Cookie Time bulk packs and Christmas buckets
Sell Cookie Time Rookie Cookie packs year-round or Christmas Cookie buckets in November-December.
Typically raises
$500
$150–1,500 per campaignest.
About $83 per organiser hour
Based on about 200 buckets sold
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $500–2,000
- Work
- An afternoon
- Helpers
- 1–2 people
- Lead time
- 2–3 weeks
- Red tape
- None
Common: Cookie Time packs are a long-running school standard
- People
- 1-2
- Organiser time
- 4-8 hours (estimate)
- Lead time
- Christmas Cookies available Nov-Dec (Cookie Time)
- Up-front cost
- Nothing up front. Pre-order through school payment app (e.g. Kindo)
- Risk
- Low.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Nothing to pay up front, and the typical result for about 200 buckets sold is about $500 per campaign.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Schools report keeping $2.50 per Christmas bucket (West Rolleston Primary; Aotawhiti). Raised lists $2-$3 per item. Totals are estimates (e.g. 200 buckets = $500).
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Register interest on Cookie Time's fundraising page and confirm the per-item return.
- Pick the product (Rookie Cookies year-round, Christmas buckets Nov-Dec).
- Set a short order window.
- Collect pre-paid orders via your payment app.
- Place one order and set a pickup day.
- Distribute and report the total.
Getting the word out
Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.
- Ask for help
- Members to pass the order form to family, friends and workmates.
- Ask people to buy
- People to order before the cut-off.
- When to start
- Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.
Where to put it
- Asking people yourselfMost yeses come from someone asking directly. Give every member a short message they can send to family and workmates.
- Email lists and group chatsYour members’ email list and the class, team or church group chats. Short, with one date or one link.
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.
What you’ll need
- Place
- Not neededNone needed
- Landowner’s permission
- Not needed
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- Not neededNot gambling
Pre-packaged product, so no food rules for the group. The Cookie Time Trust's raffle box is a raffle and gambling rules apply to it.
What you can get donated
Cookie Time Charitable Trust offers a raffle box to eligible youth-focused groups (not if a recipient in the past year) and reduced-rate cookies.
Tips
- Christmas buckets double as gifts, so time the window for late November.
Watch out for
- Short seasonal window.
Cookie Time bulk packs and Christmas buckets: checklist
0 of 8 done
Before
While it runs
After
Pre-packaged product, so no food rules for the group. The Cookie Time Trust's raffle box is a raffle and gambling rules apply to it.
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide