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Guidebook to Planning a Big Heart Bake Sale

Benefitting children with cardiomyopathy,

a chronic and life-threatening heart disease

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GETTING STARTED WITH THE BASICS

• Formabake teamtoassistinplanning,baking

andpromoting

• Findavisible,high-trafficlocationandpickaday

• Determinewhatbaked goodsandotherfood

itemstosell

• Consideritempackaging,pricing,andtable

decorations

• Promoteyourbakesalewithinyourcommunity

andbeyond

FORM A BAKE TEAM

Planningabakesaledoesn’thavetobealotof

workwhenothersareavailabletohelp.Mostpeople

wanttovolunteeriftheirtaskiswelldefinedand

theyknowhowtheircontributionswillmake

animpact.Recruitfamily,friends,schoolmates,

colleagues,sportsteammates,andmembersfrom

yourfavoriteactivitygrouptobepartofyour

team.ReviewCCF’seventplanningchecklistand

determinewhateachperson’sresponsibilities

shouldbebasedontheirstrengthsandskillset.

Giveteammembersaroletohelpspreadoutthe

work.Responsibilitiesmightinclude:

• Researchrecipesanddecorationideas

• Contactretailerstodonatebakedgoodsor

ingredients

• Shopforbakingsupplies

• Bakeandpackageitems

• Identifyvenueandmakearrangements

• Recruitvolunteerstosetupandsell

• Createsignsandtabledecorations

• Hangpostersintown

• Handlesocial media

• Contactlocalmediaforevent coverage

Bake for a Cure is a nationwide initiative started by the Children’s Cardiomyopathy

Foundation (CCF)andaffectedfamiliestoincreaseawarenessofpediatric

cardiomyopathyandraisemuch-neededfundsforresearch.YoucanjoinTeamCCF

andfamiliesacrossthecountryinhostingaBakeforaCureeventinyourtown.Bake

salesareafunandeasywaytogettheentirecommunityinvolved.Itbringspeople

together,createsspecialmemories,andprovidesacreativeoutletformany.

Thisguidebookprovidesplanningsuggestionstohelpmakeyoureventasweet

success.CCFisreadytoassistyouinbrainstorming,planning,andpromotingyour

event.Together, we can “bake a difference” for children with cardiomyopathy.

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REGISTER EVENT WITH CCF

CCFisavailabletohelpwithideas and

provide guidanceforyourBakefor

aCureevent.Onceyouhavethedetails

ofyourevent,pleasecompleteCCF’s

eventregistrationformandemailStormyBell

atsbell@childrenscardiomyopathy.org.

OurBakeforaCureResourcespageprovides

downloadable itemstoenhanceyourbake

saleevent.YoumayrequestCCF’sbakesale

starterkitforbasicitemstogetready:

• BakeforaCureposters

• Redtablecloth

• Cellophanebagsforbakedgoods

• CCFlogostickersindifferentsizes

• Heart-shapedcookiecutter

• RedTeamCCFT-shirt

Tohelpgetthewordout,wewilllistyourevent

onourcommunityeventspageandmentionit

inourmonthlyCCF Connectannouncements.

DECIDE ON A LOCATION

Toreachyourfundraising goal,findaplacewith

alotofcustomerswillingtospendmoney.High-

trafficareasinthecommunity,suchasschools,

collegeevents,communitycenters,sportingevents,

andlocalbusinesses(supermarket,coffeehouse)

aregreatspotstohostanevent.Determineifyour

eventshouldbeindoorsoroutdoors,andaweather

contingencyplanifoutdoors.

Neighborhood events,suchasfestivals,streetfairs,

andoutdoorconcerts,andotherpublicplacessuch

asparksaregoodvenueoptions.Checkinadvance

whetheranypermitsorregistrationsarenecessary

tosell.Sometimes,localestablishmentswillallow

youtosetupatableinsideornearby.

PICK A DAY

The most popular months for Bake for a Cure

events are February and September.Februaryis

NationalHeartMonthandSeptemberisChildren’s

CardiomyopathyAwarenessMonth.However,

thereareotherawarenessmonths,weeks,and

daystotagontowiththeopportunitytohighlight

cardiomyopathy.

• NationalPediatricTransplantWeek(April)

• NationalCPR&AEDAwarenessWeek(June)

• NationalHealthCenterWeek/Children’sHealth

Day(August)

• NationalCookieMonth(October)

• SuddenCardiacArrestAwarenessMonth

(October)

• WorldKindnessWeek(November)

• NationalCupcakeDay(December)

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DETERMINE WHAT TO SELL

Thefunandcreativepartisdecidingwhatto

sellanddeterminingwhetheryoushouldhave

athemeforyourbakesale.Offeringavariety

ofitemsthatappealtodifferentpeoplewill

helpmaximizeyoursales.Considersellingyour

favorite homemade treats likechocolatechip

cookiesorbrownies,andaddsomeheart-themed

itemslikeredvelvetcupcakesorcakepops,heart

shapedcookies,chocolatecoveredpretzelswith

redsprinkles,andsnackbagswithpartymixand

redM&Ms.Withyourteam’sinput,youcancreate

specialtreatsfortheeventthatcannotbeeasily

purchasedelsewhere.

Therearedifferentwaystogatheritemsforyour

BakeforaCureevent:

• Requestthateachbaketeammemberbring

theirownfamily favoritebakeditem.

• Organizea“bakeanddecorateparty”with

yourbaketeamtomakedifferentitems.

Thinkaboutwhatcanbemadeinadvance

andstoredinthefreezeruntiltheevent.Get

sometipsonfreezingcookieswiththisarticle.

• Asklocalbakeries,donutshops,or

supermarkettodonatebakedgoods.CCF

canassistyouindraftingarequestletter.

• Usepre-mixedbrownieandcakemixesas

wellasrefrigeratedcookiedough(Pillsbury)

tosavebakingtime.

Also,youdon’thavetolimityourselftojustselling

bakedgoods.Youcanexpandyourofferingof

bakedgoodstoinclude:

• Redpunchandpinklemonadeonwarmerdays

• Hotchocolate,applecider,andcoffeeon

chillydays

• Otherfooditemssuchassandwiches,wraps,

granolabars,andsavorysnacks

• Homemadechocolatesandcaramelapples

• Low-sugar,vegan,andgluten-freetreats

VisitCCF’sPinterestpageandCCF’sevent

photogalleryfordifferentbakeditems,delicious

recipes,andcreativepackagingoptions.Now

isagoodtimetoorderabakesalestarterkit

fromCCF.Thekitincludesaheartshapedcookie

cutter,cellophanebags,andCCFlogostickers

indifferentsizestodecorateyourbags.You

maywanttopurchaseadditionalitemssuchas

stickers,packaging,bakingsupplies,containers,

andotherdecorativetableitems.Anoffice

supply,partystore,generalmerchandise(Target,

Walmart,Kmart),ordollarstorewillmostlikely

carrytheseitems.

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PACKAGE & PRICE YOUR ITEMS

Youandyourbaketeamcanthinkofhowto

packageyourbakedgoodswhetherstore-

purchasedorhomemade.Becreativeanduse

decorativebags,ribbon,andstickerstopackage

yourbakedgoodsinanattractiveandtempting

way.CCF’sBakeforaCureResourcespagehas

additionaldownloadableAverytemplatesfor

rectangularbaglabelsandroundlabels.Wehave

alsodevelopedAverytemplatesforsmallfolded

tentcardsthatcanbeusedtowriteyouritem

name,ingredients,orpricetoplaceonyourbake

saletable.

Allitemsshouldbepricedatorabove$1inround

dollaramounts($1–$5)tominimizetheneedfor

change.Ifitemsarelargerorhavetwoitemsina

bag,theyshouldbepricedhigher.Agoodwayto

determine pricingistocomparewhatlocalbakeries

andgrocerystoreschargeforsimilaritems.

EXTEND YOUR FUNDRAISING

Therearemanywaystoincreaseyourbakesales

revenue.Thinkoutsideofthebox,andconsider

theseadd-onfundraising ideas:

• Adda“caloriefree”jartoyourtableso

customerswhomaynotwantatreatcanstill

makeadonation.Oritcanbeajartodonate

leftoverchange.DownloadCCFsdonation

containerlabelandaffixittoanyplastic

container.

• Raiseextrafundsbyaddingaraffleand

askinglocalretailerstodonateitemsorgift

certificates.

• Sellnon-bakeitemssuchascookbooks,

craftitems,homemadejamorgranola,or

decoratedjarsofmake-your-owncookiemix.

• Expandyoureventbeyondyourcommunity

bycreatingaBakeforaCureTeam

fundraisingpageonCCF’sGoFundMe

platform.

• SetupaFacebookfundraisertonotifyfamily

andfriendsaboutyoureffortsandencourage

thosewhocannotcometoyourbakesaleto

contributeonlineinstead.

• Invitelocalbusinessestopartnerwithyou;

theycanpromotetheirbusinessandbe

associatedwithaworthwhilecharitable

cause.Localbakeriesorsupermarketscan

helpbydonatingingredientsorbakedgoods.

Anotherideaistoidentifyabusinessthatwill

matchordoubletheamountyouraise.

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PROMOTE THE EVENT

Leteveryoneinyourcommunityknowabout

yourBakeforaCureevent.Askyourbaketeam

memberstopromotetheeventtoeveryonein

theiraddressbook.Besidesword of mouthand

personalemails,youreventcanbesharedwitha

largergroupofpeoplebyposting on social media,

contactinglocal press,distributingpostersand

flyersaroundtown,andmakingannouncements

todifferentcommunitygroups.

Yourbake sale starter kitincludespostersforyou

towriteyoureventdetailstopostaroundtown.

AdditionalposterscanberequestedfromCCF,

oryoucanaskalocalprintertoprintmorewith

CCF’sprintreadyposterfileontheBakeforaCure

Resourcespage.Thereisalsoan8.5"x11"flyerthat

youcancopytohandoutatreception/register

areasofestablishmentsorpostoncommunity

messageboards.Suggestedplacesinclude:

• Retailandserviceestablishments

• Localrestaurants

• Coffeehousesanddelis

• Supermarkets

• Artsestablishments(dancestudios,martial

artsstudios,artschools,communitytheaters,

musicschools)

• Gymsandyouthsportstrainingfacilities

• Libraries

• Pediatriciananddentistoffices

• Townboroughandrecreationcenters

• Highschoolandcollegecampusstudent

centers

Togenerate interest,somebakersdocumenttheir

eventplanning and preparationswithphotosand

videospostedonsocialmediawiththehashtag

#BakeADifference.YoucanusetheBakefora

CureFacebookbannerandTwitterbanner(right

clickandsavetodesktop)tocallattentiontoyour

bakesaleefforts.Wealsohavesamplewrite-

upsthatyoucanusetosendemailstoallyour

contactsandtopostonsocialmedia.

Reachingouttothelocal mediaisanimportant

stepinpromotingyourBakeforaCureevent.

Tospreadtheword,youcanreachouttoyour

hometownnewspaperandmagazines,localTV

andradiostations,andcommunitybloggersto

shareyourpersonalstoryandwhyincreasing

awarenessofpediatriccardiomyopathyandraising

fundsforresearchisimportanttoyou.Download

CCF’sReachingOuttotheMediaGuidefortips

ongettingmediacoverageandsendoutamedia

alertusingCCF’stemplate.

OnceyouregisteryoureventwithCCF,yourevent

willbeaddedtoourcommunityfundraiserpage

andmentionedinourmonthlyannouncementsto

CCFConnectmembers.

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MAKE YOUR TABLE VISIBLE

It’simportanttomakeyourbakesalevisibleto

attractpeopletoyourtable.Somebaketeams

haveaddedkids activitieslikefacepainting,

artsandcrafts,temporarytattoos,oramagician

tobuildacrowd.OnCCF’sBakeforaCure

Resourcespage,thereisatributeheartcutout

andanactivityheartcutoutthatcanbecopied

andusedforartsandcraftactivities.

Youcancreateastrongervisual presenceby

havingyourbaketeamwear red.Redt-shirts

andcurebandscanbeorderedfromCCFusing

ourdownloadablemerchandiseorderform.

Remembertousetheredplastictableclothand

postersfromCCF’sbakesalekitforincreased

visibility.Yourbaketeamcanalsomakelarge

colorful signswithbrownorwhite36"wide

butcherpapertohanginfrontofyourtableor

behindyourtableifsetupagainstawall.Create

abuntingwithCCF’sdownloadabletemplate,

cardstock,andstringtohanginfrontofyour

tableoronabackwall.Red and white balloons

canbeaddedformorecolor.

Inadditiontohowyoudecorateyourtable,

youmaywanttothinkabouthowtolayout

yourbakedgoodsonthetable.Makesurethere

isenoughspacebetweendifferentitemsso

peoplecanseethevarietyandpurchasemore.

Usedecorative plattersandbasketstoorganize

yourbakedgoodsandaddvisual interestto

yourtable.

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PREPARE FOR EVENT DAY

Onetotwoweekspriortoyourevent,organizea

bake daywithyourteamtoprepare your goodies.

Determinewhichitemscanbemadeaheadof

timeandfrozen.Packagebakedanddonated

itemsincellophanebagsandattachstickersfrom

yourbakesalekitorprintyourownlabelsfrom

theCCF’sResourcespage.Otherdownloadable

materialsthatcanbeutilizedfromtheResources

pageinclude:

• CCF’sFactstoKnowhandout—makecopies

todistributeatyourtable

• CCF’stablesign—printandinsertitintoan

8.5"x11"acrylicsignholderpurchasedfrom

Staples,OfficeDepot,orAmazon

• Volunteernametags—printonAverylabel

sheetsforyourbakesaleteamtowear

• Donationjarlabel—print,cutout,andattach

toacontainerforadditionaldonations

Ifnecessary,recruitmore volunteersandask

themtohelpspread the word.Also,sendevent

reminderstofriendandfamilies.Aweekbefore

yourevent,confirmyourbaketeamandvolunteer

availabilityandeventdayresponsibilities.

Onthedayoftheevent,giveyourselfplenty of

time tosetupyourtableanditems.Sometipsto

keepinmindforyoureventday:

• Prepareacashboxwithdollarbillsforchange.

• Reviewfact sheetsothatyoucananswerbasic

questionsaboutpediatriccardiomyopathy.

• Talktoyourcustomersandsharefactson

pediatriccardiomyopathy.

• Designatesomeonetotakephotosandposton

social mediawhilethebakesaleisunderway.

POST EVENT FOLLOW UP

CongratulationsonasuccessfulBakeforaCure

event!Youhavemade an important differenceby

raisingawarenessofpediatriccardiomyopathyin

yourcommunity.We’reinterestedinhearingabout

howyoureventwentandsharingyourphotoson

ourBakeforaCurephotogallery.

ProceedsfromyourBakeforaCureevent

canbesentviacheck(payabletoChildren’s

CardiomyopathyFoundation)to:

Children’sCardiomyopathyFoundation

24WestRailroadAvenue,Suite408

Tenafly,NJ07670

Alternatively,youcansubmityourbakesalefunds

onlinethroughourdonationpagebuta3%credit

cardprocessingfeewillbeapplied.

Followingyourevent,takethetimetothank

everyoneonyourbaketeamandalsoyourdonors

fortheircontributions.Emailthemeventhighlights

andafewphotos.Theywillappreciatehearing

abouttheevent’ssuccessandhowmeaningfulit

wastoyou.

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Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation

24 West Railroad Avenue, Suite 408, Tenafly, NJ 07670 • 866.808.CURE • childrenscardiomyopathy.org