Dine and donate vs pre-order fundraiser: which is better for a club?
Two formats dominate college club food fundraising: the restaurant night where a share of sales comes back to your club, and the pre-order where you sell a product and hand it out. Each has real strengths, and the right pick depends on your club's size and how much control you want.
Money never touches Cornell Craves. Students pay the club directly over Venmo or Zelle, and there is no commission or fee.
Dine and donate (restaurant night)
A restaurant agrees to give your club a percentage of sales during a set window. The restaurant handles food and permits, which makes it very low effort.
The tradeoff is a small return. You usually receive only a slice of each sale, you depend on people showing up at the right hour, and you have little data on who came because of you.
Pre-order fundraiser
Your club sells a product, collects orders in advance, buys exactly what was ordered and hands it out at a set pickup. The club keeps the margin between the price and its cost, which is usually a much bigger share than a restaurant percentage.
The tradeoff is more work: approvals, ordering and a pickup. Tools that handle orders and QR passes remove most of that work.
Side by side
Effort
Dine and donate is lowest. A pre-order needs a listing, a promotion push and a pickup shift.
Money per sale
Pre-orders usually keep a larger share per item because the club sets the price and buys at cost.
Risk
Dine and donate has almost no inventory risk. Pre-orders remove most of it too, because you buy only what was ordered.
Approvals
A restaurant night on private premises may need little from campus. A campus food sale needs the Event Scheduling Request and Cornell Dining approval for Cornell clubs.
Data
A pre-order shows who bought, what sold and when orders came in. A restaurant night usually does not.
A simple rule of thumb
Choose dine and donate when your club is small and wants the least work. Choose a pre-order when you want to raise more per sale and learn what your community buys. Many clubs run one of each in a semester.
Frequently asked questions
Is a dine-and-donate night a good fundraiser for a college club?
It is easy and low risk, but the club usually keeps a small percentage of sales. Clubs that want higher returns often add a pre-order fundraiser.
How much does a club make from a pre-order food fundraiser?
It depends on price and cost. Clubs set the price and keep the difference between it and what they pay the vendor, so margins are usually larger than a restaurant percentage.
Does Cornell Craves take a cut of the money?
No. Students pay the club directly through Venmo or Zelle. Cornell Craves never handles or holds the money and takes no fee.
Who can use Cornell Craves?
Clubs must be legitimate Cornell student organizations, and new clubs are reviewed before their first drop goes live. Ordering is for current Cornell students with an @cornell.edu Google account. Cornell Craves is an independent student project and is not run or endorsed by Cornell University. It does not replace any Cornell approval, and each club stays responsible for following university and county rules.
Contact
Questions or want to list a fundraiser? Email [email protected] or message @cornellcraves on Instagram.
Last reviewed: September 2026.