Key Steps to a Successful Bunnings 
Sausage Sizzle

"Everything you need to know to get the most out of your Bunnings Sausage Sizzle fundraiser"

What you need to know: risks, costs & planning your fundraiser

There are many things to think about if you’re considering running a Bunnings sausage sizzle. Get the most out of your fundraiser with proper planning and preparation and be in for a fun and stress-free day, raising the funds you need. 

In this article, we cover important information from what you need to know before you start and useful tips for the day itself.

Find out about the Bunnings sausage sizzle application letter, the equipment you’ll need, shopping for supplies, managing the float and money, organising volunteers, food handling, health and safety, risk management and insurance.

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Before you start

You’ll need to apply to run a fundraising sausage sizzle. Here are some important 

points to help you get started.

Bunnings Sausage Sizzle Application Letter

Sausage Sizzle Risks

It’s vital that you consider the risks when you’re planning to run a sausage sizzle fundraiser. Prepare yourself, be aware of what could go wrong and protect your organisation appropriately. This is an important part of making sure your fundraiser is a success. 

Health & Safety

When you run a sausage sizzle, it’s your duty to make sure everyone involved is safe by minimising all risks that can cause harm to yourself, your volunteers and the public

Food handling and hygiene

Australia has stringent food and safety standards. Here are some useful tips and 

resources to make sure you’re handling food safely.

Volunteer Safety

A responsible adult should be in charge of the BBQ at all times. Bunnings have a requirement that volunteers must be over 16 years of age to cook food on the BBQs. If your organisation employs the use of volunteers regularly, you may also like to consider Volunteer Workers Insurance. This cover offers protection for those who so generously give up their time for the benefit of your organisation

Child Safety

If you have children or students assisting with the fundraiser, you must consider child safety risks and child safety procedures. Only volunteers over the age of 16 should be permitted to participate. Ensure that tasks are allocated within the ability and skill set of the young volunteer. Supervisors who would have direct oversight of a group of young people would also have to have Working With Children Checks. 

Public Liability

This is when a member of the public makes claims against your organisation, as the fundraising event organiser for negligence or damages that they believe you have caused. Possible risks and risk management strategies to prevent a Public Liability claim:

Download Risk Assessment Template

It is recommended that you complete a risk assessment for your fundraiser. You can use one of our risk assessment templates, which you can find here: 

Insurance

You will need to check if you have the appropriate cover for running the sausage sizzle fundraiser.

As an absolute minimum, you’ll need to have Public Liability Insurance cover to the value of at least $10 million (although the industry standard seems to be moving towards $20 million) and provide a current certificate for this cover to confirm your Sausage Sizzle booking with Bunnings. 

If you’re running regular fundraisers, you may like to also consider Voluntary Worker Insurance which covers your volunteers 24/7, if they accidentally injure themselves while carrying out any unpaid duties. Find out more about this type of cover here: Valuing and Protecting Our Volunteers

Sausage Sizzle Hours and Pricing

Bunnings sets the maximum price for the sausages and cans of drinks that you sell, and the hours that you can run the sausage sizzle. Do your research and shop around for your supplies to get the most out of your fundraiser. You may like to consider asking a sponsor to donate the items you need for a good cause.

Planning

Allow yourself enough time to plan everything out so that your sausage sizzle 

fundraiser runs as smoothly as possible. Make sure you have all the right equipment, 

organise your volunteers and clearly communicate their roles, shifts and 

expectations so everyone knows what they’re doing. 

Equipment

Pack all your equipment so it’s ready to go the day before your sausage sizzle. 

Here’s a quick checklist to help you:

Volunteers

Once you’ve got your team of volunteers, you’ll need to organise them into 2-3 hour  shifts. For an 8am start, you’ll need to start cooking at 7.30am. Consider the following roles and functions for your volunteers.

You’ll also need a responsible adult to set up and pack up, checking in with Bunnings staff that these have been carried out correctly.

Communicate clearly with your team of volunteers so everyone knows what’s expected of them:

The day before

Now’s the time to make sure you have everything you need for the sausage sizzle.  Once you’ve done your shopping for supplies, you can slice the onions and prepare the float and money. Go through the checklist to make sure you have everything ready.

Shopping for supplies

Shop around for the best prices and avoid unnecessary wastage to get the most out of your fundraiser. Here are some useful tips on shopping for your sausage sizzle.

Food preparation

You’ll need to slice up the onions and put them into Ziplock bags, if you didn’t purchase the ready-sliced onions. If you’re selling drinks, you’ll also need enough ice to keep them and the meat cool while they’re being stored in the eskies.

Float and money

You’ll need a float tin that is secure to store the cash. Have enough cash broken down into denominations as change for cash purchases. This amount should be deducted from the total cash takings at the end of the day to work out your profit. $100-$150 is a good starting point.

Success!

Congratulations! You now have all the information and tips to plan and prepare a safe and successful sausage sizzle fundraiser. 

FAQs

These are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding a Sausage Sizzle fundraiser.  While this is specific for Bunnings Sausage Sizzles, there is some useful information in here that you can apply to any Sausage Sizzle fundraiser:

My local Bunnings does not have any availability for me to book a sausage sizzle. Can I apply at another Bunnings?

You will generally be allocated the store closest to where your organisation is located.

Do I need to organise my own BBQ? 

No, Bunnings will provide you with the BBQ and the gazebo which you must use.

Do I really need to place the onions under the sausage?

Yes, this is a rule that came into place in 2018. By placing the onions on the bread and under the sausage, it prevents the onions from falling out and causing slipping hazards.

Why do I need Public Liability Insurance for this fundraiser and where can we purchase it?

Public Liability Insurance protects your organisation against claims by the public that  you have caused damage or personal injury to a third party. You can find out if you have this cover by checking with your organisation’s insurance provider. Or, you can find out more and arrange to get Public Liability Insurance here.

What is Voluntary Worker Insurance and do I really need to have it for the sausage sizzle?

Voluntary Worker Insurance is a 24/7 personal accident cover that protects all your volunteers if they are injured while carrying out unpaid duties for your organisation.

What do I do with all the rubbish at the end of the day?

You will have to take all your rubbish with you and must not use the Bunnings bins. 

Bunnings insists that the area must be left clean and clear at the end of your 

sausage sizzle.

Over to you

If you liked this article and found it helpful, please share it with others. Tell us how your sausage sizzle went, we’d love to hear from you! Let us know if you have different tips that aren’t mentioned here.