A pie fundraiser is a typical bake sale fundraiser except, instead of general baked goods, it only involves pies. The pies to be sold can be store-bought, but they commonly are homemade by parents or students to lower costs and to give people a way to make unique pies. While a pie fundraiser may only have one type of pie, participants usually are able to make any pie they want. This fundraiser usually occurs during holidays, because many holidays involve pies so the two are put together in hopes of increasing sales. Schools and other establishments tend to use this type of fundraiser to support a wide array of different purposes.
The majority of pie fundraiser projects request parents, students and other supporters to bake homemade pies. This lowers the cost of the pies, which means more money can be made for the organization, and people can make their favorite pies. If there are not enough people interested in making pies or willing to make pies, or if the establishment does not want to involve other people, then the pies can be purchased through fundraising-specific businesses, bakeries or groceries.
Some pie fundraisers have a theme, such as a holiday theme or a certain type of pie. For example, a cherry pie fundraiser will ask people to make their best cherry pie, and judges may sample the pies and name a best pie to add to the fundraiser’s publicity. Most pie fundraisers allow people to make any type of pie they want, so the people donating money by making a purchase have a larger variety of pies from which to choose. Both fundraiser types tend to have similar sales, so this comes down to preference.
While a pie fundraiser can occur at any time, it is more likely to occur during or before a holiday. One reason for this is that people may be more financially generous during the holidays, a selling point for the fundraiser. Another reason is that many holiday meals feature pies, and this gives supporters a way to buy a pie for the holidays while contributing to a cause.
Corporations can use the pie fundraiser idea, but this typically does not fit their demographic, and it usually does not make enough money for big business projects. Schools and afterschool programs often use this fundraising idea. It is not affiliated with any specific type of group or purpose, so this can be used for most general purposes. For example, band groups, gymnastics teams, wildlife preservation and swimming teams can all use this fundraiser equally.