Sausage Sizzles - Organising your BBQ Fundraiser

Sausage Sizzles - Organising your BBQ Fundraiser

No matter what time of year it is, we Aussie’s love a sausage sizzle and they can be quite profitable for your school or club. However, there’s a little more to a successful sausage sizzle than just setting up the BBQ and collecting the cash.

To ensure you have a profitable barbie, we’ve put together some tips that will help with organising your sausage sizzle. Note: this guide is for any type of BBQ stall, however we have also put together a supplementary guide with tips specific to Bunnings sausage sizzles which you can find here. 

Contents:
1.    Ordering your Supplies
2.    Insurance
3.    Volunteers
4.    Promotion
5.    Other revenue Opportunities 
6.    Logistics
7.    Wrap up and Handover

When you think fundraising sausage sizzle, you think Bunnings community BBQ’s, but there are many more opportunities out there for sausage sizzle. Some Coles and Woolworths supermarkets also hold regular weekend barbie’s, so get in touch with your local store or jump online to their website to find out more information and what’s involved. 

Local, state or federal government elections are another great opportunity where you will have a captive audience. Election day BBQ’s have become a bit of an institution here in Australia and who can resist the smell of sausages and onions cooking whilst they’re waiting in line to vote? Local markets or even your local supermarket (e.g., IGA) or smaller shopping centres might also be an option. Get in touch with the organisers or management to see if they have any opportunities. 

Due to the popularity of the sausage sizzles (and the fundraising opportunities they offer), companies such as Bunnings can often have long waiting lists. If you are not already on the list, you will need to write a letter (on your organisation’s letterhead) - to the activities organiser at your local store. 

They have quite strict rules about what you can and can’t do and what they will supply and what you need to bring. You will need to attend an information night prior to your BBQ and also give them a copy of your current public liability insurance. 

Ordering your supplies 

Don’t think that you need to get too fancy when planning your sausage sizzle. For $2.50 a sausage, no one is expecting “gourmet” and even with the best of intentions, trust me when I tell you you’ll be creating more work for yourself than necessary! 

Some places like Bunnings have rules about what you can sell, so it’s usually easiest to stick to your basic beef sausages, onions and bread and a selection of tomato sauce, BBQ sauce and mustard for your condiments.

If you are doing an all day BBQ, then the following amounts can be used as a guideline for ordering, but note that this is a guide only and you should try to have someone on standby that can duck off to pick up more bread, sausages or sauce if necessary:

We have prepared a really cool quantity calculator — it’s one of the hundreds of free downloads in our toolbox — head here to register for access.

Here’s an example of suggested quantities: 

• 50kg beef sausages (most sausages are gluten free, but it’s best to confirm with your supplier in case you are asked by punters on the day) 
• 30 loaves of bread 
• 20kg sliced onions (if you can’t buy pre-sliced, then ensure these are sliced the day before) 
• 2ltrs of each of your condiments (tomato & BBQ sauce and mustard –many people love a bit of mustard on their sausage!) 

You will also need to decide whether you will be selling drinks as well. You can sell these for up to $1.50 each and if you buy them on special, that can be more than 100% profit on each one. Drinks sales can be very dependent on the weather, so take this into account when ordering. 

Again, don’t overcomplicate it. It’s best to go with about 4 different soft drink options (e.g. Coke, diet coke or coke zero, lemonade, Fanta or lemon squash). Include a diet cola and don’t forget water. 

Given the quantities needed, you’ll most likely need to order in advance. Shop around to see where you can get the best deals. 

We have prepared a checklist of what you will need — it’s one of the hundreds of free downloads in our toolbox — head here to register for access.

Insurance

Public liability insurance is essential and it’s your responsibility to check whether you are required to provide your own or whether you can arrange to be noted on your location’s public liability policy to cover you. Most schools and clubs have their own public liability insurance and you should check with your own insurer to make sure your event is covered, whether it be at your own site or elsewhere. 

If your BBQ is off site, you may need to provide a certificate of currency proving your insurance is up to date. Don’t leave it too late to ask for this as some insurance companies can require up to a week or 10 days lead time for this.

Volunteers

Volunteers are the key to a successful production line. If you are running an all day sausage sizzle, you’ll be looking at starting around 8.00 or 8.30am and going through until 3.30 or 4pm.

Be sure to allow half an hour each side of your start and finish times for set up and clean up.

A good idea is to break your day down into 2 hour shifts with 4 people being needed for each shift – one to cook, one to handle money and two to serve. This can be adjusted as necessary, but my advice is don’t have any more than 5 or you’ll be on top of each other, or you may end up having volunteers standing around doing nothing and feeling like the donation of their time has been wasted.

Based on 4 x 2 hour shifts, with 4 volunteers required for each shift, you’ll be looking for around 16 volunteers altogether. Some of your helpers may be able to do more than a 2 hour shift and some less, so adjust your numbers as needed. You might choose to have a sign up sheet at your club or school or there are a number of free online roster/scheduling sites available to help with online sign ups, for example signup.zone.

To avoid confusion, allocate jobs so that each of your helpers knows ahead of time what they will be doing. Also brief them on any safety requirements to prevent mishaps.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of your operation; they will undoubtedly be the face of the operation so make  them feel as comfortable as possible.

• Make sure your volunteers are hydrated. Nothing can ruin an event like needing to call an ambulance for something as avoidable as heat stroke.
• Work with the elements, whether it be cold, heat, rain or even snow. Have the required shelter, sunscreen etc on hand to keep volunteers smiling.
• Make it fun! A radio on in the background can lighten the mood! It’s up to you!

We have prepared an example roster — it’s one of the hundreds of free downloads in our toolbox — head here to register for access.

Example Sausage Sizzle Roster

Uniforms are a great way to promote your school or club and solidify you as a group. If uniforms are not possible, everybody wearing the same colour shirt, hat or socks will work just as well. Get the kids involved by wearing their uniforms too, but keep in mind that some locations do not allow children under 16 to be present in or around the BBQ area.

Promotion 

Promote your sausage sizzle as far and as wide as you possibly can to ensure the best results. Use as many outlets as available to you - everything from social media to newsletters to flyers and of course word of mouth.

When it comes to election day sausage sizzles, there are even a number of websites dedicated to listing your event for free.

As mentioned earlier, it’s a great idea to have a visual (a sign otherwise) of what you are raising funds for, if it’s possible. When people know what they’re contributing to, they can feel a little more generous.

Other revenue opportunities 

If your venue and manpower allows, consider other opportunities to increase your revenue, for example:

Cake stalls

The ever-popular cake stall is always a winner. Give your group plenty of notice to prepare themselves to get stuck into baking, or you could even consider asking for donations of ingredients (flour, eggs, butter, etc.) or cash from parents or members who may not be up for baking but still want to contribute. These can be passed on the bakers to do their thing. You might even think about getting the students doing some cooking if you have the facilities at your school.

Remember that with increasing numbers of allergies, it’s important that you list all ingredients on each item and whether they are gluten-free.

Raffles

If you can source some great prizes (either donated or otherwise), you can run a raffle or 2  at your sausage sizzle. Do make sure that you are clear about prizes, raffle drawing times and ensure you get names and phone numbers on tickets so winners can be easily contacted. Keep in mind that there are rules around raffles, so it’s very important to ensure you are clear on the legalities. You can find state-by-state information about raffle rules on our website.

Donation tin

Having a donation tin is a really easy way to get some extra $$’s. Don’t feel like a sausage, but still want to contribute? Drop a coin or two into the donation tin! Got change from that sausage you just ordered or the raffle tickets you just bought but no pocket to put it in? Drop it in the donation tin! See? Easy peasy.

Promotional merchandise

Do you have any merchandise you can sell at the same time to promote your school or club? T-shirts, pens, wristbands, balloons. Any sales will also add to your profit total.

Random stuff

Maybe the school or club has some beehives out the back. Great, sell that honey on the day!

Sponsorship

Sponsorship could also provide many opportunities. If the baker wants to donate rolls and not loaves of bread… Well, rolls it is! Perhaps a butcher can provide the snags? Make certain you acknowledge any donors - both on your signage and on your socials and however else you can (newsletters maybe). We have various sponsorship proposal templates in our toolbox of course! Access it here.

Logistics

1. Early Setup: Arrive early to set up your station. This will give you plenty of time to organise your area, prepare your equipment, and ensure everything is in place before the first customers arrive.
2. Clear Role Assignments: Make sure every volunteer knows their specific role for the day, whether it's cooking, serving, handling money, or managing supplies. Clear responsibilities prevent confusion and ensure a smooth operation.
3. Efficient Workflow Design: Organise your serving area for efficiency. Have a logical flow from the grill to the serving area to the payment collection point. This helps in managing queues and ensures customers are served quickly.
4. Health and Safety Protocols: Prioritise food safety by ensuring all volunteers handling food wear gloves and follow hygiene protocols. Keep cooked and raw foods separate, and ensure food is cooked to the appropriate temperatures.
5. Supply Management: Keep a close eye on your supplies and have a system in place to quickly restock items as needed. It's better to overestimate the amount of food and drinks you'll need than to run out early in the day.
6. Cash Handling System: Have a secure and efficient system for handling money, including a float with plenty of change. Consider assigning this role to a trustworthy volunteer or having a small team responsible for financial transactions.
7. Customer Service Focus: Encourage volunteers to greet customers with a smile and engage them in conversation about your cause. A friendly atmosphere can encourage donations and repeat customers.
8. Breaks for Volunteers: Schedule breaks for your volunteers to ensure they stay hydrated, fed, and rested. This helps maintain high energy levels and a positive attitude throughout the event.
9. Weather Preparedness: Be prepared for all weather conditions. Have sunscreen and hats for hot days and rain protection for wet weather. Ensure any electrical equipment is protected from the elements.
10. Emergency Readiness: Have a first aid kit on hand and ensure at least one volunteer per shift is knowledgeable in basic first aid. Be aware of the nearest medical facility in case of an emergency.
11. Feedback and Adaptation: Stay flexible and ready to adapt as needed. Listen to feedback from volunteers and customers throughout the day and be willing to make adjustments to improve the experience.
12. End-of-Day Debrief: After the event, gather your team to discuss what went well and what could be improved. Take notes for future reference to continually refine your process.

Wrap-up and handover

As the pack up commences it is all too easy to feel the work is done, but a few critical tasks are left to really make the most of your hard work! A simple Facebook post can do most of the work for you!

Keep the community engaged by letting people know how it went! Will the team make it to the competition? Can you afford the new books for the library now?

Keep records of suppliers, sponsors, volunteers, profit and loss, quantities of stock and location of leftover stock items (sauces, napkins, utensils etc.). We call these “handover notes”. The next sausage sizzle organiser will thank you for them! And of course we have you covered by already having a template in our Fundraising Whisperer's Toolbox that you can download here and edit to make it your own! 

Don’t forget to thank your sponsors after the event. This simple gesture can be helpful in securing future sponsorship or donations from these suppliers. The same goes for your volunteers or helpers. When they know they’re efforts are appreciated, they’re more likely to help next time.

At the end of the day, make it fun. Have balloons, decorations, music, buskers, jugglers (well, maybe not jugglers – public liability and all!). Nobody wants to give up their time to do something that feels like a chore. Good luck and may the sausage gods shine on your BBQ!

Happy fundraising!