Ok, here's the deal. I got suckered into (meaning I need to learn to say NO!) being the food chair for my son's Spring Fling at school. I'm in charge of gathering all of the food to be sold, and was talking to a few ladies at the meeting last night about being worried that I'll mess everything up. My son is in kindergarten, and this is my first time chairing anything this big. They made a comment that as long as I have my cookies there, no one will care if I mess up the amounts on the hot dogs and walking tacos. I told them that there's no way I am able to donate all of those cookies, as it would be too expensive and way too time consuming. They looked disappointed. I came home and told dh about it, and he said I should offer to sell them to them at a reduced price, and they can resell them. I basically have no budget sinc ethey make all of their money back, and I get to decide what food will be sold. What would be a fair price for say 3 inch decorated cookies to sell to them? How much do you think someone would pay the pto for this cookie? I want it to be fair to me and to the school if I take this offer to them.
I am the pto president for the first year, my dd is in 1st. I know how that goes for "donating" and such to pto events. I have asked for them to give me the cost of materials to make things.
I found that for my NFSC on a stick, decorated and in a bag, it cost about $.40 a cookie. I would ask for $.50 a cookie and have the school sell them for $.75. That way they are recouping their cost and making a little on top of it. Figure out what the cost is for you and add $.10 or so to it, then add $.25 to the price to sell at the event.
Good Luck!!
Mamaof3 has a great idea. And I have a suggestion: why not put a sticker with your info on the back of the bag. That way if you don't make a big profit out of this sale, someone will ask for your cookies and pay full price. Just be sure to tell people this price (at school) is for charity purposes, not your real price.
I agree with Mamaof3. I'm going to be doing 12 cookie bouquets for a luncheon, and will be asking only for reimbursement of my costs. I'm doing it for my MIL, who is a member of the organization, which is a non-profit that has a tight budget. For me, my MIL is a real sweetheart, who has helped and supported me for the past 24 years. I figure it's the least I can do for all that she's done for me.
IF I do this, I'll put a sticker with info on it for sure. I'm just not sure I want to do 1000 cookies, for almost no profit at all, even for the school. Maybe if it were a lesser number of cookies, but I'm not sure about that volume. Something to think about right?
1000 cookies? that's a lot. And here's another thing to consider if your cookies are pretty and tasty and cheap they'll probably ask you to do them again. And that is not good bussiness. Not to put down any school activity, but sometimes one has to take care of bussiness too.
A thousand cookies at cost? Can you still back out? 83 dozen cookies is a lot for anyone to ask a home decorator to produce, let alone produce for free.
Why that many cookies all the same? I would tell them that this is the amount I will do (pick what you are comfortable with) Then ask for them to donate/sell reduced at the same qty except in different flavors. have someone make chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, etc....
I think I would have looked at them like they were nuts too! The only good thing about doing that many is you can do 2 or 3 designs and do them assembly line.
let us know what you decide
1000 cookies is way, way too much to ask.....even if you are doing it for cost, that is just too much of your time and obviously these people don't realize what's involved in baking. Also, that was a good idea about how the school should be charging extra rather then less since it is a charity event..... what about using the school kitchen to expedite the process and getting some of these 'disappointed' mothers to volunteer as your baking team? 
ok - I have to ask this question - are you legal? If not, then I wouldn't do it at all. There will be lots of people there and if someone got your cookie, with your advertising on it, they could turn you in. I don't do large donations for that very reason. I am not legal, and if the local bakery or someone else in town who is legal sees my stuff, I worry they will turn me in. I sell to friends and lots of people outside of town but I am still a newbie and worry about getting reported. Not trying to scare you at all but just putting out a warning if you haven't thought about it.
ok - I have to ask this question - are you legal? If not, then I wouldn't do it at all. There will be lots of people there and if someone got your cookie, with your advertising on it, they could turn you in. I don't do large donations for that very reason. I am not legal, and if the local bakery or someone else in town who is legal sees my stuff, I worry they will turn me in. I sell to friends and lots of people outside of town but I am still a newbie and worry about getting reported. Not trying to scare you at all but just putting out a warning if you haven't thought about it.
I am in Ohio operating under cottage laws right now, waiting on the state to get back with me about my business registration so I can work on my license! We can operate out of our home here with a license as long as it doesn't have to be kept in the fridge.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%