A popular, fun and easy way to raise money is by selling candles. Scented, designer candles in particular make great items for fundraisers, because they are inexpensive, easy to handle and they make great gifts. Around the holidays is an especially good time for a candle fundraiser, at a time when everybody is scrambling trying to figure out gifts. Your candle fundraiser can give gift-givers a new idea, and an easy way to shop.

Your organization will derive a good profit margin from candle sales. Companies like Aromalight, for example, allow you a 50 to 60 percent margin on your sales. Like most vendors, this one provides you with color brochures, from which you make your sales.

You may have some people in your organization who like crafts, and maybe even some people who have made candles before to sell at the flea market. The idea may come up that your organization could make your own candles to sell, instead of re-selling candles from another organization.

 

Before you go down that road though, there are a lot of things to consider. Do the people in your group really have the time to manufacture candles? It may be fun to do for a day or two as a home craft project, but to actually go into production with it will take time--and quite possibly a lot more time than your volunteers have.

After spending all week manufacturing the candles, will your volunteers still have the time and energy to go out and sell them? With limited time, you may best spend your time in sales, as opposed to manufacturing. Another consideration is overage--a good candle company will not require a very large minimum order, and so you won't be left with a lot of candles you can't sell. When you make them yourself, it's very possible that you will have a lot more product that you have orders, and that means that you've wasted some of the resources you've put into it.

 

In addition, making them yourself requires up-front capital for supplies and expenses, while using a third-party manufacturer requires very little, if any, up-front capital. There are some organizations that give you the option of either selling them through brochures, or by ordering the candles ahead of time.

Of course, by ordering them ahead of time, you gain the advantage of having the product in hand, so your customers can see them and receive them right away. However, you have the drawback of having to deal with inventory. While most companies with this option will allow you to return unsold candles, you may still have some loss or breakage that you will have to cover.

There are a lot of different types of candles, from the ordinary household candle, to scented decorator candles, candles made in the shape of characters, and aromatherapy candles. Even the material varies, and some candles are soy-based, which may appeal to a specific type of audience. Soy candles are made from soybean wax, and contain no petroleum products, and may have a greater appeal to ecologically-friendly groups. Some candles also have different themes, such as holiday candles, or religious candles.

Consider the nature of your group and your potential audience when selecting the type of candle you are going to sell. You may even want to mix two or more different types. A religious group selling candles only to their in-group may do well with a selection of religious candles, but if your religious group is going to set up shop outside of a grocery store or other public place, something with a broader appeal may be in order.

 

When you are planning your sale, you may also wish to consider what you have to show your customer. While you can certainly sell candles, or any other item out of a color brochure, it may help to have something in hand to show. Some candle companies will allow you to order a small number ahead of time to use as samples, and some even have sample "scratch" scents directly on the brochure!