Your Yard Sale Fundraiser Planning Guide: From Clutter to Cash

Turning your trash into someone else’s treasure is a tried-and-true fundraising idea. Like personal yard sales, yard sale fundraisers offer unwanted items a new life, keeping them out of landfills and providing an alternative to retail buying. 

Anyone who’s experienced in hosting sales, however, knows that they take a lot of work. You need a game plan, a team of volunteers, and expert tips to host a profitable garage or rummage sale fundraiser. 

Fortunately, we’re here to help! Read on to learn how to have a successful yard sale fundraiser. 

Promote your sale 

Early and frequent promotion is key for a winning yard sale fundraiser. Showcase what attracts buyers with pictures and mention of tools, antiques, specific collectibles or memorabilia, and any big-ticket items.

Your campaign tactics should include: 

• Announcements at events and meetings
• Newsletter stories and ads
• Coverage on your website and any sister or host organization websites
• Social media event listing and posts
• Posted and handout flyers

You can also promote your sale: 

• On websites or apps like Craigslist, OfferUp, or Nextdoor
• Through Facebook Marketplace or Facebook neighborhood or garage sale groups 
• Using community message boards
• In local newspapers and on their websites
• By asking local churches, schools, or other organizations to share the information

Don't skimp on signage

In addition to capturing attention through a marketing campaign, you also want to grab as much day-of foot traffic as possible with signs that can be seen from cars and on foot. 

According to a yard sale pro on Quora, while early promotion is important for dedicated buyers, corner signage is “what will draw the most people in and move all the stuff under $10. He recommends that you “build a trail” from every major intersection to the event.

Corner signage including address, dates, hours, and arrows should also be: 

• Large, simple, and bright
• Able to stand up to wind and rain
• Placed the night before the sale 
• Mapped or recorded to ensure they’re all removed at the end of the sale

Pro-tip: You can also use balloons or bunting flags from the street to sale entry points to help guide shoppers. Start earning early by purchasing signage materials from JOANN, Michaels, Walmart, or Amazon through your RaiseRight fundraising program.

Complete this checklist for sale setup

Set-up should start before the first day of the sale. You’ll need to: 

• Choose a space—ideally a large rain-or-shine indoor facility with plenty of parking
• Sort items into categories—consider separate rooms or tables
• Price with DIY stickers and category signs—you can also find these at your local JOANN, Michaels, Walmart, or Amazon
• Provide an outlet or extension cord to test electrical items
• Create a flow from entry to a check-out zone before exiting

When it comes to money-handling, decide how to handle: 

• Requests to pay with credit or checks
• Bill size limits, to avoid running out of change by breaking large bills for small sales
• Holding items with or without deposits

Another Quora poster of garage sale fundraiser tips noted that hosts also need to watch out for counterfeit cash—another reason to avoid breaking large bills—and theft.

Determine pricing for maximum profit 

High pricing is a common complaint from frequent sale buyers, but pricing too low may hinder you from reaching your fundraising goals. 

To that end, consider pricing at:

• 50% of retail for unused, new-with-tags items and antiques and collectibles
• 30% of retail for slightly used 
• 10% of retail for used or older items

Additional tips include:

• Pricing in whole-dollar increments
• Deciding on a consistent price negotiation and bulk purchase offer policy 
• Lowering prices during the sale on items/categories that aren’t moving
• Pricing by the day (i.e. Friday at full price, Saturday at 75%, and Sunday at 50%) 
• Using buy-1-get-1-free pricing for books, CDs, etc.

Multiply your selling and promotion opportunities 

Getting a large group of people coming through the doors is an opportunity to promote your organization and multiply sales. 

That said, you'll want to consider these options: 

• Sell water, soft drinks, and light concessions
• Offer a pre-event evening preview sale for a cover charge
• Add a table about your organization’s programming with a donation jar
• Sell branded merchandise from your organization 
• Promote future fundraisers and programs like RaiseRight

Complement yard sale fundraisers with RaiseRight 

Yard, garage, and rummage sales require significant effort from many volunteers. While they can generate much interest and excitement, hosting them too often will reduce interest and stress your team’s resources. To maintain momentum, supplement your fundraising efforts throughout the year with passive fundraising programs like RaiseRight.

Start by enrolling your organization or nonprofit in a free RaiseRight program. Then, you and your participants can buy gift cards or shop online across hundreds of popular brands, including Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s, Gap, Nike, and many more. Your organization will earn up to 20% back with every purchase—it's that easy!

Everything from gas to groceries to travel is available on the RaiseRight platform, making it easy and effortless to earn for your cause. Many families can earn $1,000 or more annually through RaiseRight—just by shopping for goods and services already in their budgets. With RaiseRight, you can achieve your fundraising goals without the hassle, cost, or time commitment of traditional fundraisers.