Fundraising with Equal Exchange
There are lots of opportunities to raise money while supporting authentic Fair Trade and a more equitable, sustainable, and democratic food system. Here are some suggestions to try out with your community group, school, club, or congregation.
Chocolate bar fundraiser
Raise close to 50% profits by selling a variety of 4 of our best-selling chocolate bars for $5 each. Purchase your desired number of cases of chocolate bars at wholesale case prices and sell them to friends, family, and neighbors. Use a sell-sheet that describes the options and helps you promote your fundraiser’s specific details with a customizable announcement flyer.
Instructions for Organizer
Instructions for Participants
Sell-sheet/Customizable Flyer
Pre-order fundraiser
You decide which products you will offer for sale from our wholesale case list. Choose each product’s mark-up that will help you achieve your fundraising goals. Take individual orders for products from your community while collecting money from those who ordered. Round up to the case minimum for each product ordered and place one master order with Equal Exchange. The entire order ships to a single location then the organizer coordinates product distribution. Read full instructions, product suggestions and get more tips in our How to Fundraise PDF.
Table sale fundraiser
A table sale can be very effective if you are interested in running a special fundraiser on your school campus or at your congregation. You get wholesale case prices when you order from Equal Exchange and then you can mark individual items up, keeping the profit. We recommend selling the products at 1.5 times the cost that you purchased them for, but you can go higher or lower depending on your fundraising goal. Learn more about pricing and how to Choose the Right Products for Your Equal Exchange Sale.
If you’re looking to hold a table sale on campus, think about setting up the table outside a sports game, in your dining hall, or at a concert or festival. Fair Trade Month (October) and Earth Day (April) are great times to sell. Promotion is key with this type of fundraiser. Put up posters letting people know where, when, and what they can purchase. Post on social media and share our short videos leading up to the sale and during the sale. And don’t forget to let everyone know what you are raising money for. Giving out samples like our bite-sized chocolate minis will attract people to your table.
If you are looking to hold a table sale at your congregation, consider doing so after services. Put a notice in the bulletin, explaining more about the mission of Equal Exchange and your fundraising efforts. The perfect time to have your first table sale is around the holidays when people are looking for ethically-sourced, quality gifts like olive oil, chocolate, and coffee. For holiday tips check out Your Fair Trade Holiday Sale Made Easy.
Creative fundraising event ideas
Create a new tradition by putting together a community-wide fundraising event! This is a great way to get everyone involved in a fun and ethical way. From bake sales highlighting fair trade ingredients, to silent auctions of fair trade gift baskets to a walk-a-thon serving fairly traded iced coffee and tea, there are many events you can create. One of our favorite fundraiser event ideas is hosting a coffee and chocolate pairing event and charging a small admission fee for participants who get to sample a few different varieties of chocolates paired with different roast levels of coffee! Setting up a DIY hot chocolate bar and charging a few dollars per mug is also a fun way to earn some money.
With an event, you have a platform to share more about your group and why you are raising money. While you can include this on posters and social media posts, at an event you can meet people face-to-face who are interested in helping your group. This is a great opportunity to share more about your group, your mission and how the fundraising event will help your group achieve your goals.
Identifying and communicating the “why” regarding why people should support your group and why these products are special is the key to success. Here are some talking points to get you started on the product side.
However you decide to fundraise, we hope you reach your goals, share your mission and engage your community through positive action!
Fundraising FAQS
Is there a minimum order?
There is no minimum order but you must order by the full case. Chocolate bars are sold in cases of 12 and most coffee, tea, cocoa and olive oil come in cases of 6.
What is the turnaround time between placing our order and receiving it?
You will receive your order within 10 business days.
How much does shipping cost?
Teaching kids?
Visit our Downloads page for content to help you teach about where our food comes from and how authentic Fair Trade supports farming communities. You’ll find:
For help, contact us at: 774-776-7366 or communityorders@equalexchange.coop
