Fundraising ideas and proven fundraisers FREE

Camping Cookbook

Whether it's a Boy Scout Troop, Girl Scout Troop, environmental advocacy group, or high adventure club; you can never go wrong with creating an outdoor camping cookbook.

You've got two things going for you in this unique fundraiser. First, you have the cooking expertise and recipes from your group of campers. Second, you have a ready market through their friends, relatives and acquaintances.

Get Your Committee

Developing a cookbook is easy. Recruit a committee to help you create the content, reproduction and distribution of the cookbook.

The Cookbook Committee starts out by establishing a Table Of Contents and deciding what items should be on the menu. It would behoove the Committee to create a short survey form and have it distributed to its members and member's acquaintances and returned within a two-week period with their suggestions.

Design And Printing

One person on the committee should be in charge of the cover design and arrangement for printing. This person should come up with several designs for your members to look at and vote on. A good design that is approved by all will allow everyone to take ownership of the cookbook and take pride in getting it sold.

Contact Office Depot or Office Max for several styles of bindings. These office supply companies can finish a project from printing to binding for you.

Do it yourself and earn more money. Have your cookbook printed at any discount printers and buy a "comb binder and punch". You can get helpers to assist in punching, and binding with some plastic combs that can be bought at any office supply store.

You may also wish to contact several of the cookbook printing companies that offer a turn-key product. Here is a cookbook design site at Hewlet Packards website.

Categories

Dutch Oven Specialties (desserts, pot pies, stews or anything that is cooked in a Dutch Oven)

Foil Wraps (potato, carrot and steak wrapped in tinfoil or other combinations)

Tarzan's Recipes (those like shish-k-bob or steaks-on-a-rock that are on open fires)

Pioneer Trail Snacks (pancakes, hashbrowns, grits, or anything that a cast iron skillet can cook)

Desserts

Chuck Wagon Specials (chili, stew, goulash, or anything you can throw into a pot)

Instant Trail Snacks (GORP or anything that can be mixed in a bag for eating on the trail)

Nature's Way (Sassafras Tea or other natural recipes taken from nature)

Just Add Water (Any homemade or other dried food that only requires water and heating)

You get the idea. Add other categories as you have experience from your group. Please put in recipes that can be cooked in someone's backyard or on their grill. This will appeal to those that do not camp out.

Put this statement on the front cover "Includes many recipes for your backyard gatherings."

Just make sure that you try each recipe as a troop or group before you print the recipe.

Pricing

Check out the cookbooks at Wal-Mart and Books-A-Million and see what they are charging. Match it up price wise depending on the graphics and printing colors you use. If using only black type without any pictures, then 4.95 should be about right.

Make your cookbook 8 ½ by 5 ½ or smaller so that it can be kept in a trail kit or placed in a backpack.

Additions Besides Recipes

Make sure to make your cookbook fun. Include pictures of people cooking; recipes after they are cooked; picture of ingredients before cooking in their measured containers; pictures of events that you've hosted; pictures of camp outings, treks or projects you've taken in the past; calendar of events; and quotes from your friends, supporters, and members.

Put two or three pages of items for sale (Dutch ovens, spits, or pots that you can get a wholesale price on before hand). Include an order form.

Also, offer some of the items catered for anyone that wishes for your group to cook for them. Mention the many years of experience and the many volunteers you have to help.

Marketing Your Cookbook

Alert the local media about your event. Write an article and submit it to the newspaper, radio and television stations for their local news programs.

Plan a special "Cookout" and cook many of your easier recipes and provide them to visitors at the entrance to the mall, Wal-Mart, K-Mart or your local grocery store anywhere there is a lot of traffic. Have your cookbooks for sale at the event.

Some of the items at the sales event could be your troop's special Gorp recipe, foil wrapped dinners (baked potatoes, beef stews), shish-k-bobs, etc. Something that is easy to make, delicious, and easy to clean up. Make sure you don't give these items away, but sell them at a reasonable price.

Be sure to sell your books before you offer someone one of your treats unless you are so sure of the tastiness of your treats. Those that begin to pass you by, give them a small paper cup (like those you put ketchup in at McDonald's) with a small bit of Gorp or something similar. They will probably come back out of the store and buy your book.

Have each member of your group take five cookbooks to sell to friends, family and neighbors. Give a few to government organizations like sheriff departments, Fish And Wildlife agencies, and Mayor's office (ask them to place a few at their counters for sale hey, it can't hurt to ask J ). Invite these groups to your promotional sales event.

Be prepared, as the Scouts say, and be ready to sell your books anywhere. If done right, you could easily pull in several thousand dollars for your group with very little effort.