Firewood sale
- Outdoor: weather matters
Cut, split and sell donated or cheaply sourced firewood by the bag, load or cubic metre.
Typically raises
$1,500
$300–5,000 per campaignest.
About $55 per organiser hour
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $500–2,000
- Work
- Weeks, part-time
- Helpers
- 7–15 people
- Lead time
- 2–4 months
- Red tape
- Some
Fairly common: a rural and winter staple for some clubs
- People
- 4-10 with chainsaw-competent adults
- Organiser time
- 15-40 hours (estimate)
- Lead time
- Wood needs to dry; source in summer to sell in autumn and winter (estimate)
- Up-front cost
- $100. Fuel, chain oil, bags; trailer hire (estimate)
- Risk
- Low.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Take about $1,600, pay about $100 of costs, and you keep about $1,500 per campaign: the typical result.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Estimate. NZ examples: $30 a load or $50 for two loads of pallet wood (Volley South athletes); Mataroa School pine at $100 small to $300 load. NZ Farm Forestry lists pine at about $80 per cubic metre.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Line up a wood source in writing.
- Roster competent cutters with safety gear.
- Split and stack to dry.
- Price per bag and per load.
- Take orders with payment.
- Deliver or set pickup times.
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 6–8 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
- NeededA business’s site (shop front, store BBQ)
- Landowner’s permission
- NeededYes, in writing
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- Not neededNot gambling
- Health and safety
- NeededA written health and safety plan (councils often ask for one)
- First aid
- NeededA first aider and kit on site (recommended)
- Insurance
- CheckCheck your cover
Chainsaw and splitter work is high risk: a group with employees is a PCBU under the HSWA and needs a written plan; even all-volunteer groups should require chaps, helmets and competent operators. Selling from a roadside stand or berm can need council approval.
Make more from it
Bagged kindling and pine cones
often $5-10 a bag on top of each load (estimate)
offcuts that would otherwise be waste
Delivery and stacking fee
often $20-40 per load (estimate)
many buyers have no trailer
Stack it: on its own, about $1,500. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly
$1,500est.
What you can get donated
Fallen or felled trees from farmers and arborists; trailer and splitter loans.
Tips
- Ski Racers Ski Club has run firewood bags as a repeat fundraiser for club maintenance projects.
Watch out for
- Selling green wood that will not burn.
- Injuries.
Firewood sale: checklist
0 of 15 done
Before
While it runs
After
Chainsaw and splitter work is high risk: a group with employees is a PCBU under the HSWA and needs a written plan; even all-volunteer groups should require chaps, helmets and competent operators. Selling from a roadside stand or berm can need council approval.
* 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