out on sales from people who can’t or don’t eat candy for other health-related reasons, like diabetes.
  
  
• Low-profit margins – Shrinkflation is hitting everything and candy bars are no exception. As candy bars get smaller and prices get higher, your profits will shrink, too.

So, while candy fundraisers may still have a place in your fundraising strategy, you might also want to consider other options. 

RaiseRight: a better way to fundraise

This is where RaiseRight comes in. We’re a company that values community and wants to give back in an impactful way by offering a unique alternative: fundraising through gift cards and online shopping.

Simply shop online at your favorite retailers or buy gift cards for everyday expenses—think gas, groceries, clothing, and more—from hundreds of brands. Your supporters won’t have to spend an extra dime to support your cause, as they’re fundraising through purchases they’ve already budgeted for or anticipated buying. 

Earn up to 20% with every purchase, with the dollars going directly back to your organization for easy, effortless fundraising.