Scouts make money by selling original cookbooks and staging baking competitions.
Scout fundraisers are breaking away from the traditional cookie sales and spaghetti dinners. Today's youngsters conjure up innovative ways to generate money for their scouting organizations or worthwhile community causes. Some ideas for homemade fundraisers for scouts include culinary contests, cookbooks with original recipes and artwork and already-made hot smores. Another money-making plan is to craft pet toys and treats for sale to the public.
Bake Off
Round up a team of amateur bakers to make and decorate one cake per person or per team. Their creations can revolve around a theme, such as Halloween or an upcoming sporting event. Extend your list of contestants beyond the scouting troop and include relatives, teachers, local police officers or your community fire department. Each participant submits his masterpiece, and a committee of judges samples and rates each tasty concoction before declaring winners. Allow more than just one winner by using several judging categories, such as funniest design, best-themed creation or largest cake. Place ribbons next to the prize-winning cakes so that scouts, parents and other visitors can view the entries. Next, auction each cake to a highest bidder. Also sell homemade cookies, brownies and other goodies to your hungry audience.
Cookbook
Solicit recipes from your scout troop. Categorize these recipes according to different groupings, such as dinners, appetizers and desserts, so you can arrange them in your table of contents. Assign scout members to prepare photographs or other artwork to accompany each recipe. Photos can show the finished creation, the ingredients or scouts at work. Let the youngsters submit cover designs and then vote for their final choice. Contact a local office supplies outlet to discuss printing or photocopying techniques, or ask parents if they have resources in their homes, such as copiers or binding machines. Sell your homemade cookbooks at busy locations and have food samples available.
Treats
Heat and serve yummy smores at any high-traffic event, such as craft shows or school games or programs. Bring lots of marshmallows, chocolates, graham crackers, napkins and small paper plates. Set up a table with a toaster oven and several oven mitts. Hang some cutout flames near the oven for decorations that resemble a campfire, but maintain a safe distance from the heating unit. Sell hot and gooey smores, or raise money for an animal shelter by selling homemade cat and dog treats and toys at your event. Also accept gently-use blankets, towels and pillows, as well as donations of cash, leashes, commercial pet foods and bags of cat litter.
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