Successful Fundraising Ideas for Groups and Clubs

Book Sale Fundraiser Idea

How to put on a successful book sale fundraiser

Another tried and true fundraiser is the good old used book sale. Collecting used books to sell from donations is usually an easy task as long as you have a means of getting the word out. Everyone has books to get rid of. You can set up collection points in schools, libraries, community centers, and workplaces. You’ll need a good group of volunteers and a large enough space to hold the event. Unless you know for sure that it’s not going to rain on the day of your book sale event, you may want to consider hosting it indoors.

Try and add some excitement to your book sale event by adding a theme. Remember, your book sale is going to attract book lovers, so think about a theme based on popular authors or book series like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, or the Sisterhood Series, if your raising funds for your school or youth group. Or for older audiences, think Stephen King, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown or Nicholas Sparks. The thematic opportunities are endless. You can even focus solely on children’s books, mysteries, or other popular categories.

As far as pricing your books goes, you’ll want to keep them low ($1 to $2 per paperback and $3 to $4 per hard cover) or you’ll end up with a lot of leftover books that you’ll need to find a home for. Consider bundling some books together based on themes or genres and offer them at a discounted price. For example, you could create a “Summer Reading Bundle” or a “Mystery Lovers Package.” Keep an eye out for any valuable books which may have been donated such as first editions or books that may contain an autograph of a famous author. It’s not likely to happen, but you never know.

Promotion is everything. Push your book sale heavily on social media and create engaging posts. Be sure to print up your flyers and posters at least 2-months prior to the date of your event and post them all over town. Especially in places where you are likely to find readers, such as libraries. Seek out local book clubs and also promote in local Facebook groups where you are likely to find avid readers. A great promotional idea is to print up book markers with your event information printed on them and hand them out to people as they enter and exit libraries and book stores. You can also try reaching out to local authors and invite them to do readings or book signings at your event. This can attract book enthusiasts and provide added value to attendees.

For some extra revenue for your group, club or organization, set up a table to sell coffee and baked goods. Both go excellent with books and would likely keep people browsing longer, resulting in more sales. You can also sell raffle tickets for donated prizes, such as an eReader.