Looking for a Terri Lynn Fundraising Alternative? Try a Texas Pecan Fundraiser

Changing a fundraiser that works is never easy.

Your customers may already expect to buy nuts from your group every fall. Your volunteers know how to sell them. Some of your regulars may even wait all year so they can stock up for holiday baking.

There's no reason to let that go just because your supplier did.

Pecans are a natural fit for a fall fundraiser because people already buy them. Your supporters can:

That makes pecans especially well suited to fall and holiday fundraising, when people are already shopping and baking.

Think about what people are usually asked to buy for fundraisers. Wrapping paper. Coupon books. Candles. Cookie dough. Household items nobody went looking for.

Most folks buy those things to support the student, church, or team doing the selling. There's nothing wrong with that kind of kindness.

If you're replacing Terri Lynn, you're probably not just looking for another company that happens to sell nuts. You want a supplier you can trust with your group's name and your supporters' orders. Here's what we'd want you to know about us.

There's a difference between buying pecans from a general fundraising catalog and working with a company whose whole business is pecans. We know how pecans are grown and harvested. We know how to shell them, store them, and pack them. And we know what customers expect when they open a bag of premium pecans.

That matters, because your fundraiser doesn't only represent us. It represents your group too. When a neighbor buys from a student, a church member, or an athlete, the quality of the product reflects on the people who sold it. We want every customer to be glad they said yes.

There's a family behind Millican Pecan, and it goes back five generations. That's a very different story for your sellers to tell than "we're selling nuts." They're selling pecans from a family that has built its life around growing them.

Timing matters in fundraising, and pecans have a built-in advantage in the fall.

As Thanksgiving and Christmas get closer, families start planning pecan pies, holiday cookies, breads, desserts, party snacks, and gifts. That's exactly the time of year when many schools, churches, clubs, and civic groups run their fundraisers. A bag of pecans isn't something customers have to find a reason to buy. Many of them already know exactly what they'll do with it.

One of our main fundraising options is built around fresh pecans. Pecan halves and pieces are a favorite with people who cook and bake.

Picture the person who makes several pecan pies every Thanksgiving. Or the grandmother baking Christmas cookies for the whole church. Or the neighbor who keeps pecans in the freezer all year long.

Those aren't one-time buyers. A well-run pecan fundraiser can become something your community looks forward to every fall. Instead of asking, "What are they selling this year?" your customers start asking, "When are the pecans coming?"

That's the kind of tradition we love to help groups build.

Not everyone buys pecans for baking. Some people just want something good to eat.

That's why we also offer a candy pecan fundraising option featuring popular pecan treats. It widens the appeal of your fundraiser beyond the bakers in your community. Some supporters want fresh pecans for the kitchen. Others want something sweet for themselves. Others are looking for a small gift for a teacher, a coworker, or a friend.

When your sellers can offer a choice, it's easier to find something that fits each person. Many groups find that offering both fresh and candy pecans gives them the best of both.

Our program works for many kinds of groups.

Schools and student organizations can raise money for classroom projects, field trips, band programs, FFA and agricultural programs, student clubs, special events, and other needs.

Pecans are especially well suited to schools because parents, grandparents, neighbors, and coworkers already know what they are. There's nothing new to explain.

Churches and ministries can raise money for mission trips, youth programs, community outreach, building funds, special projects, and other ministry needs.

Church communities already bake together, gather for holiday meals, and give gifts. Pecans fit right into that.

Uniforms, equipment, tournament fees, and travel costs add up quickly. A pecan fundraiser gives athletes and their families a simple, familiar product to offer friends, relatives, neighbors, and coworkers.

If your club has sold nuts for years, moving to a pecan fundraiser lets you keep much of the tradition your customers already recognize.

Troops, parent groups, community organizations, and other nonprofits can run a pecan fundraiser too. The idea is simple: sell a quality product people recognize, and raise money for something that matters.

We've worked hard to keep the process simple.

If your group has been selling Terri Lynn for years, don't choose a replacement just because another company sells nuts. A few questions are worth asking before you sign up.

If pecans were a big part of what your supporters looked forward to, consider working with an actual pecan company. At Millican Pecan, pecans aren't a sideline. They're our heritage and our business.

Fundraising is a lot easier when sellers don't have to convince anyone they need something. People know pecans. They bake with them, snack on them, and give them as gifts. That familiarity is worth a lot.

Talk with any fundraising company about your number of sellers, your timeline, your product needs, and how you want orders delivered before you launch. Every group is different. A church group of twenty doesn't need the same setup as a large school organization.

You're trusting a supplier with more than an order. You're trusting them with your group's reputation. Know who you're working with. Millican Pecan Company is based in San Saba, Texas, and our family's history in the pecan business goes back to 1888.

We want to be straight with you about this one.

Terri Lynn's catalogs included a broad range of products, such as nuts, dried fruits, snack mixes, candies, and other items. Millican Pecan isn't an exact recreation of that catalog, and we won't pretend to be. We're a pecan company.

For groups whose customers mostly wanted pecans and pecan treats, that focus can be an advantage. If your old fundraiser leaned heavily on products that have nothing to do with pecans, take a look at what we offer before you decide whether we're the right fit.

But if your supporters keep asking, "Where are we going to get our pecans this year?" then that's exactly the conversation we'd like to have with you.

Absolutely. Terri Lynn stopping fundraisers doesn't mean your annual fundraiser has to go away.

In fact, it may be a chance to simplify. Instead of trying to match every item in a big catalog, you can build your fundraiser around one category that fits fall and holiday buying: pecans.

If your group has spent years building a customer base that expects nuts every fall, that's worth protecting. Your announcement can be simple: "Our annual pecan fundraiser is back with a new pecan supplier." Then tell people who Millican Pecan is, and why you chose a fifth-generation Texas pecan family.

You can run a fundraiser at any time of year, but fall gives pecans some clear advantages. Customers are getting ready for Thanksgiving, and Christmas isn't far behind. Bakers need ingredients. Families are planning to host. People are looking for gifts. Pecan season itself fits right in with the time of year.

If you're planning a fall or Christmas fundraiser, contact us early. That gives your group time to get sellers organized, share information, collect orders, and arrange fulfillment before the holidays arrive.

Switching suppliers is a chance to improve your fundraiser, not just copy the old one. A few things make a real difference.