Bake Sales at Wellesley High School Presented by the Bake Sale Contingency Mitigation Planning Group

Background

The Bake Sale Contingency Mitigation Planning Group (BS-CMPG) was formed in July 2015 to investigate the effects of state and federally-mandated nutritional guidelines on bake sale revenues, implications for the finances of extracurricular organizations at Wellesley High School, and the feasibility of alternative fundraising methods.

The group’s membership draws on a broad range of student leaders who are involved in extracurricular activities.

Over a period of three months, the BS-CMPG conducted test bake sales, interviewed club officers, and researched alternative fundraisers.

Testing Procedures

Three bake sale “trials” to isolate variables

Control: used conventional foods during lunch period

Healthy: used compliant foods during lunch period

After School: used conventional foods after school

All three sales offered a cookie and brownie product for purchase at $1/ea.

Receiving organizations were “stigma-free” and no sales were marketed.

No emotionally-based purchase decisions

Confidentiality

Effects of Compliant Bake Sales on Revenues ●  Accounting for a certain amount of experimental uncertainty and small sample

size, the tests broadly showed that holding compliant bake sales reduces revenues significantly

●  Revenue from bake sales held after school (not subject to nutritional guidelines) showed 32% reduction compared to an average “control” bake sale

●  Revenue from bake sales that featured compliant items showed 69% reduction when compared to an average “control” bake sale ●  It was extremely difficult to bake or even buy items that met the

nutritional guidelines

Financial Implications for Extracurricular Organizations ●  Bake sales are an extremely effective fundraising tool, for reasons including:

○  Low “barriers to entry,” making bake sales a good option for smaller clubs without the members or logistical capabilities to hold larger or more complex fundraisers

○  Guaranteed and large “customer pool” (due to location in cafeteria during lunch)

○  High availability of possible dates and low turnaround time (there is a schedule “slot” for a bake sale every week, and bake sales are not constrained by weather or concerns about a significant planning process)

Financial Implications for Extracurricular Organizations

●  All student leaders of extracurricular organizations surveyed felt that bake sales were their most consistent form of revenue.

●  For many clubs, including smaller ones, their costs (e.g. attending conferences, running events, making donations, etc.), are covered entirely by bake sales

●  A reduction in the consistent revenue stream that bake sales provide on the order of magnitude seen in tests (30-70%) will have significant negative implications for club operations if not offset by an alternative revenue source.

●  Most clubs have very low account balances, meaning without an alternative source of consistent funding, any “reserve funds” would quickly be depleted.

Alternative Fundraisers

Car Wash

Prize contests

Fundraising events that encourage physical activity

Community donations and sponsorships

Partnership with a local business

Other alternatives (see report)

Feasibility of Alternative Fundraising Methods ●  Many alternative fundraising options exist, but they are hampered by a variety

of issues that do not affect bake sales, including: ○  Requirement of a significant planning effort (e.g. car washes, partnerships with businesses) ○  Requirement of a large number of students to run a fundraiser (issue for small clubs) ○  Regulatory hurdles (e.g. raffles) ○  Diminishing returns as more than one organization uses the same kind of fundraiser ○  Non-food merchandise has less broad appeal for students ○  Students are unfamiliar with other types of fundraisers and may be less likely to participate

●  Alternative fundraising options promoted by the state’s “Healthy Schools, Healthy Students” manual (as well as other online sources) tend to be either targeted for younger students or must be organized by an entire school or district. Few options are feasible for small organizations.

●  Alternatives certainly exist, but they do not all compare to bake sales in terms of ease, reliability, and effectiveness

Recommendations

●  The School Committee should not enact a policy regarding bake sales that is more restrictive than regulations imposed by DESE. To this end, no policy should be enacted until a policy (or lackthereof) is finalized by DESE.

●  For any policy enacted that restricts bake sales, a lengthy transition period should be allotted as student organizations transition to alternative fundraising models.

●  Student organizations should explore alternative fundraising options and cooperative fundraising efforts independently of a bake sale policy’s implementation.

●  The high school administration should ultimately be responsible for implementing any policy enacted by DESE and/or the School Committee.