Successful Fundraising Ideas for Groups and Clubs

Rose Sale Fundraiser Idea

How to create a successful rose sale fundraiser

Roses are red, violets are blue, why not create a fundraiser that smells nice too? While selling roses for special occasions is by no means a new fundraising idea, it still works great, and is not as common as selling cookies or candy. Most people think of buying roses for Valentine’s Day, however roses also make great gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, Grandparent’s Day, and other special occasions, so there are plenty of opportunities to run this fundraising program all year. You can also build your event around “National Rose Day”, which is celebrated on the second Saturday of June (apparently).

The idea for this fundraising effort is to find a vendor who will sell roses to your team, group, or club, at a discounted rate, which you can then markup and sell to the general community. You can sell roses by the dozen or sell single long-stem roses. You can sell only red roses, or you can choose to sell roses in a variety of colors.

As far as sourcing the roses goes, there are some online flower companies that sell in bulk to non-profit groups. You can also check out Amazon or contract with wholesale florists and grocery stores to buy roses at a discount. Costco and Sam’s Club usually have a good selection for a good price. You may even be able to work out a deal with a local florist. If you do purchase your inventory from an online source that takes more than a day or two to deliver to you, make sure that you also have a local source available should you find yourself in immediate need of some roses to fulfill an order. If you are not sourcing your roses locally, do not order more than you need and follow the supplier recommendations for proper storage.

You should be able to purchase quality fresh single long-stem roses for between $1 and $2 and sell them for $5 or more. Buy a dozen for $20 and sell them for $49.95. Do some research on what your local florists charge and follow their lead. Keep in mind, that people will be willing to pay a bit more, if they know that all proceeds go to support your organization, so be sure to mention this on your order form and on all of your promotional materials.

If you have enough volunteers to make deliveries, this is a really easy fundraiser to organize. You can take orders by phone or you can let people place orders online and have the roses delivered by your crew of volunteers.

Be sure to contact your local city or county for any needed permits and check with your insurance agent to see if you have the coverage you need for this type of program. You’ll want to start promoting this event at least 3-months in advance, especially if you plan to do the fundraiser around Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Place posters all over town, contact your local media, and be sure to create some clever social media posts.