Boxed Lunch Fundraisers

An easy and fun way to raise money for your cause without managing the vast details of producing a large-scale event is by hosting a boxed lunch fundraiser. To organize a boxed lunch fundraiser, you simply raise money through selling packaged lunches. This can be an extremely successful fundraising campaign, if planned right. After all, everyone needs to eat lunch, and often business professionals would prefer to have something dropped off at their desk, rather than taking the time to run out and buy something.

If you plan to sell packaged lunches, be sure to target places where you can reach a large audience such as an office building that houses numerous companies. Distribute flyers in advance of your event or contact local businesses by phone to find out if their employees would like to participate by pre-ordering lunch in support of a worthy cause. Then take orders – just like at a restaurant. Be sure to collect the money at the time orders are placed, and sign businesses up for a day and time slot for delivery.

Corporate Boxed Lunch Fundraisers

A lunch fundraiser is also a great idea for an internal corporate fundraiser. If you work for a large business or organization with numerous employees, this is an easy way to raise funds for cause marketing programs or to support a local non-profit. You can send an internal email to employees and ask them to participate simply by purchasing a lunch box one day. They can even order their lunches online via your online store and pick them up during a set time in the cafeteria or at the receptionist desk. You can also consider partnering with a catering company to offer hot lunches for your fundraiser. Create a page of your website that explains the cause of the event and lists the lunch menu. People can sign-up and purchase lunches online using fundraising software. Then all they have to do the day of the fundraiser is bring their receipt to pick up a wonderful lunch.

Sell Box Lunches with an Online Store for Nonprofits

Our free online stores for nonprofits allow organizations to easily sell boxed lunches online. Stores can be embedded into our nonprofit websites or linked from your organization’s current website or social media page. Your constituents then select lunch options and securely pay online.

Planning a Fundraising Luncheon

Before you start making lunches, be sure to carefully plan, take orders and schedule deliveries. The last thing you want to do is have an excess of lunches that become waste. You also need to carefully schedule and manage deliveries so lunches don’t arrive late. Make the lunch menu choice simple and allow people to make a few basic choices.

Then partner with a local grocer or restaurant to help make the lunches at cost. If they are making 50 lunches, their cost may only be $3 per lunch. If you sell them for $8, you’ve made $250. You may even find a business to sponsor your fundraiser by donating lunches as a way for them to provide free sampling to the local community. Allow them to include an advertisement and coupon as part of the lunch package, which may bring future business to their establishment.

If you are a group planning a fundraiser for family and friends, it is also possible to make the lunches yourself. This would work well for a fundraiser through a church congregation or sports fundraising initiative, as you’ll want to be selling to people you know: parents, families, and neighbors.

Boxed Lunch Menus

For a standard boxed lunch that will be delivered, choose a menu that consists of a sandwich, chips, apple, cookie and drink. Constituents can choose between turkey, ham or vegetarian sandwiches. Price the lunch reasonably, between $8 – $10.

Also, you certainly don’t have to limit your organization to boxed lunches. Church fundraisers may want to do a breakfast box following Sunday services. Offer breakfast burritos, fruit, mini-donuts or pastries and juice. Or perhaps a sports team has a day long tournament where they want to offer concessions all day. Rent a hot-dog cart and offer hot dogs, chips, soda and other packaged goods. Ask some parents to prepare homemade desserts, too.

Gourmet and Green Lunch Boxes

You can also kick this fundraiser up a notch, by having members of your community volunteer to make the best boxed lunch. They can choose to prepare organic chicken salad, fresh fruit salad, gourmet potato salad, or a secret recipe for the best sandwich. Include homemade smoothies or desserts. Then get the kids involved to help decorate the boxed lunches themselves. Maybe re-cycle old aluminum lunch boxes or re-usable shopping bags or create a fancy lunch box with cardboard and wrapping paper (or maybe an old toolbox or cooler). This type of event is a very eco-friendly fundraiser as there is virtually no waste. The lunches are consumed, and the boxed lunches can be recycled or reused. Since this idea is so different, it might be a great way to get media coverage as well.

Luncheon Auctions and Raffles

If you are hosting your lunch fundraiser during an event with a lot of attendees, consider hosting a fundraising raffle. Request donations from local businesses and when people grab their wallets to purchase their lunch, see if they are willing to chip in a few extra bucks for a chance to win great prizes.

If you’ve already organized a group fundraising event such as a community picnic or BBQ, a boxed lunch auction can also be integrated as a fun and lucrative add-on to your event. Read about more how to run a silent auction.