Help animals with a bake sale!

Want to support your local animal shelter—or donate funds to a rescue group or the ASPCA? There’s still no better fundraiser than a bake sale, especially when you tailor the treats to your cause!

Pick a prime spot!

For the most traffic, schedule your sale to piggyback with another event, like a high school football game, church bazaar or farmers’ market. Even better: Set up your table alongside a pet adoption drive. That way, passersby will have a way to support the cause even if they aren’t ready to adopt. (October is the American Humane Association’s National Adopt a Dog Month, so there likely are already events scheduled in your area.) Once you have a date, promote your sale on social media, by word-of-mouth and with old-fashioned fliers.

2Recruit fellow animal lovers!

The best bake sales are a team effort, so reach out to all the pet owners and animal lovers you know (plus owners of animal-friendly businesses) and ask if they would like to pitch in by baking, donating supplies, promoting the sale or manning the table.

3Match your treats to your mission!

It’s easy to give everyone’s favorite treats a feline or canine spin! Use cookie cutters shaped like dogs, cats, bones, dog houses or paw prints for your cookies and Rice Krispies treats, and look for pet-themed sprinkles and cupcake liners at a cake-decorating store. Making brownies or bar cookies? Press animal crackers into the tops five minutes before they’re done baking! You can also offer bags of caramel corn and call it “Kitty Corn” or whip up a selection of candy barks!

✤ Tip! Sell storebought or homemade pet treats packaged with gift tags for people to buy as presents!

4Spotlight your cause!

Customers will buy more treats and linger longer when they feel a direct connection with the animals they’re helping to support. Display photographs of animals who need homes near trays of different treats with signs encouraging customers to buy—for example, “Buy a brownie for Mittens” or “Sponsor Max with a slice of cake!”

5Ask customers to pay what they can!

The biggest trend in bake sales: skipping prices altogether and asking customers to pay what they can. You’ll be surprised how big-hearted people can be when they care about the cause! Prefer to set fixed prices? Have a donation jar visible for anyone who’s feeling extragenerous!