Should we collect orders before buying fundraising stock?

Match the stock plan to how people will buy

A pie drive with a two-week ordering window is different from a stall selling snacks at Saturday's match. The pie drive can collect a list before the supplier packs it. The stall needs stock on hand when people arrive. Neither arrangement guarantees enough demand to meet your goal.

Start with the buying moment. Ask whether supporters need to see or receive the product immediately, whether they will wait for a stated collection date, and whether your volunteers can manage a second handover. Keep the promised collection date separate from the deadline for placing an order.

A pre-order does not remove the supplier minimum

Suppose you expect to sell 80 packs for $20 each. The supplier charges $12 a pack, requires 100 packs and quotes $100 for delivery. Buying the minimum costs $1,300; 80 sales bring in $1,600. That leaves $300 before any other expenses and 20 packs to store. These are invented figures to show the calculation, not a supplier offer.

A calculation that charges only for the 80 packs sold would show $540 instead. The missing $240 is the cost of those extra 20 packs. If you cannot accept that risk, negotiate a smaller order or choose another offer before collecting money. Do not assume the supplier will waive the minimum once your campaign is underway.

Write down when each payment becomes available

Put the supplier's invoice deadline beside your sales deadline and expected payment availability. An order total, a promised bank transfer and cleared money are different things. If the supplier needs a deposit before the campaign opens, pre-orders will not fund that deposit without a separate approved cash source.

Decide how you will handle unpaid orders before closing sales. Keep one exception list with a named organiser for follow-up. Do not quietly increase everyone else's order to cover a shortfall or spend money held for another purpose. Ask the treasurer to approve the final purchase against the money and commitments actually available.

• Confirm any deposit and the final supplier payment date.
• Allow time to match offline payments and resolve changes.
• Check card settlement timing rather than relying on the checkout date.
• Record who can approve extra stock or a change to the order.

Tell supporters what happens after ordering

Give supporters the collection place, date and contact route before they pay. If a delivery date is provisional or a minimum applies, explain the agreed plan for a delay or cancellation. Confirm that plan with the supplier rather than inventing a promise your committee cannot keep.

Use a short message like this, replacing every bracketed detail. Check it with your school or group before sharing it.

Orders close on [date]. Collection is planned for [date and place]. Our organiser will confirm [any remaining delivery detail] by [date]. If [the agreed cancellation condition] occurs, we will contact you with [the approved next step]. For order changes, contact [organiser] before [deadline].

Make one final buying decision

After orders close, compare the product totals with the order-by-order list. Check flavours, sizes and pack quantities, not just the overall number. Keep a dated final version and a record of any change accepted after it was prepared. The supplier needs purchase quantities; collection volunteers need the items for each supporter.

For a mixed pre-order and event sale, separate the two stock allocations. Count the event remainder afterwards and record how it will be used or disposed of under the supplier's guidance. Report the fundraising result after the supplier bill and other costs are reconciled.