Who doesn’t like s’mores? Everyone thinks he or she can make the best one, too. A fundraiser letting people have a chance to prove how good their s’mores really are would be a great addition to a 4th of July celebration! A county fair, or at any other time during the summer and autumn camping season, would also be a good time for this fundraiser.

All comers can be charged a small fee per ‘pack’ of s’mores making supplies. You can also sell cold drinks, hotdogs, and chips as snacks at a higher price. (See if a local grocery will donate the foodstuffs in return for a ‘sponsored by’ sign or banner at your event). After judging is finished, you can even sell the competing s’mores! Consider holding an auction at the very end of the judging to see who will pay the highest price for the ‘best of show’.
Have contestants pay an entrance fee high enough to cover the cost of grills, charcoal and wood, and still give your organization a margin of profit.   You can also provide chocolate from traditional candy fundraiser products which can yield high profits.  The public can make pledges for their favorite contestants; the ones they think will make the best s’mores, the gooiest s’mores, the biggest s’mores, and the tastiest s’mores. A pre-selected panel of judges will determine the winners (try for local celebs, pillars of the community, etc)

Distribute flyers and hang posters in grocery stores and other family friendly locations slightly in advance of the fundraiser date. Ask local television and radio stations to announce the event, also. Tell friends, have them tell friends, and invite as many campfire and s’mores enthusiasts as possible!

Get permission to use a parking lot (the school is a great place to hold this event), and set up a group of small grills for toasting the marshmallows. If there is a park with many fire-pits or grills in a single area, arrange to use that. Several contestants can toast at the same fire-pit or grill. Still supply little portable grills in case there are more entries than the park facilities can accommodate.

Have many long sticks available for the contestants, as well as charcoal or little bundles of kindling and wood. There can be a category for s’mores with charcoal toasted marshmallows and one for wood-fire toasted marshmallows. There can also be a poll or vote to decide which is better – charcoal toasted or wood-fire toasted. This will add another dimension to the competition and fun.

This can be a fun and tasty fundraiser to hold during the months people enjoy outdoor activities. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in a s’mores toast-off? All your attendees will be hollering for some more s’mores!

S’mores Fundraiser is a post from: Elementary School Fundraising Ideas