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Each month I like to post a fundraising idea to help you raise money for special projects at your nursing home. This month let’s look at a used book sale.
Even though you probably won’t raise an enormous amount of money with this sale, I think it’s still a good fundraiser because it costs you absolutely nothing. Since all of the books are donated, every cent of the profit is yours to keep.
Sounds easy, right? In general, this is an easy event to organize. That being said, I’ve discovered several tips to make a book sale more profitable and enjoyable.
Before The Sale
The one thing that will make or break a used book sale is advertising. You need lots of people to donate books and lots of people to buy books. Spread the word by every free means you can find. Options include Facebook, Craigslist, Nextdoor, flyers in stores, yard signs, free community event announcements (newspapers, radio, TV), and word of mouth.
I find it works best to specify drop-off times for people to bring book donations to the nursing home. You don’t want people coming at times that are disruptive to the residents or their caregivers. Also, ask if you can set up a book drop-box at a coffee shop, church, or other business a week or so before the sale.
If at all possible, have a volunteer available to accept the books. This provides an opportunity to thank the donors and encourage them to spread the word about the upcoming sale.
Go through the books as soon as possible and discard or recycle any that are badly damaged or soiled. Shoddy books scattered throughout the sale make the entire sale look shoddy.
If you have a volunteer with some knowledge of collectibles, keep an eye out for possible rare books. Double-check the value online, and you might find a book or two that will result in a better price if sold elsewhere.
Ask local businesses to donate cloth bags for use during the sale. This provides a bit of advertising for the business, and it gives you a nice supply of sturdy bags for people who purchase several books.
Day Of The Sale
You’ll want to organize the books according to their topic. Examples include cookbooks, romance, self-help, and mystery.
To keep the sale area looking uncluttered, I find it works best to place the books in boxes on tables with the spines facing upward. This allows people to glance at the titles without digging through a pile of books. Have a volunteer assigned to rearrange areas that become messy.
Rather than trying to price individual books, it’s much easier to price according to the style of a book. For example, you might want to set separate prices for hardcovers, softcover, and children’s books.
I encourage you to set your prices on the low side. It’s better to sell lots of books at low prices, rather than ending up with stacks of leftover books.
Two signs you’ll want to clearly post are: “Cash only” and “All sales final”. Also, post information about the purpose of the fundraiser. People are more apt to support a specific project rather than simply donating money to your nursing home.
Place a jar on the cashier’s table so people can throw in their spare change. Every little bit helps!
After The Sale
Pack up the leftover books and donate them to a local thrift store. Most will send someone to pick them up if you’ve arranged this with them in advance.
After any fundraiser, I encourage volunteers to get together as soon as possible to evaluate the event. What went well? What should we do differently next time?
Post the final results of the sale, so caregivers and others who supported the event will know that their contributions made a difference.
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