FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

General Questions What Fundraiser should I use? What items have a low minimum order? What are your most popular items/best sellers? What’s the difference between direct and pre-sale fundraisers? Do you provide products for my city? Do you have a local representative that can meet me in my city? How much should I order? How do we handle the money? Do you charge sales tax? My Question isn’t on this FAQ? Frozen Cookie Dough and Cheesecake Questions Can I order just 1 Cookie Dough or Cheesecake item? I’ve completed my Cookie Dough / Cheesecake sale, so how do I place my order? How long does it take to receive our Cookie Dough / Cheesecakes order? What Fundraiser should I use? Your choice of the best fundraising products for your particular group depends on several factors, including the number of participants, your $ goal amount you are trying to raise, and the fundraising items other groups are selling/have recently sold in your community. Give one of our fundraising consultants a call at 1-800-441-8599 to help in making your decision. For those of you who are shy here are some general hints. Decide whether you want to do a direct sale or an order-taker presale fundraiser. There are pros and cons to both methods. Smaller groups should limit their choices to items with a low minimum ordes. Larger groups have more options and should look at some of our more popular fundraisers. What items have a low minimum order? Our catalog is constantly being updated with additional items, but currently, some of the items with both low minimums and high percentage profits are (not in any particular order of sales): Lollipops, Original Dollar Chocolate Bars, Flower Bulbs, Jewelry, Meat Snacks and Scratch Cards. It would also be wise to consider Frozen Cookie Dough and/or Cheesecakes, which have been phenomenal sellers in the last few years. In fact, last year, Cookie Dough was our very top selling item! Not only is our minimum Cookie Dough/Cheesecake order of 96 items one of the lowest minimums in all of fundraising, but it is easily obtainable with a group of as few as 25-30 participants. The new Create-A-Critter program has a low minimum order of only 22 Critters! What are your most popular items/best sellers? One size doesn’t fit all, which is why we have various choices available. Cookie dough has been our best seller over the last few years, while M&M/Mars (One Stop Candy Shop) has historically been the overall best selling product on a long term basis. Our largest one time group sale from last year was an order-taker flower bulb fundraiser. Carousel Round Lollipops and Shockwave Lollipops are some of our most frequently ordered fundraisers. Feel free to call us at 1-800-441-8599 to discuss which fundraisers would be a good fit for your group. What’s the difference between direct and pre-sale fundraisers? With a direct fundraiser you purchase a product from us and then distribute it to participants who sell it, collecting the money at the time of sale. Direct fundraisers are generally faster and work well with “impulse items” that sell between $.50 - $5.00. Pre-Sale fundraisers employ the use of colorful order-takers to pre-sell products to your customers. The money is generally collected at the time of the order. Your participant’s sales are then tallied, and a single large order is placed to your fundraising supplier. The products are then bulk shipped to your organization to be distributed to your participants, who in turn deliver the products to the end customers/supporters. Depending on the program, the items may be sorted in pre-packed bundles/packages for each participating seller. Pre-sale fundraisers reduce the risk of over or under ordering. Pre-sale fundraisers generally sell for higher amounts ($5-$25), resulting in more money raised per item sold. On the downside, the tallying of orders and distribution of products sometimes make pre-sale fundraisers somewhat more time consuming for workers and volunteers. Do you provide products for my city? Yes - if you live in the U.S. (with the exception of Hawaii and Alaska). We have warehouses across the U.S. that allow us to provide free shipping regardless of your location. Do you have a local representative that can meet me in my city? We do not have traveling representatives, but we have been in the fundraising business over 38 years. Give us a call Monday – Friday 8:30-5:30 CST and ask for Bryan or Tracy. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have. How much should I order? As much as you can easily sell. Please give us a call at 1-800-441-8599 & we will be happy to discuss your group fundraising goals, and whether your product selection and group size are compatible with your order choices. If you are still unsure, you may be better off going with a pre-sale fundraiser that eliminates the guess work. While we do pass along manufacture discounts for larger orders, please be careful not to over order, since we do not take back unsold fundraising products. How do we handle the money? We provide low cost bulk products for resale. All checks and payments should be made directly to your organization. A single payment will be made to us. Qualified groups may be eligible for 30 day credit with payment due 30 days after they receive their product – Call for Details. Do you charge sales tax? Not unless you are in Florida. We do not generally charge sales tax for one of the following reasons: Our items are bulk - intended for resale – not retail, Our customers are in a different state (not in Texas), or Our customers are non-profits and are Tax exempt. Florida requires us to collect sales tax for fundraising organizations. Other states may require you to collect sales tax depending on your organization’s tax exempt status and the type of product. The Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers (AFRDS) provides very helpful specifics on fundraising taxes state by state. Finally, a quick disclaimer- (IANAL) I Am Not A Lawyer and this little FAQ is not legal advise. My Question isn’t on this FAQ? Give us a call (1-800-441-8599) or contact us with your questions. Frozen Cookie Dough and Cheesecake Questions Can I order just 1 Cookie Dough or Cheesecake item? No. Since Cookie Dough and/or Cheesecakes are shipped frozen, it is very difficult to maintain the frozen state in small quantities. Our usual minimum order of cookie dough and/or cheesecakes is 96 total items (16 cases). Please give us a call for more details. I’ve completed my Cookie Dough / Cheesecake sale, so how do I place my order? By Phone - Give us a call at 1-800-441-8599 to place your order. Make sure that you have your totals of each flavor ready. Our fundraising consultants will go over any questions you might have and calculate your total. How long does it take to receive our Cookie Dough / Cheesecakes order? You will receive full shipment information with a date and tracking number 2-3 days after placing your order. Shipment dates are determined according to the following schedule: Orders placed between Monday and 10 A.M. Wednesday, will be delivered on a Tues, Wed, or Thurs, 2 weeks after placing the order (approximately 9-13 business days). Orders placed after 10 A.M. Wednesday through Friday will be delivered in 3 weeks (12-16 Business Days). Expedited shipment is available for an additional fee (approximately 10% of your purchase price) to receive the cookie dough 1 week earlier