Fundraising Ideas - Dessert Extravaganza Fundraiser

Dessert Extravaganza

by Jesse Carter

The Gourmet Dessert Tasting Dinner is a great fun for any fundraising event. Call it what you will, but make the name just as delicious as what attendees will envision so that they will want to attend.

A Dessert Extravaganza should be something where people will pay to get a taste of exotic and unique desserts available from restaurants in your area. Charge from $7.50 to $15.00 per plate. Have a punch card allowing each to receive 4 - 8 full sized desserts and endless "small cup" sampling if provided by the restaurant.

Your big decision will be the atmosphere you'll create and the audience you will cater to. Will you offer a "black tie" event, a casual evening, or somewhere in-between. Do you want to keep it limited to members and donors or open it up to the public at large.

Perhaps your first year should be fairly limited with a casual coat and tie attire atmosphere. This will make your event a huge success among community leaders who will be the likely attendees.

Starting Out

Start looking for chefs, bakeries and restaurants at least six months prior to your planned date since this will be your most crucial factor in putting on a successful dessert extravaganza.

Remember, you are getting each dessert donated -- so don't pay for it. Start with local upscale restaurants in your town. Do not offer desserts which people can get anywhere like at fast food restaurants or diners.

Ask the owner or head chef to schedule their calendar so that they will be there to serve the attendees. Why is this important? Attendees get a chance to meet restaurant owners and chefs who will then be mentioned many times from the local media in attendance.

You may expect that many of your participants have not eaten at all of these restaurants and this would be a great time for the owner or chef to invite your attendees back to their restaurant for another taste. The next time, for the profit of the restaurant.

For this reason, many restaurants will pull out all the stops to offer the very best that their restaurant has to offer.

The location should be at a central spot in the community and hosted for minimal cost. Perfect sites that have little or no cost are courtesy rooms at local hotels, colleges or large high schools. If at a hotel, ask for the room free if they would act as a corporate sponsor in exchange for advertising.

The Dessert Menu Booklet

Create and print a Dessert Menu booklet highlighting the specialty desserts of each restaurant or catering company listed. Include the restaurant logo or picture and any pertinent information like the chef's name, owners name, phone number, website address and actual physical address. Place a city map showing where each restaurant is located.

Your Dessert Menu should be more like a booklet, because it will highlight more than just desserts. Plan to make money with advertisements from special coupons of your participating restaurants, chefs, and other affiliated businesses. Affiliated businesses may include cooking utensil shops, cake shops, bakeries, fast food restaurants, and more.

Grocery stores and department stores may choose to give items for door prizes or as a special coupon that will attract people into their store. Many times fast food restaurants prefer to offer coupons that may eventually attract diners into their site.

Local network marketing entrepreneurs can offer coupons and door prizes as extras. Consider reps from Tupperware, Watkins, and others to offer items in return for listing their name and phone number.

Offer advertisement space for extra cash or extra items provided. Have several ad sizes. For a 125 X 60 cm ad charge $25, a 125 X 125 cm ad charge $50, and for a 250 X 250 ad charge $100 (these are suggestions of course).

For coupons, use a 250 X 125 size with dashed edges and placed at the back of your booklet making sure that there is nothing of importance printed on the reverse.

Include a page on the history, yearly highlights, and mission purpose of your organization. List your board of directors and their board position if space is available.

Print in the booklet an open letter to all attendees from the president of your group as well as a letter from the mayor or other celebrity connected with your group. Include autobiographies of famous local chefs that are present (this alone may entice these chefs to be present).

Atmosphere And Display

Plan to have desserts displayed on covered tables lining the interior of a large room. Ask a local florist or home decorator or talented volunteer in your group to decorate each table where the desserts will be placed.

Have a placard on each with the dessert name, restaurant name, key ingredients, and chef's name. The fancier in appearance the better.

Have an atmosphere where you introduce the talents of local musical artists for the listening enjoyment of your attendees. Local pianists, church soloists or quartets, ensembles, or symphony groups offer their talents for your cause.

Make it soft and contemporary. To break up the music, consider asking a local comedian or little theatre group to give a brief performance of an upcoming act. They will be glad to use this time to advertise their upcoming act.

Dessert Types

Offer different desserts including pastries, exotic candies, pies, cakes, unique cookies of many types. Allow each restaurant to choose their specialty.

As you build your dessert list, let each chef know what others may be bringing. That way you don't have an overloading of mousse and cheesecake or too many chocolate flavors.

Diversity is one of the keys to the success of your evening. Consider desserts that can be portioned in small quantities without being torn up.

Serve on glass or china with real silverware. Many volunteers will have china or party ware that they will loan for the night or check with a local catering or party rental company. Offer punch, spiced teas, specialty coffees, or other drink to complement your food.

Finally, consider conducting a small silent auction of complete pies, cakes or treats.

Make sure you and your volunteers enjoy your event too. That way you will look forward to each year's dessert extravaganza as well as making a profit for your organization.