Country Cooks Bring in the Dough
Chiefland, Florida (pop. 5,000)
Debbie Sipf, staff assistant with the City of Chiefland Fire Department, is managing the thermal imager fundraiser for her department. One of the most lucrative efforts to date has been a community cookbook sale. The department worked with Morris Press Cookbooks (www.morriscookbooks.com), a publisher that offered sound planning advice, a simple submission process and low cost printing.
The Chiefland FD “If You Can’t Stand the Heat” cookbook includes recipes gathered from experienced country cooks in Chiefland, who shared secrets for popular dishes such as venison roast and crockpot macaroni and cheese.
The department sold 570 cookbooks within only two months. With the cost of each book at only $2.80, and the selling price at $10, the department made about $4,000 on the fundraiser. Next, the department will sell house number street signs (purchased from www.interstate911.com) that serve the dual purpose of helping firefighters find rural homes in low visibility, as well as serving as a fundraiser for the department.
Debbie Sipf: “They sold like hotcakes. You’re giving people something for their money, rather than asking for an outright donation. We lowered our costs by typing our own recipes, using the layouts provided by Morris. That increased our profits on each book.”
Funding Advice: Fundraising leaders at the City of Chiefland Fire Department wisely selected two f undraisers that work very well in a rural community. Consider the needs and interests of people in your community as you attempt to decide the type of fundraiser that will work best.
