Have you organized a big breakfast?

[BlsdMama]

Can you help me brainstorm?

 

This is to fundraise $$ for DS' Eagle project.

 

DS is asking Grandpa to donate a piggy.   (He will.)
The appointment at the butcher is made to have it turned into breakfast links.

The American Legion hall is planned and has the kitchen and includes all place settings.

 We can serve a few hundred.

My aunt has organized church breakfasts and their "count" for September varies from 325-402 for the last few years so we have an idea of a head count.

We know a church that has a big belgian waffle maker - DS can contact them this week.

We emailed the local paper so we can do an "interest story" and mention the breakfast and the project so we can get more volunteers.

DS contacted the local Scout group to ask for support for servers and table waiters as well as cooks.  We can mostly handle this ourselves so if we pick up a half dozen people we'd be set.

 

 

 

Things I know to do:

 

Open an account to put in the $$.

Make a jar for donations.

Make a plan for how much juice, coffee, syrups, waffle mixes.  Eggs too????

Make posters

Plan a bake sale for the same time. (Apparently this usually raises another $400-$600 approximately.

Make posters.

Make a list of churches to announce the breakfast at the morning service.

 

 

Must decide if we're going to do the "sell a board" thing for the fundraiser.  Ask for permission from the Board to do so.  Price the plaques for such a thing.

 

Make a jar for free will donations.

Make a plan for drop off of baked goods.

 

 

Please, please feel free to add ideas or suggestions that I must do.  We are planning a wedding at the same time so life is a little crazy at our house right now.  On that front, we have the dress.  

 

I am sleeping all of December.

Edited September 8, 2016 by BlsdMama

[Elizabeth 2]

Don't forget creamer and sugar, and stirrers for the coffee. 

Assign a dishwasher to one experienced person.  If this gets behind, oh buddy.  

Do you have any musicians in the family to arrange one or two to play for a little while. Sometimes entertainment is a big draw.  

Facebook announcement.

Babysitter for the littles.

What can you pre-mix.

Timeline of when workers need to be there so you're not waiting on the expert waffle maker.

Set-up a self serve water/coffee station to lower need for servers with such a large crowd.  Or have some dedicated drink servers.

 

Just some ideas to consider.

[Carrie12345]

My parents do a lot of big breakfasts.  They swear by containers of liquid eggs.  I don't even like cracking eggs for my family of 7!

[justasque]

Thoughts -

 

Consider whether everyone who goes to their church's breakfast will show up for something "once removed" from their church, especially if it is in a different location; plan numbers accordingly.  Better to run out of food and turn people away than to have so much left over that you end up in the red.

 

Make sure you have a carefully-planned budget.  If you can get donations or discounts on the ingredients, that will help the bottom line.  Little things like napkins can add up.

This breakfast in itself includes a lot of leadership and logistics.  If the resulting project needs to be changed or scaled back, your ds will still have significant leadership work done.  Keep track of the number of volunteers and the hours spent in planning and at the breakfast itself.  Make some disclaimer about how you have a Plan A project and a Plan B project, and will choose based on money raised.

With that in mind, the breakfast itself could be turned into a project - my ds did two STEM evenings for elementary-aged kids and their families.  We had "stations" with various activities - egg drop competition, sewing felt "ugly" dolls, origami, chess, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting, plus a marshmallow-toothpick tower competition.  You could incorporate something similar to your breakfast - food and STEM together.  Just a thought since I know the birthday timeline is ticking.

[ktgrok]

I'd do waffles and sausage and juice/coffee, no eggs.Eggs adds a lot of expense and trouble. More likely to burn, etc. 

[Liz CA]

 

I am sleeping all of December.

 

I would. Reading the list just made me dizzy.

No real suggestions but congrats to your ds for getting to his Eagle status.

Oh wait...years ago we attended a pancake breakfast fundraiser and they kept syrup in slow cookers to keep it warm; they ladled it out onto each plate when people walked by.

[catz]

I think the easiest things to do for big breakfasts are crustless quiches of many varieties - plain, w/sausage, veg.  Fruit is a good thing to provide.  Waffles are WAY more work.  Oven pancakes could be good.  Big pots of slow cooker oatmeal with fixings?

 

The individually made things like pancake and waffles are just hard to make paced right for a crowd and are often served too cold to enjoy IMO. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by WoolySocks

[ktgrok]

You can keep pancakes hot in a slow cooker as well, turned on keep warm. 

[happi duck]

Any privately owned McDonald's (or similar) in the area? I knew an owner who donated coffee and pancake fixings to events like this.

 

The best run breakfast I know serves pancakes and sausage. There is coffee, juice and milk along with syrup, cream and sugar/sweetener etc.

 

Another successful breakfast served quiche and fruit as the meal.

[Mrs_JWM]

Definitely serve the syrup yourselves - too much waste otherwise. You could even use squeeze bottle of syrup in waterbaths in slow cookers so it would stay warm.

 

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

[Elizabeth 2]

Oh! Muffins are actually super easy to do ahead.  They don't cost anymore than pancakes since they use the same ingredients.  They can be frozen, pulled the night before, and warmed in the oven while prepping anything else.   You can also take advantage of cheap brown bananas due to this summer heat and freeze them now.  Chocolate chips ones or bran ones would also be inexpensive varieties. Make extra for December so the kids can fix their own breakfasts while you sleep! :D

 

I have read the Tightwad Gazette way too many times than I care to admit! Plus, two years working in a small town bakery and cafe that did awesome muffins taught me how to make a family favorite.  

[BlsdMama]

I think the easiest things to do for big breakfasts are crustless quiches of many varieties - plain, w/sausage, veg.  Fruit is a good thing to provide.  Waffles are WAY more work.  Oven pancakes could be good.  Big pots of slow cooker oatmeal with fixings?

 

The individually made things like pancake and waffles are just hard to make paced right for a crowd and are often served too cold to enjoy IMO. 

 

 

Thoughts -

 

Consider whether everyone who goes to their church's breakfast will show up for something "once removed" from their church, especially if it is in a different location; plan numbers accordingly.  Better to run out of food and turn people away than to have so much left over that you end up in the red.

 

Make sure you have a carefully-planned budget.  If you can get donations or discounts on the ingredients, that will help the bottom line.  Little things like napkins can add up.

 

This breakfast in itself includes a lot of leadership and logistics.  If the resulting project needs to be changed or scaled back, your ds will still have significant leadership work done.  Keep track of the number of volunteers and the hours spent in planning and at the breakfast itself.  Make some disclaimer about how you have a Plan A project and a Plan B project, and will choose based on money raised.

 

With that in mind, the breakfast itself could be turned into a project - my ds did two STEM evenings for elementary-aged kids and their families.  We had "stations" with various activities - egg drop competition, sewing felt "ugly" dolls, origami, chess, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting, plus a marshmallow-toothpick tower competition.  You could incorporate something similar to your breakfast - food and STEM together.  Just a thought since I know the birthday timeline is ticking.

 

 

 

So - the catch here is two-fold.

 

We never really wanted to do a breakfast... at all.  *However* the project (Plan A) is that thing he is doing and he is building a gazebo for his great grandfather's assisted living facility.  We're in that neck deep.  What we DIDN'T realize was that often the group receiving the project has a budget.  We signed up to fundraise BEFORE we realized that little tidbit.  So, we've gotten the quotes in and we know where we sit as far as need... Now we need to meet the need.  And while I know it surpasses the normal project, I like that he was willing to do hard things.  It's going to be a rough month.  I'm not completely sure we'll survive, but mostly so. ;)

 

And we thought, "Not such an overwhelming thing.  We'll do a raffle."  Boy Scouts nixed the raffle.  Apparently that is gambling and therefore unethical.  Their choice I guess.  So I spoke with my cousin's wife who does a lot of fundraising in the community with the Lions Club and the fastest way to raise $$ in this particular community is through a breakfast though the spaghetti dinner is often good.  The average is right around $2200 and I'm not sure if that is counting the bake sale or not.  That's your run of the mill pancake, sausage, and eggs.

 

There isn't a planned breakfast for October - one for September and one for November, but NOT one for October.    :thumbup:    We really thought about using the Catholic school gym and kitchen, however, my aunt who helps organize those said they rarely get cross-church attendance and wouldn't recommend it.  So she pulled the figures for me for attendance for the past few years worth of fall attendance numbers.

 

In the meantime, cousin's wife talked it over with a few members of the Lions Club and the best selling breakfast that has ever been done has been a Belgian Waffle breakfast - almost $4k.  There is a gentleman in town that owns the equipment and he is generally quite generous for a good cause.  If he can, awesome.  If he can't, we'll go to something else.  But I'm afraid the quiche will not go over as high and the costs would be significantly more - we'd have to purchase  eggs, whereas the pig is donated from my Dad. ;)

 

So......... That was our thinking.  If anyone sees any flaws in it, I'm up for listening!

[BlsdMama]

Hard doesn't scare me.... much.   :crying:

 

Failing does.

 

 

:glare:

 

I just need to get those t's crossed and the i's dotted.

 

Fortunately, the wedding seems to be MUCH lower key than this project.  I have no clue how that is even possible, but thank goodness.

[G5052]

My dad used to run pancake breakfasts for his local Kiwanis Club. They raised thousands and thousands of dollars every year for scholarships.

 

They served from the high school cafeteria and provided pancakes and sausage with syrup and jam. Drinks were water, juice, coffee, and tea. Syrup was in slow cookers with a ladle, and they provided margarine.

 

The club owned a number of electric griddles and some were brought from home. Some brought sausage cooked at home in crockpots and the rest was cooked in the cafeteria ovens.

 

The initial crew got there at 5am to set up and cook piles of pancakes they kept warm in the ovens.

 

Then they served starting at 7am. They had a "crew chief" that walked around making sure everything kept moving, a cooking crew, and a cleaning crew that kept the tables cleared and the trash picked up. He also had people assigned to run to the store or handle any emergencies that came up.

 

Part of what made it doable is that they also sold tickets ahead of time, $1 off if you pre-purchased. At the door they sold the remaining tickets until they ran out. That way they pretty much knew each time how much food they needed. 

 

They also had a donation jar and bake sale. 

[Guest]

Ask a restaurant or diner owner for donations of food and supplies.

[Guest]

Isn't every breakfast at your house a BIG BREAKFAST?

 

;-)

 

good luck, you can do it!

[ktgrok]

Also, if you have a walmart or such near you, consider asking them for donations of napkins, etc. 

[lmrich]

Starbucks and (I think) Duncan donates coffee for these type of events. 

 

Pancakes are easy if you have enough flippers. Make the batter ahead of time and bring in as many electric griddles as you can and start flipping. Unless you can get the Belgian waffle thing which sounds great.

 

 

[JustEm]

Is the sell a board thing where you sell a space and then draw names? I don't get what this is.

I believe it is where you allow people to buy a plank of the gazebo. Then the people who buy a plank either have their name on a dedication/thank you plaque with everyone else who bought one or their actual names are recognized on the plank itself. I've seen it both ways. I've seen brick paths in which some bricks have names engraved on them and I've seen statues with a plaque next to it recognizing donors.

[StephanieZ]

I'd do the waffles, and I'd add whip cream and a bunch of mini chocolate chips -- to make chocolate chip waffles for the kids (and grown ups like me). Slather those waffles with some whipped cream and sprinkle on some mini chocolate chips (better have this manned by a volunteer and not self-served!), and you've got divine food, lol.

 

If your budget allows for fruit, then I'd add a big fruit salad, too. That really rounds things out and would be super tasty.

 

If you really want to do eggs, I'd figure out some sort of egg casserole things that could be done in slow cookers. I'm sure such a thing exists. I do oven egg casseroles that are really good. If you could get someone to donate eggs, then for sure do this. If not, then it's a cost/benefit thing and would depend on your budget. 

 

Definitely ask Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Panera, etc for coffee and/or pastry donations. Those sorts of places can be very generous, and having anything donated will improve your bottom line. 

 

Likewise, ask your local markets for paper goods, etc. 

 

[Rachel]

Lisa in Italy (I think) has this down to a science. She had a thread within the last couple months talking about a fundraiser she had run and even gave some details on how she did it. You may want to message her.

[Rachel]

I can't find the thread! Her correct user name is Lisa in VA is in IT.

[Plink]

If Grandpa has already donated the pig, I'd run a "save the bacon" raffle - $5 per ticket and one person takes home whatever cuts you won't be using for breakfast. Locally raised meat draws a lot of attention around here, and at $5 per ticket you can quickly raise a significant amount of money.

 

ETA - just saw the no raffles rule. Drat, that complicates things.

Edited September 9, 2016 by Plink

[FriedClams]

I think the pancake mix (blue bag...Kru-something) they sell at Sam's will refund you part of the cost if it's for a fundraiser. I saw it on the package once.

[Erica in OR]

I think the pancake mix (blue bag...Kru-something) they sell at Sam's will refund you part of the cost if it's for a fundraiser. I saw it on the package once.

 

Krusteaz is the blue bag. You can also make it into a waffle batter by adding oil and eggs instead of water only. We also buy it by the 25 lb. box at a local restaurant supply store.

 

Erica in OR

[BlsdMama]

Truly ya'all are the best resource in the world.  I'm going to go back through this and take notes.

 

 

 

Is the sell a board thing where you sell a space and then draw names? I don't get what this is. 

 

I see someone answered for me. ;)
 

Isn't every breakfast at your house a BIG BREAKFAST?

;-)

good luck, you can do it!

 

LOL, big, yes, THIS big ? Nope! ;)
 

I believe it is where you allow people to buy a plank of the gazebo. Then the people who buy a plank either have their name on a dedication/thank you plaque with everyone else who bought one or their actual names are recognized on the plank itself. I've seen it both ways. I've seen brick paths in which some bricks have names engraved on them and I've seen statues with a plaque next to it recognizing donors.

 

Yup.  The idea came from this board too about the same time I panicked about not being allowed to do a raffle.

 

Lisa in Italy (I think) has this down to a science. She had a thread within the last couple months talking about a fundraiser she had run and even gave some details on how she did it. You may want to message her.

 

Thank you!

 

If Grandpa has already donated the pig, I'd run a "save the bacon" raffle - $5 per ticket and one person takes home whatever cuts you won't be using for breakfast. Locally raised meat draws a lot of attention around here, and at $5 per ticket you can quickly raise a significant amount of money.

ETA - just saw the no raffles rule. Drat, that complicates things.

It complicated things terribly - we knew a few different businesses that would donate and the pig too.  :(  It really could have been so easy and I KNOW, I really do, that hard is GOOD, I just wanted the building to be hard and the fundraising to be EASY! ;)