The difference between a good bake sale and a great bake sale lies in the planning. If you expect the unexpected, you can make plans for dealing with the ups and downs that are sure to occur before, during and after the event. Prepare an emergency kit and develope an emergency plan before you need it.

Take a good supply of heavy duty garbage bags. As the sale progresses you can throw away paper products and keep your table clean. See if you can arrange with your custodian to collect garbage at regular intervals during the sale. If this is not possible, know where you can put the garbage bags near the bake sale.

Take a broom and a mop for spills and crumbs that fall to the ground. Take a small dust pan and brush to use to sweep the crumbs from the table area. These tools will be easy to keep clean.

Do not forget to take a few rolls of masking and Scotch tape. These will be used to repair the signs and table mounting. They can also be used in the packaging of bakery products.

Take a ball of string, rubber bands, paper clips, ribbons, and a pair of scissors. These will be useful to put the decorations around your site and in the packaging of bakery products.

Consider putting a microwave in an easily accessible area so that customers are able to warm their purchase.

And the very big question that you can’t wait until the last minute to pay attention to, how will you accept payment? Once your bake sale begins, everyone will be busy. Sellers can not be looking in their wallets to make change. They will be called in different directions by customers who do not want to wait. So the message is: be prepared.

First, be sure to get enough money for your bake sale table to have on hand. Before the day of the sale, make sure you get a lot of change from the bank. Ask the bank for several rolls of quarters, several dollar bills, and perhaps a quantity of fives and tens. Have a few rolls of nickels and dimes, but generally you want to plan your overall unit sales in multiples of twenty-five cents. If you set your selling price this way, it will be easier to mentally add up the purchases and make change quickly. Fast service is appreciated.

Keep most of the money in a lockable box, and under the responsibility of one or two people. Another box at the table should only contain as mush cash as is needed to make change. Since it will be at the bake sale site, the volunteers will be busy and may not keep as close an eye on it as they should. Be sure it is not easily accessible from the outside and, periodically, remove money in excess of the cash you need on-hand to make change.

Your organization may be able to accept checks, credit cards and debit cards. If you decide to accept these forms of payment, mMake sure you have a sign posted indicating which cards you accept. Will you have a minimum purchase commitment? Be clear.

If you are able to accept payments other than cash, determine who will run the credit card machine.

As you try to find out what system works best for your organization, take notes for the next event. After the event, these notes and your experiences will help you plan an even smoother running bake sale in the future.

It is impossible to place a value on having a standing committee who cleans up at the end of a bake sale. This group of unsung heroes wraps up the event and puts everything back in its place. They often do not have a lot of fame and don’t often ask for it. But they are almost always dedicated, hardworking, and responsible.

Members of the clean-up committee need not be present throughout the event. In fact, it is an area where the parent who is unable to cook and is not artistic, but is willing to volunteer, can contribute significantly. Although this team does not need to be available for the entire event, they should present themselves at the appropriate time to finish things.

There are two key areas of concern for the clean-up committee: the area where the event takes place, and all areas where advertising has been placed. The following are some of the important tasks of cleaning personnel:

These members need to be physically able to perform the clean-up tasks. They will strip the tables coverings and decorations, break down tables and chairs, and, if necessary, return them to their original location.

They are going to wash all utensils and containers and make everything available for collection by their owners.

They need to store any un-used supplies.

They must disconnect all the lights and special sound systems that have been used.

They mustl remove trash, and possibly sweep and mop floors.

If your group needed special permission to use a space, or rent a space, there will probably be an expectation regarding the cleanup. There will also be a limit on how long you have to finish the job. The clean-up committee should get the area inspected and approved after completing their tasks.

They must remove any billboards or flyers placed in the store or in public places using a list of places where these posters have been placed.

Preparing for, setting up and conducting a bake sale is only three-fourths of the task. The fundraiser isn’t over until all traces of it disappear, either from the site of the sale or under the donor’s belts.

Two contests are currently being held for the benefit of animal shelters.

The Yearlings, a Northern Kentucky volunteer organization, has raised over $600,000 in the past 23 years. They describe themselves as “A volunteer organization comprised of fifty community-minded women committed to raising the maximum for charity at minimum administrative costs.” They fund scholarships and endowments, as well as distributing funds to carefully selected charities. They raise money via website donations, charity nights, golf outings, style shows and an annual gala. The community supports The Yearlings by providing corporate sponsorships, donations of food, services and venues from local restaurants and retailers, exposure by local media and attendance at fundraising events. Their annual gala features local bands, local food, live and silent auctions, raffles and hosting by local TV and radio personalities. website: www.theyearlings.org