A couple of weeks ago a local group organized a bake sale to raise money to pay for the spaying, neutering, and relocation of over 1,500 rabbits from the University of Victoria Campus – in response to the University’s plan to kill the majority of the rabbits to reduce their population. 

The event was put together entirely by volunteers – and in the end it raised around $8,300. 

As far as bake sales go, this one is the most successful I have heard of. Bake sales are the epitome of grassroots fundraising, and usually raise anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a couple of thousand. 

Why was this particular bake sale so successful?

I think it really goes back to some fundamentals of fundraising: 

1. Matching. A donor was approached about giving a $1,000 matching donation. Someone else came forward with another $1,000 matching donation when the first one was publicized.  A day or two before the event another person came forward with a $1,000 matching donation. In the end 4 $1,000 donations were received by the organizers. By asking for the initial matching gift, the organizers spurred additional matching – meaning they could triple every dollar in proceeds from the sale.
2. A clear and urgent deadline. Enough money needed to be raised by the end of July to show the government and the officials at the University that capturing and removing the rabbits was a viable option. 
3. A specific ask. The cause was clear: raise enough money to spay, neuter, and relocate all of the rabbits or they would be killed by the University.
4. Personal and emotional connection. Many people who came to the bake sale had memories of the rabbits on the University campus. Many had been students there. 

37 people signed up to bake for the event, and the restaurant that hosted (3G Vegetarian) donated 20% of their sales from the night. 

While this bake sale may seem like an anomaly that would be hard to reproduce, it does illustrate the importance of appeals that are clear, urgent, emotional, and personal. Also, if you can manage it, a matching donation can do more than simply double your donations.