Give used books another life and earn some cash for your Summit.
With the holidays just around the corner, shoppers will be busy looking for last-minute gifts for friends and family. This is a great time of year to host fundraising events that not only earn you money toward your Summit, but also allow folks to walk away with something tangible. Everyone is flooded with requests for donations around the holidays, so if you can provide something in return, it will certainly help your fundraiser stand out! A simple event you can put together with little or no start-up cost is a used book sale.
PREPARATION IS KEY
First, you’ll need books to sell. Start by asking your friends and family for books they’d like to donate to your sale. You can also check with your local libraries, schools, and bookstores. Oftentimes, used bookstores will have a box or two at the front of their store with free books you can take. Keep an eye out for those!
Next, you’ll need a venue. Remember, you’ll want to keep any start-up costs as low as possible, so some great options are your home, your school, a local community center, your church, or even a parking lot in a busy area of town. Ask for your parents’ help when coordinating a location for your book sale.
Once you’ve got the books and venue ready to go, your next task will be to advertise, advertise, advertise! Take advantage of social media and use it to spread the word about your fundraiser.
IT’S SHOWTIME
The day of your book sale has arrived! Organize your books by genre: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, young adult, cookbooks, etc. Get a group of friends together to help you sort and organize. Keeping books organized throughout the sale will make it easier for people to look through all the different options.
MAKE IT COUNT
There are so many ways to maximize the fundraising potential of this event. Set up a snack bar with items for sale like cookies, hot cocoa, and other holiday treats. Leave jars on each table of books for people to make additional cash donations. Be sure to slip bookmarks encouraging your customers to sponsor you into the books they purchase. Print out the ready-to-use jar labels and bookmarks we’ve put together for you to make your sale a huge success.
Are you a superstar fundraiser? Let us know your ideas and you could be featured on our blog! Just email info@ambassadorleaders.com.
By Emily Hanson
Emily loves helping families find the perfect fundraising idea and hearing how motivated they are to crush their fundraising goals.