Homemade bulk-bake pre-order (sausage rolls, lamingtons, soup)
Volunteers cook one popular item in bulk for pre-paid orders, e.g. trays of sausage rolls or lamingtons.
Typically raises
$600
$200–1,500 per campaignest.
About $40 per organiser hour
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $500–2,000
- Work
- Weeks, part-time
- Helpers
- 7–15 people
- Lead time
- 2–3 weeks
- Red tape
- Light
Fairly common: sausage roll drives are known but not universal
- People
- 6-12 cooks and packers
- Organiser time
- 10-20 hours (estimate)
- Lead time
- 2-4 weeks for pre-orders (estimate)
- Up-front cost
- $300. Ingredients and packaging; recovered if pre-paid (estimate)
- Risk
- Low if pre-paid.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Take about $900, pay about $300 of costs, and you keep about $600 per campaign: the typical result.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Estimate. No NZ data found.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Pick one item and a tested recipe.
- Cost it per unit.
- Open pre-orders with payment.
- Book a kitchen.
- Cook in a supervised session.
- Pack, label with ingredients and allergens.
- Hand out in a collection window.
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
- NeededYour own grounds or hall
- Landowner’s permission
- Not needed
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- CheckNo registration if you sell food to fundraise for a good cause up to 20 times a calendar year. It must still be safe and suitable, and your council may need a stall permit
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- Not neededNot gambling
- Health and safety
- CheckA simple risk check and briefing
Covered by the Food Act fundraising exemption under 20 times a year, but meat fillings are higher risk: cook through, cool fast, keep chilled. Use a school, church or marae kitchen and ask council environmental health if unsure.
What you can get donated
Butter, flour, mince or pastry from suppliers; use of a school or church kitchen.
Tips
- One item done well beats a menu.
- Lamington drives are a common AU/NZ fundraiser format.
Watch out for
- Under-costing ingredients.
- Food safety with meat fillings.
Homemade bulk-bake pre-order (sausage rolls, lamingtons, soup): checklist
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Before
While it runs
After
Covered by the Food Act fundraising exemption under 20 times a year, but meat fillings are higher risk: cook through, cool fast, keep chilled. Use a school, church or marae kitchen and ask council environmental health if unsure.
Sources
* 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