For years, I watched parent groups struggle with the same fundraising problems. Order forms lost in backpacks.
Cash that never made it to the treasurer.
Volunteers spending hours sorting products in school cafeterias.
Then I uncovered Cherrydale Farms and their online system that promises to eliminate these headaches while delivering higher profits.
After analyzing their platform, reviewing success stories, and examining their 116-year track record, I can tell you exactly what works, what doesn’t, and whether this company deserves your time. Let me show you what I found.
What Cherrydale Farms Actually Offers
Cherrydale Farms started in 1907 selling fruit to organizations. Today, they operate one of the largest fundraising networks in America, helping groups raise over $2 billion.
The company shifted from traditional catalog sales to a modern online platform. You get access to password-protected accounts where supporters order products directly.
No more handling cash.
No more sorting orders. No more chasing down payments.
Their catalog includes more than 50 product options. Gourmet chocolates, cookie dough, candles, jewelry, kitchen gadgets, and seasonal gift items fill their online store.
Most items are priced between $1 and $30, making them accessible to most budgets.
Here’s how their system works:
You contact Cherrydale to start a fundraiser. Within 24 hours, a sales consultant reaches out.
These consultants are typically former teachers or parents who understand school fundraising challenges.
You pick products from their catalog based on what you think will sell in your community. Your consultant helps you choose items that typically perform well.
Each participant gets a unique link to share with family and friends. When someone orders, payment processes immediately through the online system.
Products ship directly to the buyer’s home.
The company tabulates orders within four days. You can log into your dashboard and see real-time sales data showing which sellers are performing and which products are moving.
Performance Analysis: The Numbers Behind the Promise
Let me show you what real organizations achieved using Cherrydale Farms.
A middle school in Greencastle, Pennsylvania collected over $30,000 in sales. Their net profit hit $13,000.
The coordinator called it “the easiest sales experience we’ve ever had.”
The Neenah Music Parents group jumped from $8,000 to $45,000 in online sales after switching to Cherrydale’s virtual model. Their secret was They embraced the online platform and actively promoted it to their community.
A PTO president in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania reported earning 40% more than their 10-year average by working with Cherrydale.
These numbers tell you something important. The platform works, but not automatically.
The successful groups promoted their fundraisers aggressively.
They didn’t just set up an account and hope for sales.
Profit Margins That Matter
Cherrydale offers profit margins between 30% and 50% depending on which products you sell. Compare that to many fundraising companies offering 20-35%, and you see why groups are switching.
Let me break down the math. If your organization sells $10,000 in products at a 40% profit margin, you keep $4,000.
Traditional fundraisers at 25% would only net you $2,500 from the same sales volume.
That $1,500 difference pays for field trips, equipment, or whatever your group needs.
| Product Category | Average Price Point | Typical Profit Margin | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Bars & Snacks | $1-$2 | 40-50% | Quick sales, high volume |
| Cookie Dough | $12-$18 | 40-45% | Families, repeat buyers |
| Candles & Home Décor | $15-$25 | 35-40% | Gift buyers, holidays |
| Jewelry & Accessories | $8-$30 | 30-40% | Personalized campaigns |
| Kitchen Items | $10-$35 | 35-45% | Practical buyers |
What Works About Cherrydale Farms
After reviewing dozens of fundraising platforms, several things stand out about Cherrydale.
The volunteer burden disappears. You don’t handle money. You don’t manage order forms.
You don’t sort products.
The online system handles these tasks automatically. This alone makes Cherrydale worth considering if your volunteers are stretched thin.
Their infrastructure is proven. Operating since 1907 means they’ve solved most problems before you encounter them. They serve 3 million participants annually across thousands of organizations.
That scale creates stability you can rely on.
Customer support operates 24/7. When you need help, someone answers. Their consultants understand school fundraising because many of them worked in education before joining Cherrydale.
The data dashboard gives you control. You see exactly who’s selling, what products are moving, and how close you are to your goal. This transparency let’s you make real-time adjustments to your campaign.
Incentive programs actually motivate kids. Multiple coordinators mentioned that the Oinksters (small pig figurines given as prizes) became wildly popular with students. Kids attached them to backpacks and competed to collect them.
These small touches create engagement that drives sales.
The Limitations You Need to Know
No fundraising company is perfect. Cherrydale has real weaknesses you should consider.
Your experience depends heavily on which sales consultant gets assigned to your account. Employee reviews mention that upper management communication can be inconsistent.
If you get a responsive consultant, your experience will be excellent.
If you don’t, you’ll struggle to get the support you need.
Market saturation is real. Chocolate fundraisers have existed for decades.
Your community has probably done this multiple times.
While Cherrydale offers variety, you’re still selling similar products to what other organizations offer. Standing out becomes difficult.
The platform needs active promotion. This system isn’t passive.
You must promote your fundraiser, encourage participation, and drive traffic to your online store.
If your volunteers lack marketing energy, the technology won’t save you.
Small groups face challenges. Cherrydale performs best with larger organizations.
A schoolwide campaign with 450 students generates momentum that a 20-person sports team can’t match.
Small groups will struggle to reach the sales volumes needed for substantial profits.
User Experience: What Coordinators Actually Say
The online ordering platform is genuinely straightforward. Sellers share a link.
Donors click and purchase.
Products arrive at their homes.
No technical skills required.
One coordinator told me the four-day order tabulation was faster than any fundraiser they’d run previously. Another mentioned that switching to Cherrydale’s contactless model during the pandemic saved their annual fundraiser when traditional approaches weren’t possible.
The password-protected accounts provide security that parents appreciate. Donors aren’t entering payment information on sketchy websites.
They’re using a professional platform from an established company.
However, some coordinators mentioned that getting students excited about selling can be challenging. Fundraising fatigue is real, especially in communities where multiple organizations run campaigns simultaneously.
The groups that succeeded focused heavily on communication. They sent regular updates to parents.
They celebrated top sellers.
They created competitions between classrooms. The platform enabled their success, but their effort drove it.
Value for Money: Is the Investment Worth It?
Cherrydale charges no upfront fees. You don’t pay to start a campaign.
The company makes money when you make money.
This model aligns incentives properly. Cherrydale succeeds when your fundraiser succeeds.
Compare this to fundraising approaches that need upfront inventory purchases or membership fees. You risk your own money before knowing if the campaign will work.
With Cherrydale, your only investment is time. If the fundraiser flops, you haven’t lost money on unsold inventory.
The profit margins (30-50%) are competitive with or better than most product-based fundraising companies. When you factor in reduced volunteer time and eliminated cash-handling risks, the value proposition becomes clear.
Organizations raising $20,000 or more will see the best return on their time investment. Smaller campaigns might not generate enough profit to justify the promotional effort required.
How Cherrydale Compares to Other Options
Traditional door-to-door fundraising (cookie sales, car washes) needs more volunteer time but creates genuine community interaction. Cherrydale trades that personal connection for convenience and potentially higher profits.
Digital-first platforms like Click and Pledge focus on donations rather than product sales. They work well if you’re asking for direct contributions but don’t offer the tangible products many donors prefer.
Other product fundraising companies like Yankee Candle or Sally Foster offer similar models. Cherrydale’s advantage comes from their broader product selection and established infrastructure.
Many successful groups use combination approaches. They run a Cherrydale campaign in fall, a direct donation drive in spring, and maintain ongoing fundraising throughout the year.
No single approach replaces a diversified fundraising strategy.
Who Should Choose Cherrydale Farms
This platform fits organizations with specific characteristics.
Your volunteers have limited time for logistics but can handle promotional outreach. You’re comfortable with product-based fundraising rather than seeking pure donations.
Your community is large enough to sustain reasonable sales (a school, church, or substantial nonprofit rather than a small team).
You value data transparency and want visibility into your campaign performance. You need contactless fundraising that reduces cash handling and paperwork.
Skip Cherrydale if you want a fundamentally different fundraising model. If you’re working with very small groups (under 50 potential sellers), you’ll struggle to generate meaningful revenue.
If your community is saturated with Cherrydale campaigns from other organizations, you’ll face direct competition.
Also reconsider if you can’t commit to actively promoting your fundraiser. The platform removes operational friction but doesn’t eliminate the marketing work required for success.
Final Verdict: Should You Use Cherrydale Farms?
Cherrydale Farms delivers on their core promise. They simplify the operational mechanics of product-based fundraising.
Organizations using their platform consistently report higher profits and less volunteer burnout compared to traditional approaches.
The company’s 116-year history and $2 billion in raised funds show genuine market acceptance and proven results.
The question you need to answer is whether their specific approach fits your circumstances. Do you have a community large enough to generate sales?
Can your volunteers promote the campaign actively?
Are your supporters open to product-based fundraising?
If you answered yes to these questions, Cherrydale deserves serious consideration. The risk-free model (no upfront costs) makes testing them straightforward.
Start with a single campaign. Track your results carefully.
Compare profits to your previous fundraisers.
Let the data tell you whether this partnership makes sense long-term.
The platform works. Hundreds of organizations prove that every year.
Now you need to decide if it works for your specific situation.
Bottom Line: Cherrydale Farms removes the operational headaches from product-based fundraising while delivering competitive profit margins. The platform won’t magically generate sales without effort, but it will make your fundraising process smoother, faster, and more profitable than traditional approaches.
For organizations with 100+ potential participants and volunteers willing to promote actively, Cherrydale represents a solid choice backed by over a century of proven results.