# fundraiser process idea



## smokey mo (Dec 6, 2011)

So our church is sending a group of a college kids to Colombia in February and wanted to have a fund raiser.  I said I would like to help out so I said I would do it.

I don't remember who had posted this a year or so back but I loved his idea.  We set the fundraiser like this.

We take pre-orders for pork cushions that average 3# each precook.  We charge $21 dollars each.  We figured $7/lb is normal deli prices for pulled pork.  That cost also pays almost the full cost of a bag of cushions that contain 4 roasts.  

Ok so for each roast sold we bought 1bag of cushions.  We pre-sold 40 @ $21=$840

That is now our working money.  The cost of the meat was about $240 leaves us $600 to work the rest of the fundraiser.  We got lucky on this job and someone donated some to-go containers. That saved us some money.  We decided that we would use shoulder/butts for the sandwiches.  Bought dried pintos and pressure cooked them for baked beans, shredded cabbage for coleslaw.  We ended up spending about $100 extra on supplies that we made on pre-sales.  I can deal with that.  

Everything Saturday becomes profit. Sold sammies with 1 side for $7 and two sides for $9.

home made baked beans and coleslaw and sammies on simple 4.5" hamburger buns piled high. 








The process worked well and we will do this again.  Made just over $2k for the kids. Not bad for a one day fundraiser.  

I will say to help out stockpile things when they go on sale and ask for donations from local suppliers.  If you can find a local diner they might help with the location.  The community is a great resource for helping out.  

Get your legal ducks in a row from the health dept. and local rule for temp. food service. If you do it is a good way to make a name and have fun making some good BBQ and making people happy.


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## adiochiro3 (Dec 6, 2011)

Great idea, and great execution!  Sounds like a lot of work, though!  Would love to see some pix of the smoker rig(s) you used to get that much done.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 6, 2011)

Great job Rick!


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## frosty (Dec 6, 2011)

Rick, WOW good job.  I do some fundraising, and for a one day gig you did well.  CONGRATS!


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## sunman76 (Dec 6, 2011)

looks good Praise the Lord 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  what are the kids going to do there?


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## Dutch (Dec 6, 2011)

Wow! What an undertaking and you managed to pull if off too! Great job Rick!


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## scarbelly (Dec 6, 2011)

Great job Rick. Thanks for stepping in there to help too.  Please post up any qview you may have


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## smokey mo (Dec 6, 2011)

adiochiro3 said:


> Great idea, and great execution!  Sounds like a lot of work, though!  Would love to see some pix of the smoker rig(s) you used to get that much done.


Thanks- I will try to post some picts of the smoker.  
here is the build. I warn you the train of thought in this thread has no caboose!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/82007/the-big-build

I have added frames to hold chaffing dishes above the top shelves that worked out really well.  I will post that when I get a chance.


SmokinAl said:


> Great job Rick!


Thanks Al.


Frosty said:


> Rick, WOW good job.  I do some fundraising, and for a one day gig you did well.  CONGRATS!


I was completely overwhelmed by the turn out. Thanks.




sunman76 said:


> looks good Praise the Lord
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The guy that is college age group leader is friends with a couple that just moved down a couple of years ago to start and orphanage. So most of the work is construction of buildings and making the place livable.  The property was VERY run down when they took it over.  Much progress has been made but of course always more to be done.


Dutch said:


> Wow! What an undertaking and you managed to pull if off too! Great job Rick!


I could not have done this except by the Grace of God! I also want to give props to this forum for all that I have learned here.  From building the Beast to smoking the meat.  This is my go to sight for all things BBQ.  I tried looking at other forums but didn't like all the chest pounding and trash talk to each other.  This site is a giant family wanting to help others do their best.  That is something I can get be hind. Thanks Dutch.


Scarbelly said:


> Great job Rick. Thanks for stepping in there to help too.  Please post up any qview you may have









  I know, I know.  The sandwich is actual from the day of.  I didn't get one picture of the cook itself.  I fought the smoker all night with temps in the low 30's high 20's.  At one point I had wood on top of the firebox warming (because it all kept freezing on the ground) and slept for about 10 minutes and woke to a better fire ontop of the firebox than inside the thing! ARGG!  The 'seasoned' alder that I have may be just a little more green than I like.

I know one of the guys took a picture of all the meat on trays but I haven't seen it.  When I get a copy I will post it.  Tonight if I can get home before dark I will try to take pictures of the chaff trays that I added.  They worked out slick as a whistle.

Thanks Gary.

Thanks all for checking out the thread.

r


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## supercenterchef (Dec 10, 2011)

Can you explain some of the 'legal ducks in a row'?

The wife and I are starting an unrelated business and I was hoping to smoke some butt for the 'open house', but am unsure how to protect myself (other businesses in town do this all the time, with NO protection I'm sure...but I'd rather not... 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





)


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## mballi3011 (Dec 10, 2011)

Congrats there Rick you did a great thing.


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## shtrdave (Dec 10, 2011)

Sounds like you and a lot of people helped to make a success of the fundraiser.

What are Pork Cushions? I have never heard of them.


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## smokey mo (Dec 10, 2011)

SupercenterChef said:


> Can you explain some of the 'legal ducks in a row'?
> 
> The wife and I are starting an unrelated business and I was hoping to smoke some butt for the 'open house', but am unsure how to protect myself (other businesses in town do this all the time, with NO protection I'm sure...but I'd rather not...
> 
> ...


Just check with your local county health rules.  Some areas require a lead person to have a food handlers card and others require everyone to have them.  Some areas may require insurance (just in case you got meat that was bad before you bought it) Things like that. We do a lot of charity work for free and dont want the parent groups to get in trouble by making a mistake on my part.  Its just good to know the rules for the area.




mballi3011 said:


> Congrats there Rick you did a great thing.


 Thanks friend! You have taught me a lot through reading your posts.



shtrdave said:


> Sounds like you and a lot of people helped to make a success of the fundraiser.
> 
> What are Pork Cushions? I have never heard of them.


Honestly, I am not sure what the 'cushion' is.  We buy them in a four pack and they weigh about 3 pounds a piece.  We buy at a United Grocers/Cash n carry commercial supplier.  They are great for roast sales.  You can yield about 6 sammies from each roast. Pops might be able to tell you where they come from.


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## ecto1 (Dec 11, 2011)

I love it when a plan comes together....


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## shoneyboy (Dec 11, 2011)

I followed your build a while back and have to give you a 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  for the biuld and helping the kids. I have been wanting to do the same thing for a while now. I hope that if everything works out, my son and I will be able to begin a 250 gal RF build this year. SB


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## smokey mo (Dec 11, 2011)

ECTO1 said:


> I love it when a plan comes together....


Thanks Sir Ecto!




Shoneyboy said:


> I followed your build a while back and have to give you a
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I had so much fun building this thing. It gives us a great way to help the groups we love.  Not to mention we think we have better Q than the local rib house.

Have fun and plan well.  You will change things while the build progresses. It just happens. Good luck.  Let me know when you start so I can watch.


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## smokey mo (Dec 11, 2011)

So I found a thread that Pops answered what a pork cushion is.  

He is the master of meat cuts...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/77027/what-is-pork-cushion-meat

Hope it answers any questions.


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## scarbelly (Dec 12, 2011)

SupercenterChef said:


> Can you explain some of the 'legal ducks in a row'?
> 
> The wife and I are starting an unrelated business and I was hoping to smoke some butt for the 'open house', but am unsure how to protect myself (other businesses in town do this all the time, with NO protection I'm sure...but I'd rather not...
> 
> ...




I am not sure what you are wanting to do - if you are opening a non food related business then you have no problem serving food. If you are opening a food related business then you should check with the local health department and city and county regulations. The last thing you need is for them to come shut you down in the middle of an opening party because you did not pull a permit.


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## supercenterchef (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks for the info, Scarbelly...it is indeed a non food business...just wanting to have some snacks (pulled pork sammie) to say thanks for coming out!


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## tyotrain (Dec 17, 2011)

Great job


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