Fundable.Org

A Labor of Love That Lasts
Creating a cookbook to sell and raise money for charity isn’t easy. In fact, it will probably be part stress and part labor of love for the organizer. But it can be very profitable and immensely satisfying once the work is completed. You’ll have given back to your community. And you’ll have created something permanent.

Let’s look at the cookbook fundraiser process.

Creating Your Cookbook 

• Meeting with the Team. Meet and set the scope for the project. What is your fundraising goal? This will help when looking at cookbook quantities and costs.

 

Come up with a theme, e.g. desserts, Holiday, Southern cooking, comfort food. Or just have a little of everything and separate by section: appetizers, beverages, main dish, etc.

How many recipes can each member contribute? The more recipes the more you can charge for the book.

Recipes can come from members, family, friends, etc. The number of recipes will largely determine the size of the cookbook.

Also consider finding “celebrity” recipes from well-known faces in your town. E.g. “Mayor Simpson’s Bread Pudding.”

If you come up short, try soliciting recipes from the public using the radio or newspaper, flyers, and social media like Facebook. Someone always has a recipe they’re dying to share. 

• Establishing an editor (You?). It should be someone passionate about the project. The editor will gather the recipes, assign recipe deadlines, and work with the printing company. This person will also perform the book editing throughout the process as most printing companies will only provide minimal editing before the book is printed.

 

• Finding a printing company. There are a few ways to print your cookbook. You can design and print the book yourself at a place like Kinko’s. This is best for smaller books or for those on a tight budget.

Or you can have a cookbook company perform the printing. It’s easy. Find a company on-line. Email your recipes. And they’ll do the rest.

Prices vary depending on the type of book (soft cover, hard cover, binder) and the quantity ordered. Other options that affect price are color photos and custom pages, dividers and covers. Most publishers have a 100 order minimum.

• Designing your cookbook. Come up with a great cover! It will often sell the book. Your printing company will provide options for recipe format, paper color and quality, font, and photo options.

Be sure to include an introductory section where you can express appreciation and list members of the project. 

• Marketing your cookbook. Start now by pre-selling, offering a discount for an advanced purchase. When the books arrive, buyers can pick them up.

Your recipe contributors should be your easiest sales.
Post flyers in high traffic areas like supermarkets, Wal-Mart, libraries and malls. Get permission from bookstores—new and used—to advertise your book. Ask them if you can sell the book on consignment. 
Have your team get the word out to friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. Again, use social media. Post on your Facebook page: “The Cookbook Has Arrived! On Sale Now!”

• Additional Money Maker. When you’re in the planning stages, consider selling advertising in the cookbook to local businesses. This is a way for the businesses to give back to the community. And with a cookbook ad, their name will be around for a long time.

You can charge whatever you think is reasonable. For example, $100 for a full page; $60 for half page. You’ll pay more for printing costs but easily make it up with ad revenue. 
Summary
Planning and executing a cookbook fundraiser takes dedication, creativity and hard work. But the end result—the cookbook and what you raise for charity—make all your efforts worthwhile.