If you want donors to think about your organization for years to come, a cookbook fundraiser is an excellent idea. Each time the donor opens the cookbook’s pages and tries one of the recipes, they’ll think about your organization. Following are tips on how to plan an amazingly effective cookbook fundraiser.

• Decide whether to go premade or custom. You have two primary options when hosting a cookbook fundraiser: (1) sell premade cookbooks, which a publisher has created, or (2) make a custom cookbook filled with recipes from your members. This decision is often impacted by how much work you want to put into the cookbook—a custom cookbook will involve collecting and editing recipes from everyone. In addition, custom cookbooks often work best with large groups to ensure you get enough recipes to fill your book. A custom cookbook is often more tempting for people to buy, knowing the recipes are from people in their community.
• Go with a theme. Although a generic cookbook covering dishes from different categories (like main dishes, appetizers, and desserts) can be a popular seller, to have an amazingly effective cookbook fundraiser, go with a themed cookbook. Think of themes that coincide with your organization, such as kid-friendly recipes or easy meals for busy families. You can even go with a more universal theme, like favorite holiday recipes or best Christmas cookies, to make your cookbook really stand out.
• Sell advertising space. Although advertising isn’t something you’ll find in cookbooks you buy at the local bookstore, it can really add to your fundraising profits and bring value to your cookbook. Offer a couple of pages at the end of the cookbook with advertising spaces, including coupons for local merchants. A cookbook and a coupon book will really make sales soar for your cookbook fundraiser.
• Offer incentives. Having a great cookbook for your fundraiser is only half the battle. You also have to sell them. Offer incentives to your members to encourage sales. Make it a competition and offer a prize for the top seller.