Need Advice: Disheartening HWC Fundraiser Experiences

[soonerchef]

Oh Ginger, that sounds like so much fun...I hope it goes off without a hitch!

 

[Ginger428]

Thanks Andrea...so far the ONLY hitch is were having HORRIBLE weather, but weathermen are always wrong!

Ginger

 

[Chef Diane]

ladies you're not alone..I spent the last 2 days outside my grocery store doing a fundraiser. I only sold 2 sets of clips, but raised $145 in donations. I think its the products more than high gas prices or anything else. We got alot of $5 & $10 donations, they just didnt want the product : (

 

[soonerchef]

I spent the last 2 days outside my grocery store doing a fundraiser. I only sold 2 sets of clips, but raised $145 in donations. I think its the products more than high gas prices or anything else. We got alot of $5 & $10 donations, they just didnt want the product : (

Wow, I find that amazing...If I were to give $ and it was $10 or $5, I would want the product too!

 

[CarlyK]

I spent the last 2 days outside my grocery store doing a fundraiser. I only sold 2 sets of clips, but raised $145 in donations. I think its the products more than high gas prices or anything else. We got alot of $5 & $10 donations, they just didnt want the product : (

For your fundraiser, how did you approach it. I was going to talk to mine, but I'm not too sure on how I was going to approach that and talk to them about it. I asked my bank, and they nixed it saying that I can't sell things for personal profit (although I am donating my entire commission) but I just figured that everywhere would be a no-go and think the same.

 

[soonerchef]

Wow, I had my HWC fundraiser last night and it was okay with 8 people and 3 outside orders so far. I had one person last night buy the clips and that was the only HWC product I sold! Since these people were all my friends/family I asked them what they thought about the products and the consensus was that they didn't like the items. They already have the clips, the stencils are useless and the pink on the bar board is too pink...I was told that if it was more pastel then it would be easier to use, they can't see their hubby's using this bright pink cutting board, hehehe! Everyone wanted the cups and squares though, I probably would have sold 6 sets...PC should have just had those and had $5 from each set sold go to ACS.

And for me the best thing that happened last night is I have now earned the BOC and helped a little to fight breast cancer!!

 

[nicolespcshows]

I am glad to hear everyone is doing well with the HWC fundraisers. I had a hostess who wanted to have a fundraiser...she was great...invited 75 guests to her home, sent out wonderful e-mails reminding them...was truely a joy to work with and 5 people came. She did have a few outside orders but her total didn't even make $300. She was very discouraged and so was I. I think I am going to definitley come up with something different next year.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Just make sure to tell HO! They don't know we are unhappy unless we tell them.

 

[pamperedbecky]

Another way to promote the pink bar boards is to use it JUST for chicken. A lot of people use a different color and only use it for meats just so no cross-contamination occurs. I had a customer order one or two just for that. It's not a huge cutting board, but I mostly use cutting boards with raw chicken just to cut off the fat, so you don't need a lot of room.

Just another thought.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Great idea, Becky!!

Ginger--where are you? I cannot wait to hear how your fun-raiser went!

I had just hoped to do better than last year. Last year, I wasn't on the ball and only had sales of $750 for the month and probably only sold $20 in HWC product. So far so good! People are buying the bar board and clips, but not the stencils. They will say how cute an idea the stencils are, but aren't buying them. I had a goal of raising $100 in HWC donations. I haven't done a poll to see how much I've sold so far, but I don't think I'm that close. I would be surprised if I'm half way there and my sales for this month are over $3000. That really stinks, but these things are just not selling! I agree if the cups & squares were available to guests we would have better success with selling the products.

 

[chefkristin]

HWC Fundraiser FlopHi

I had an online fundraiser for HWC and sent out over 100 invites for my online show. I have only 1 order so far and I started it at the beginning of May. I don't know what is going on. It must be the gas prices!

 

[rennea]

I have did alright so far:

15 pink boards and 4 host cups&plates. I didn't think anybody would even look at the stencils. My thought was it would have been great for HO to send them to us all to use in our shows for doing cakes etc.

 

[soonerchef]

My fun-raiser is this Sunday. I live on a small Island & I work on a fishing boat. The boat is 100 ft. long & has a huge cabin with 12 booths & an upper deck for when we have parties people can dance up there. When I first started planning this I asked around to see how people felt. EVERYONE said it sounds GREAT. I started it as a fund raiser, but when I started figuring, I felt I would do better with a cooking show. The boat holds 150 people, so what I did was I took 3 of my friends hosts #s & ordered 100 of each of the pink items( at a 10% discount) & 2 sets of the cups & plates. I'm charging everyone 50.00 which includes hot & cold buffet, beer,wine & soda, dessert, & coffee or tea. Children are free (so no baby sitter needed). Upon leaving (cuz if I do it when they arrive i'm sure they'll lose it) everyone will get a bag with each of the 3 pink items in it & a whip pin. I am also having raffles for 2 sets of the cups & plates, a Vermont Teddy Bear (shes called Carole & 20% of her sales go to Cancer) & 2 bags & 6 picture frames I got at Lord & Taylors(all 8 items 100% went to Cancer). Sorry this is so long . 100% of the profit will also go to ACS. So far over 300.00 has been donated & I hope to get at least 1000.00 more. BTW, the boat ride is a 41/2 hour trip we go down the East river to The Statue of Liberty & back home .

Ginger

So, how did it go?? Please tell!!

 

[sivlepa]

KristenI really feel for you. You put so much work into this and your heart was in the right place. How disappointing! I understand the feeling of having no "return" after putting so much time and effort into something.
It's odd how when you don't try as much that things seem to just happen. I don't get it. But I do hope you don't give up.
Hugs to you!

 

[Debala715]

I've sold 2 clips and 4 bar boards. Not sure how many I'll get sold this weekend, but this has not been a popular item with my people. They just don't like them, and I can't say I blame them. I hate them but then again, I'm not a pink person, so I tend to dislike anything in pink.

This being my first year with PC, I was wondering when will we know how HWC did this year?

 

[Ginger428]

Sorry I have not gotten back sooner but here goes...Mother Nature was not nice About 5 hours before the cruise we had some showers, soooooo my phone started ringing off the hook. I tried telling people that it would be fine but they didnt want to hear it. On the bright side, the 17 people ( was expecting at least 50) that did show had a WONDERFUL time( it was breezy, but NO RAIN) . At least the ACS got 350.00, so now working on getting rid of the 80 combo packs (bar board, clips & stencils) Just thankful I didnt have to pay for the boat, just the fuel...

Ginger

 

[soonerchef]

Ginger that is a great amount to donate to the ACS! I am sorry more people didn't show but it sounds like it turned out okay!!

 

[heat123]

Not to shabby Ginger, good for you and ACS! I just loved your idea and you should try it again next year (hopefully better weather for a bigger turn out!)

Well My HWC fundraiser is ending this weekend and I only have $150 so far, thanks to some girlfriends who gathered some small orders at work! Very disappointing for ACS I would say! I plan on donating my commission from this show too bad it's so small!!! Hopefully next year they have better pink items! Hope everyone's turn out was at least something!

 

[soonerchef]

My HWC show is ending this weekend too, I did better than I anticipated, I should end just over $500 in sales...I wanted at least $450 so I am happy. I did only sell 8 pink items out of 4 shows, yikes!

 

[Ginger428]

The pink items were tough to sell, I think the most popular were the bar boards. I'm wondering if we had these items in Oct. would they sell better...Hmmmmmmmmm!!! Well at least we can all say we did our best. Just came from Ebay, MAN those cups & plates are selling CRAZY!!! Maybe we should hold a Fund Raiser on Ebay

Ginger

 

[pampered1224]

We won't know until ConferenceEvery year at the Breakfast of Caring they make the announcement. From What I have experienced and heard this year, we may not break last years total. Last year we raised over $1 million.
I personally raised over $2300. ($750 through PC and the rest in a personal check from personal donations because we can't use the Roundup any more.)
But I just can't give the products away this year!
BAD Product choices this year. Oh well, live and learn.
I wish they had let us pick the products like they did for last years.

 

[Ginger428]

I hope everyone that earned it, enjoys the Breakfast of Caring! It sounds really nice. Also Way To Go with everyone selling the Pink items as best as we were able.

 

[Chef Kearns]

John--what do you mean we can't do the Round-up anymore?

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

John--what do you mean we can't do the Round-up anymore?

I think he is referring to the fact that we can no longer let our May guests round up their orders for HWC....we can only round up for Second Harvest. It changed when we went to year round Round Up for the Heart.

 

[its_me_susan]

My fun-raiser is this Sunday. I live on a small Island & I work on a fishing boat. The boat is 100 ft. long & has a huge cabin with 12 booths & an upper deck for when we have parties people can dance up there. When I first started planning this I asked around to see how people felt. EVERYONE said it sounds GREAT. I started it as a fund raiser, but when I started figuring, I felt I would do better with a cooking show. The boat holds 150 people, so what I did was I took 3 of my friends hosts #s & ordered 100 of each of the pink items( at a 10% discount) & 2 sets of the cups & plates. I'm charging everyone 50.00 which includes hot & cold buffet, beer,wine & soda, dessert, & coffee or tea. Children are free (so no baby sitter needed). Upon leaving (cuz if I do it when they arrive i'm sure they'll lose it) everyone will get a bag with each of the 3 pink items in it & a whip pin. I am also having raffles for 2 sets of the cups & plates, a Vermont Teddy Bear (shes called Carole & 20% of her sales go to Cancer) & 2 bags & 6 picture frames I got at Lord & Taylors(all 8 items 100% went to Cancer). Sorry this is so long . 100% of the profit will also go to ACS. So far over 300.00 has been donated & I hope to get at least 1000.00 more. BTW, the boat ride is a 41/2 hour trip we go down the East river to The Statue of Liberty & back home .

Ginger

Ginger, wow what an event! I want to go!!! Next year you might want to schedule in a rain date. It sounds like it was still very successful. I've missed you Ginger!!!

 

[Ginger428]

YOU MISS ME????
How come EVERYONE says that, except my hubby


Ginger

 

[its_me_susan]

The pink items were tough to sell, I think the most popular were the bar boards. I'm wondering if we had these items in Oct. would they sell better...Hmmmmmmmmm!!! Well at least we can all say we did our best. Just came from Ebay, MAN those cups & plates are selling CRAZY!!! Maybe we should hold a Fund Raiser on Ebay

Ginger

I know! I've been watching too! Wonder if those people are getting in trouble for selling PC there?

 

[Ginger428]

Hey Susan....is that your name in the June CN....15K ....If it is WAY TO GOOOOOOOOOOO!!! BTW, my Party on the boat put me in the 15K as well. Cant wait to see my name in lights in July CN.

Ginger

 

[pampered1224]

Just curiousas to how everyone did selling HWC products? I am way below where I would have liked to have been sold NOT ONE cake stencil set at all. 33 Bar boards and about 30 clips. Everyone still had those from last years so...
One fundraiser with a total of $260 dollars only so grand total I think I did hit $151 or there about. UGH! I did much better with my drawings and rummage sale. There I made about $600 to send in to ACS directly.
Oh well, PCs loss not ACSs.

 

[cmdtrgd]

John,I sold 6 bar boards and knife sets, 5 help whip clips, and 4 sets of cups and squares. I'd say about half of it was to myself! I like to stock up on limited edition items because they become great host and recruit/consultant incentives!Woohoo...what a fabulous job I've been doing.