Seasonal bakery pre-orders (hot cross buns, Christmas cakes)
Partner with a bakery to pre-sell hot cross buns before Easter or Christmas baking, with a set amount per pack to the group.
Typically raises
$400
$100–1,200 per campaignest.
About $89 per organiser hour
Based on one school's Easter or Christmas pre-order
Is it right for us?
- Money
- Under $500
- Work
- An afternoon
- Helpers
- 1–2 people
- Lead time
- 1–2 months
- Red tape
- None
Fairly common: hot cross bun drives pop up most Easters
- People
- 1-2
- Organiser time
- 3-6 hours (estimate)
- Lead time
- Easter: run orders in Term 1 (Raised); Christmas: Nov-Dec
- Up-front cost
- Nothing up front. None; bakery fills pre-orders
- Risk
- None to low.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Nothing to pay up front, and the typical result for one school's Easter or Christmas pre-order is about $400 per campaign.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Bakers Delight stores donate $2 per hot cross bun 6-pack in school fundraisers (Bombay School; Patumahoe School). Totals are estimates. Lions Christmas Cakes ($26 each, cartons of 12) are a long-running example, but the programme is for Lions Clubs.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Ask your local bakery (Bakers Delight stores take enquiries locally).
- Agree per-pack amount in writing.
- Share order form.
- Bakery bakes to order; collect on a set day.
- Confirm the donation 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
The bakery is the food business, so the group needs no food registration. Agree the per-pack amount in writing.
What you can get donated
Bakery's per-pack donation.
Tips
- Bakers Delight runs fundraising through local stores; email info@bakersdelight.co.nz or ask in store.
Watch out for
- Short window before the holiday.
Seasonal bakery pre-orders (hot cross buns, Christmas cakes): checklist
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Before
After
The bakery is the food business, so the group needs no food registration. Agree the per-pack amount in writing.
* 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