What exactly is a cheesecake calendar fundraiser? It's a calendar with 'tongue-in-cheek' photos of community members combined with delicious cheesecake recipes on every page. The cheesecake aspect gives it something of a naughty connotation, but it's really tasteful and all in good fun.

Getting started
Obviously, you'll need a photographer and your calendar models, so choose a theme and start hitting up possible volunteers. Ask a photographer to donate his or her services in exchange for free advertising. Get your models from amongst your group's leadership, prominent community members, politicians, teachers, etc.

Choose a theme that is somewhat racy, funny, or offbeat. Everybody's heard of the English ladies garden club whose matronly models posed nude behind strategically placed props. The resulting scandal generated so much publicity that they sold millions of calendars and the story became a movie starring Helen Mirren.

Think outside the box in your approach. Consider having men pose while doing things they ordinarily wouldn't such as wearing a cheerleading uniform and performing stunts while wearing wigs. Or, women might pose doing traditional men's roles or wearing superhero costumes. Just make it as fun and lively as possible.

Cash calendar
You can add a cash raffle to your calendar sales effort fairly easily. Basically, you bump up the price by $5 or $10 and include a raffle ticket for a grand prize drawing of half the extra cash raised. Or, you can just make it a regular raffle offering several donated prizes such as gift certificates, CD players, or a big screen TV.

Sell advertising
You can also sell advertising or sponsorships to raise even more funds. For example, a portrait service might want to place an ad offering a discount. A chiropractor might offer a free consultation. A cheesecake supplier would surely love to be a featured sponsor!

These ads can tie in nicely because people tend to look at calendars every day, so it's a good value for the advertisers. Plus, if the ads are offering valuable discounts on goods and services, you can use them to help convince people to buy the calendar.

Sales tips
Be creative in your sales approach. Don't just have a stack of calendars laying on a table and hope somebody buys one. Kick off your sales campaign with a big launch party featuring all your models in their portrait costumes, live music, food and beverages, etc.

Charge admission and offer silent auction items. Offer door prizes and do a raffle drawing. Draw a bigger crowd by doing a press release featuring the most newsworthy story angle behind your calendar.

Offer local businesses a cut of each calendar they sell for you. Most advertisers will help promote the calendars and can refer you to friends or acquaintances that own or manage other locations where sales can be made.

You can also setup sales tables outside high-traffic retail location such as grocery stores, drug stores, etc. Just be sure to get permission first and use big signs to explain your fundraiser well ahead of time to those approaching from the parking lot.

Cheesecake calendar summary
The right calendar theme can create a lot of buzz that will propel your sales. Doing a tongue-in-cheek cheesecake calendar is a surefire way to raise funds and have fun while doing it.

Add extra fundraising by selling ad space, doing a launch party, or including a raffle ticket with each sale. Boost sales by offering sales commissions to local businesses and by selling in high-traffic locations.

All in all, a cheesecake calendar fundraiser is a tasty way to raise funds!


Kimberly Reynolds writes for news and magazine publications about cheer fundraisers, having a Cheesecake Calendar Fundraiser and charity fundraiser events. Find more church fund raisers on her website, FundraiserHelp.com