HumaneFundraising

Consultant Extravaganza

Danielle Hamilton — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:37:59 +0000

Looking for a pre-Christmas event to raise some much needed funds without hosting a huge event? Try a Consultant Extravaganza! You set up all the consultants, they do all the selling, and you get funds!

Consultant Extravaganzas are events held before Christmas where you put together a BIG shopping experience and have a consultant at a booth from every home party company imaginable… Avon, Mary Kay, Partylite, Home Interiors, Pampered Chef, Mia Bella Soy candles, Longaberger baskets, Shure Pets, Southern Living at Home, Lillian Vernon Celebrations, Discovery Toys, and more…. It’s a great way to get all your shopping done at one event, meeting consultants from dozens of companies, and for customers to potentially set up their own party OR start a business of their own!
You’ll charge for booth space and also a small entrance fee for customers to come shop that day, usually a nominal fee of just $2 to $5 to help cover costs of renting the building and insurance. One group I worked with did this for 25+ years, and the booth fee is now $185 each for 10′ x 10′, and then you pay $10 per table and $5 for 2 chairs, plus $25 for access to electricity. They have over 100 vendors each year, bringing in over $20,000 just in booth fees! For starters, aim considerably lower, but you can see the potential here! One rescue group tried this for their first time and brought in over $1,300, plus adopted out a few shelter animals at their own adoption booth.

Where to Host the Event:
Host the event at a convention center, hotel ballroom, church hall, VFW/ Knights of Columbus type building, Expo center at your local fairgrounds, a school cafeteria/ gym or other location. Charge an estimated $20 to $30 for the 10′ x 10′ or 10′ x 12′ booth space. You can increase this as you grow. Be sure to note how many electrical outlets are available to you at the location, if you can serve food, and whether tables and chairs and available to use. Often, you can get a good rental space for a nominal fee to a nonprofit, like $50.

When to Host the Event:
It sounds crazy, but you need to host it on a weekend day between the second payday in October, or as late as the second Saturday in November. If you go too far past that, someone might have already jumped the gun on you! And, shopping season will be well under way so you may not get as many sales as possible. Aim for just a 1 day event with slightly longer hours (10am to 3pm) instead of 2 days. This will make it easier on your group and on the consultants without having to hold everything over for a second day, which can double your rental fee and shrink your crowd.
One other thing, be sure to check with your local Chamber of Commerce to see if there are any other craft bazaars or showcases going on that day. It would be sad to lose some people b/c of conflicting events. There may not be any scheduled right now, but ask the Chamber if any were held last year on that weekend. If not, then be sure to list your event with them right away so that others don’t plan for the same weekend! I think the the first weekend in November is a great weekend to host an event like this! It’s just after payday, and early enough in the shopping season that people will just start making their lists and getting ready to do some serious shopping!

Insurance:
Be sure to contact your regular insurance provider to discuss a one time use rider for this event. This will save you money on having higher premiums without having to carry the higher insurance all year long. and, it will keep you covered financially for such a public event. The insurance fee is nominal compared to the safety you’ll feel!

Add On Fundraisers:

Raffle- There are laws in each state, so be sure to check out exactly what you need to do. Some require specific wording on tickets, others require a license and only hosting one a year. Check this website for some details: http://www.gambling-law-us.com/
Host your own booth- Gather all those handcrafted items your volunteers make with those pet-related items you’ve gathered at a discount from online pet stores and other locations. Sell them at your own table to bring in a few bucks, but to also give you a chance to chat with fellow pet lovers who may want to adopt or have items to donate to your wish list!
Crafters- Include a few high quality craft booths interspersed with the home party consultants. This really helps your customers have ready to take home items to browse and provides some great variety.
Ask local children’s choirs to sing carols or play music… this clever tip brings in parents AND gives some entertainment. My small town always had a little middle school band, some girls’ tap classes and other people performing holiday items. They hosted it closer to Christmas, so the kids were happy to perform their BIG productions on a trial basis at the bazaar, and it brought in LOTS of parents/ shoppers!
Sell Food through a “Furry Friends Cafe” set up in the bar area of the hall or in the corner of the larger room. Some baked goods (either purchased or donated) along with some drinks and lots of holiday music will really get people in the mood! People who are hungry don’t shop long, but give them some food, and they’ll wander around for hours! Purchase buns at a discount store and use pre-made chili and hot dogs, baked goods from your volunteers, perhaps some pizza donated from a local store, and add drinks! Be sure to check for any health issues with selling food. You may need a food handler’s permit, even if you’re hosting a bake sale. The Cafe can make approximately $400 for the two days.
Pre-order for wreaths- If your group regularly sells wreaths, this is a perfect time to take orders for balsam wreaths and swags and then schedule pick-up locations and dates for right after Thanksgiving.
Home for the Holidays Adoptathon- If you have space, hosting a small adoption event can help showcase some of your animals for adoption. Wrap their kennels with a thick, red plastic ribbon and use red duct tape to make a bow that stands up. If you don’t have space, be sure you have your scrapbook of adoptable animals at your booth for people to browse through and see some of your animals.
Cookie Walk- If you’re not selling food, you may want to host a Cookie Walk! This can be an event all by itself in early December, but is definitely able to be used at this event. Basically, you sell cookies and other baked goods by the pound, and allow people to walk along filling up their containers with donated baked good items. Weigh them at the end, and then people pay for their goodies! Since this is a larger stand-alone event, you may want to do this separately, or just start as a bake sale at first.
Informational Booths- Allow fellow pet related people to host an info booth at your location, if space permits. A pet groomer, pet sitter, pet photographer and others who could drum up some business closer to the holidays.

Finding Consultants:
A local business women’s association may also be able to help you find more consultants in various fields who would like to have a booth. Usually, your group members will each know a consultant, and then some of the consultants will know another one. You can also check online at each of the company’s websites to find a consultant in your area. Be sure to have several different types of consultants, such as ones for jewelry, make-up, books, toys, cooking items, candles and various styles for home decorating. Allow only one consultant per company to make sure that consultant gets all the business.

Notes for the Consultants:
Ask for a donation for a door prize from the consultant, and possibly ask for a % of sales from the day, though a flat booth fee may be more desirable for all involved. Be sure to tell your consultants to have plenty of items on display so that people can feel and touch them, along with lots of catalogs to take home! They can offer extra discounts to customers at your party, and then possibly leave the party ‘open’ for an extra week. Consultants can treat your rescue as a party host and give you the credit that you ‘earned’ during the event, or a small portion of their profits, depending on the company and the individual consultant.
Encourage them to have lots of items on hand to sell right away, like a cash n carry. This is the biggest draw for many people and a sure fire way for consultants to bring in some sales that day, instead of getting lost in the calendar of the holiday shoppers’ “I meant to do that” lists.
Also, inform them of the set-up time early that day (or the night before, if possible), and remind them that they should stay set-up until the closing time of your event.
All of this information should be included in an actual contract so all parties know what is expected of them, and what will be provided.

NAMES:
Here are some holiday- and animal-themed names for the event…

______ Shopping Spree (use an “S” word in front that describes your town, group, animals in your group… Silky Terrier Shopping Spree, Savannah Shopping Spree, Santa’s Shopping Spree)
Saint Nick’s Shopping Showroom
Santa’s Helpers Holiday Showroom
The Elf Emporium
The Holiday Outlet for Old English Sheepdogs
Consultant’s Crossroads (benefiting cats and canines!)
Shop Till You Drool/ Drop
The Purchase Parade for Pets
The Home Party Holiday Plaza
The Festive Festival/ Fair
The Boxer Buying Bazaar
The Vizsla Venue (sorry, can’t think of much else to put with venue)
Meow Mart, Woof*Mart, K9-Mart)
Bow Wow Meow Mart
Festive-All (Tina Valant)
1st Annual Howl-iday Fair (Lynda, ShurePets)
Home Party Warehouse

Here are a few words that you can mix and match and use for inspiration for a name:
holiday, gala, festival, jubilee, Santa, Saint Nick, noel, fiesta
shopping, marketplace, mart, metropolis, bazaar, galleria, boutique, emporium, outlet, showroom, venue, sales, consultant, home party, catalog, party,

You can use one of the clever names and then add a sub-title to it to explain that it is a party consultant’s extravaganza with Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Avon, Mary Kay, Home Interiors, Taste of Home Entertaining, Tastefully Simple, Longaberger, Partylite candles, Discovery Toys….. and more!

Sample E-mail for Vendors to send to their Clients’
(This is one I attended, and is a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.)
Come shop with us at the Women’s Business Extravaganza

Saturday, April 9
10:00AM-3:00PM
Killeen Civic & Conference Center

The following companies will be represented:
Once Upon A Family, Mary Kay, Creative Memories, Longaberger, Melaleuca, Princess House, Tupperware, Gold Canyon Candles, Arbonne, Warm Spirit, Tastefully Simple, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Stampinâ€™ Up, Pampered Chef, Premier Jewelry, Celebrations by Lillian Vernon, Top Line Creations, Country Bunny Bath & Body, Avon, Girls Nite Out, Usborne Books, Body Shop at Home, Advocare, Party Lite, Close to My Heart, Southern Living at Home

*Drawings will be held every 15 minutes for a chance to win a door prize from one of our merchants, as well as a Grand Prized Drawing with a fabulous gift basket with the retail value of over $100!

We will have a representative from the Komen Foundation on hand to answer any of your questions about Breast Cancer Awareness. As you shop be sure and ask which merchants will be donating a portion of their proceeds from the days sales to the Komen Foundation.

Plus, I will be offering 20% OFF all Once Upon a Family products purchased at the extravaganza!

Hope to see you there!!!

~Once A Family Consultant

Raise $1,000 in Ten Days

Danielle Hamilton — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:07:40 +0000

Want to challenge your board members and volunteers to really make a difference for your group? Challenge them to Raise $1,000 in Ten Days! Here’s how…

This type of donation drive is ideal for sponsorships for your spay/ neuter campaigns in February, and is similar to getting sponsored donations for an a-thon, like a bowling-a-thon. It could also be used as a campaign for Christmas in July, in honor of Adopt a Dog Month (Oct) or Adopt a Cat Month (June), or any other animal holiday.

Start your campaign by soliciting three or four of your most active volunteers, and those with the best people skills, to embark on a unique challenge. You can make it lighthearted and humorous by labeling it “Extreme Fundraiser: Rescue/ Shelter Edition” or “So You Think You Can Fundraise?” or perhaps “America’s Next Top Fundraiser” after various television shows. Let them know that this will require them to ask people for money, and really raise awareness for the cause, but it will only last 10 days. Your volunteers will need to be prepared to really go all out with this campaign and ask, ask, ask!

Give your volunteers at least 2 weeks to prepare themselves and gather their thoughts for the event. This will give you time to train them a bit on how to make the ask, what details to provide about your nonprofit, and for them to get people ready for the campaign. Have your participating volunteers review the day to day breakdown below, and write down names of prospects they will solicit. Keep in mind that you may need to ask more than the number of people listed, because some people will say no. Not sure where to start or who to ask to get to the goal of $1,000? Ask FRANK! Be sure they understand how to fill out the pledge sheet showing how much was given by each donor and the donor’s contact information.

Start the campaign on a Monday morning, and end it 10 days later on Wednesday. This will give you a good chunk of two different work weeks, and a weekend. Aim for that weekend to fall on a typical payday Friday, such as mid-month or end of month.

Play up the media angle of this campaign by announcing to your local paper that several of your volunteers will be doing this challenge, and for readers to be on the lookout for them around town. Ask the paper to feature a photo of your volunteers so people will know who they are and feel connected to the excitement of the campaign. Let each volunteer explain briefly why they are taking the challenge, how they volunteer with the nonprofit, and whether they’re participating in honor of a favorite animal. You can ask your local radio show hosts to bring one or two of them in during drive time to talk about the nonprofit group and about their role in this donation drive campaign. Ask the radio show to mention your campaign every day if possible, giving frequent updates on how close they are to their goal.

You’ll also want to feature the campaign and your volunteers on your group’s website, linking to any online giving sites they are using to collect donations, or to individual Paypal buttons. When all is said and done, be sure to do a follow up interview with your media partners highlighting the success of the fundraiser, to crown the winner, and to publicly thank your wonderful volunteers for their efforts.

Here’s the day to day breakdown for the campaign:
Day 1- Donate $50 to your group. You give already, but this will get your campaign going with a nice sized donation, and show everyone that you’re committed to the cause. (Net $50)
Day 2- Ask 2 family members to donate $50 to your campaign, or 4 members to donate $25! You can mention this would be better than getting a birthday or Christmas gift this year, which makes it even easier for them! (Net $100)
Day 3- Ask 10 friends to donate $20 to your campaign. That’s what they’d pay to go out for drinks one night, or just for an entree’ at dinner. If it seems too steep for some, encourage 4 of them to band together and give just $5 each, totaling $20. Altogether, you want to get $200 from your friends. (Net $200)
Day 4- Ask 5 of your friendly, pet-loving neighbors to donate $20 to the campaign. (Net $100)
Day 5- Ask 5 of your co-workers (who always ask you to buy stuff from their kids) to donate $20. (Net $100)
Day 6- Ask 10 people you know who own pets to donate $10 each towards your cause. (Net $100)
Day 7- Ask 10 people from your social networks to give $10 each. This could be people from your book club, your yoga class, your church group and your bowling league. (Net $100)
Day 8- Ask a civic organization you’re affiliated with in your town to pledge $100 to your campaign. (Net $100)
Day 9- Ask your company/ employer to match your $50 donation. You can usually do this through the Human Resources Dept. (Net $50)
Day 10- Ask 5 companies or professionals with whom you’ve done frequent business to give just $20 to the campaign (Net $100). This could be your dentist, your doctor, your hairstylist, your favorite restaurant. You are a repeat client, and it’s fine to ask them to sponsor you in this campaign.

THANKING TIME! While you may have thanked your donors along the way, now is the time to send out a formal thank you note, detailing your cause, the group’s mission, and your success in this campaign! Be sure to include a donation receipt from your group’s treasurer detailing the amount given to the nonprofit group.

You’ve just raised $1,000 in 10 days!

If you try this campaign every year, you can increase the number of volunteers who participate in the fundraising. As an annual contest, you can create a small trophy or plaque that can be passed around from winner to winner, along with the obvious bragging rights that the winner receives.

Extra Tips:

People give because they were asked!
Mention your goal early in your pitch.
Keep your pledge sheet and money bag with you at ALL times during the campaign! You never know when someone may donate! (Only keep enough money on hand to make change as needed. Leave the rest at home.)
Make it a contest between you and a few other members.
Or, make it a contest for yourself! If you reach $1,000 in 10 days, you’ll _________ (shave your head, dye your hair pink for the day, kiss a pig…)
Take the campaign online by using Facebook or starting a page on FirstGiving or another online donation site.
You may hear NO, and that’s OK. Just keep asking to reach your goal! Accept smaller donations and continue to ask until you reach your goal!
Offer to match the highest gift from an individual!
If you have lots of media coverage and many enthusiastic donors, you may reach your goal quickly. No problem, just increase the goal amount a bit to see which volunteer can raise the most!

NOTE: This extreme push for individual donations is not something you should do often. This well can’t be tapped every time you fall a little short of money. Use it as part of a major campaign once a year, but don’t wear out your welcome with these individual donors. The donors won’t be as willing to give in the future if you tap them frequently, and may not be willing to attend future events for your group.

Yappy Hour Social Events

Danielle Hamilton — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:26:16 +0000

Yappy Hour Social Events and Meet N Sniff Parties are quite the rage in many urban areas. If your area does not have this type of pet-filled frivolity currently scheduled, it’s time you got your group in on the action!

When the weather is cooler, it is a great time to bring people to your local restaurant patios for a Yappy Hour pawty with some donated dog treats and some great appetizer specials and drink specials for humans. Getting your rescue together with restaurants, cafes and delis to host Meet N Sniff parties for dogs and their owners is a fun way to broaden your donor horizons and bring in new volunteers. A popular time of year for this type of event is a Single’s Mixer for Valentine’s Day, perfect for singles with a “Must Love Dog” attitude! But, there are some locations that host a weekly pawty for pets and their owners. What a great way to turn an ‘off-night’ into an ON night for a local restaurant or bar!

Places to Host:
You’ll need a location that works great with pets, ideally one with an outdoor patio area or a fenced-in grassy area. Doggy parks, restaurants with outdoor seating, outdoor beer gardens, and patio cafe’s are ideal. If you choose a restaurant, talk with the manager about getting drink specials for the event, coupons or discounts for specific appetizers, or some giveaway items to entice more visitors. You’ll want to pick a day of the week where business may be lower for the restaurant, that way you’ll have more space for your event, and you’ll turn an “off-night” into a party night for the hosting restaurant! Perhaps you’ll choose a catered event, and charge a nominal fee for admission to the private party. Many restaurants will allow you to book a room at their location, which works perfect for the small admission fee (or donation of canned food and pet supplies!).

Getting the Buzz Out:
Connect with several pet related groups in your area and invite their members to attend. Post fliers around the local pet scene, particularly dog parks, pet supply stores and grooming salons. Find the local MeetUp pet-related groups online and post about your event there. Create buzz by inviting the pet of a prominent local radio DJ or TV personality to be the honoree for the evening, or just your special guest. They will discuss their participation on-air, thereby creating more exposure for your event.

Ways to Fundraise:

Nominal admission fee (or item donation) at the door.
Special prices on certain food items like cocktail weiners, Dirty Mutt-tinis and Cat-tails
a percentage of the food purchased that night can help bring money in for your group
Don’t have your own pet? Rent a shelter pet! Offer to rent a pet for $5 at your next event. The pet gets some free loving, and you may make the best love connection of all!
Host a raffle for grooming or baskets of pet-related products.
Paw Painting station for nominal fee
Photos with Pets
Small silent auction table
Host a pet fashion show with items from a local pet boutique
Have a pet bakery host a booth
Canine massages from a licensed therapist or groomer

Start thinking of where YOU could host an event like this….

Thank A Thon

Danielle Hamilton — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:23:52 +0000

Do your donors know that they are the lifeline of your group’s mission? Do you show them your appreciation, or simply let them feel as if they are an ATM? It might be time to host a Thank A Thon event!

Why Thank?

How to Host a Thank A Thon
Gather your Board of Directors, your Shelter Director, Fundraising Director, Volunteer Director, and other top people in your group for just a few hours one night out of the year. Everyone can spare a few hours for this, and if enough people help, it can make quite an impact on your donors without taking too much time out of the day. You can also host this event over two or three different nights, accommodating more volunteer schedules, and allowing more donors to be reached if they weren’t home during the first call.

Don’t just give the donor your “thank you spiel” as if you’re bored and reading from a script. Sound lively and sincere, and wear a smile on your face! Donors can hear the tone in your voice.

Your group may even want your callers to state early on that they’re NOT calling to ask for a donation! They’re simply reaching out to personally thank the donor for their contribution, for helping to make a difference in the community for animals. (Note: If the donor IS motivated enough by the call to give again, be prepared with donation forms so you can take down their credit card information over the phone.)

LISTEN UP!
Be sure to listen to what your donors say, and engage them in a conversation. Ask a few questions about what they like about your organization, what events they’ve particularly enjoyed, and if there are any improvements they feel your group should make. Welcome their input, take notes, and write down any follow-up information they may have requested.

Leave a Message
You may not be able to actually talk to each person on your list, and should be prepared to leave a message on a voicemail system. This is a great time to create a pesudo-script, allowing each individual caller to use their own words, making the call feel more authentic and not just read from a ‘script.’

Thank Them One Last Time
Thank the donor one last time before you hang up. Thank them for taking the time to speak with your group, and for helping build up the relationship that will help your group create a better future for animals.

Kitten or Puppy Shower

Danielle Hamilton — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:23:12 +0000

Feeling the financial pinch during puppy or kitten season? Host a baby shower for your new litters to bring in some donations, highlight spay/ neuter programs, bring in foster families, and encourage adoptions of older pets to make room for the new babies.!

Basically, it’s a baby shower for pets! A kitten or puppy shower is similar to a baby shower except you are welcoming unwanted litters into the world and introducing them to the public in hopes of adoption. People in the community are asked to bring a few small gifts (such as money, gift cards to Walmart, kitten chow, KMR or kitten milk replacement, kitten bottles, old towels, old pillows, new collars, toys…) to help welcome the kittens and puppies in your adoption program. It’s also a nice way for your nonprofit group to mingle with the public, and for the public to learn about pet behavior, learn about your shelter/ rescue, and possibly adopt a pet.

Make the event FUN! Provide a cake (donated by a bakery if possible!) and some punch and cookies. Decorate with pink and blue balloons and streamers, maybe a stork with a kitten in the sack. Make it a HUGE media event by sending baby shower invites to newscasters, weather personalities, your local mayor and newspaper editor as well as to the prominent members of society and all of your regular donors. A good way to get prominent members involved is to name a kitten after them!

Hold the event somewhere that can accommodate close to 100 people. You want to have a lot of space to mingle around and for people to talk with YOUR volunteers. Have brochures, fliers, any paperwork possible that they can take home to remember you by.

You can also host a naming contest where the public helps come up with names for the new litters based on their bios. And, the animals can also be fostered by a family until adoption! Most places don’t allow early adoptions, under 8 weeks. So, if you have some relatively young animals that need some help (like URI or just abandoned by mom), then they can get a foster family until they are ready to be adopted.

Your group can also sell kitten artwork, which are paintings done by the kittens. Dip their paws in some finger paint (non-toxic) and have them walk across the paper! It turns out beautiful and is a great seller when matted and framed. You can charge about $25 for them, or name them something special and charge a little higher, like $45 to $65. That is also a big media attraction for those talented little pets!

Be sure to sign your animal rescue up for your very own baby registry at Target and Walmart! That’s another great media tie-in… and possibly a connection with Target and Walmart for you! They may be able to set up a donation box out front where people can drop off gifts for the baby kittens! Register for items your group needs to care for the new litters, such as food, collars, treats, toys, cleaning supplies, trash bags, and office supplies.

Anytime you want to do an event, think of a few ways to make it Bigger and Better! Start with a basic cake and punch kitten shower, then add in some media personnel, a paw painting sale and a gift table… and you’ve got the makings of a great event!

Roadblock

Danielle Hamilton — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:54:27 +0000

If you feel like you’ve hit the proverbial ‘roadblock’ in your fundraising ideas, perhaps it’s time to schedule a real Roadblock!

A Roadblock, or a Beggin’ Brigade, is a fundraiser where several members of your group stand at a major intersection with your donation jars and collect money from passing motorists. Some non-profit groups have raised $800 to well over $1,000 in a few short hours using this simple technique. This is not a novel fundraiser specific to animal rescue groups, since many fire departments hold a “Fill the Boot” campaign each year to benefit Muscular Dystrophy, encouraging motorists to fill up one of their firemen boots with cash donations. Church youth groups have also hosted this event, as have high school sports teams and cheerleaders, all with great success.

Permit Patrol
First, you’ll need to check with your city for any rules, laws or codes enforced in your area regarding soliciting funds. Check early, at least 2 months in advance, so you don’t waste any time planning a fundraiser that you can’t host. The town I lived in in TX did NOT allow people to do Roadblocks, unless it was the local Fire Dept for their fundraising on behalf of March of Dimes. If you DO want to do this, make sure you don’t need a permit in your area. You can contact the City Commissioner’s office and ask about permits needed for this type of fundraiser. Each city is different, it seems, and some towns only allow the firefighters to do this sort of fundraising, as they were ‘grandfathered’ in under the law since they’d been raising money for MD like this for years. Other towns I’ve lived in in both Georgia, Alabama and New York have allowed Roadblocks, provided a permit was obtained.

Any group considering this effective fundraiser should be sure to check with your local police department regarding traffic issues. If you’ll be interfering with regular traffic patterns, you may need their permission as well! You certainly don’t want to get complaints from the public about traffic backing up. The police department can also inform you of any specific rules to follow with regards to good signage, wearing reflective orange vests, how far back your tables (chairs and canopy) need to be from the road, how many volunteers can be on the corner at a time, whether you can stand in the middle of the road (in a yellow striped area), or if your group members need to wait until red lights only to approach cars.

You’ll want to host the Roadblock on a payday Friday afternoon, or a Saturday around lunchtime, as these are prime traveling times through major business and shopping areas. A popular corner with a bank may be ideal, since it would give you an area for people to pull in and park without interrupting traffic, and also provide an ATM nearby where people could get more money to donate to you!

Stand Out From the Crowd
Place a few posters at least half a block before your Roadblock announcing the activity, what money is needed, and who benefits. Having these signs well in advance of your collection point allows drivers time to fumble through their wallets and purses to find some cash for you. You may even consider putting another sign just past your corner with a cheerful Thank You note on it, making sure your donors see one last thanks from your group for their donation!

You most likely won’t have any rescued animals on the corner with you, since this could be quite nerve-wracking for the animal, and a panic for the rescuers if any animals were to escape! Instead of just having a few volunteers stand limply on the corners, drive your message home with a volunteer or two dressed up as one of your rescued animals. Costumes are plentiful around Halloween, and even a few basic costume pieces like the dog ear headbands or fake pig noses and tails make your volunteers stand out from the crowd. If you have a volunteer dressed as a dog, you can offer to do some simple tricks like beggin’ on their knees, rolling over, barking for biscuits, cartwheels, or any other fun tricks to make the motorists take notice, and delight any children.

Making It Happen
Make sure your volunteers are dressed appropriately for the weather, and provide a shade canopy, chairs and drinks for volunteers to use in between shifts. It’s a good idea to have shifts of volunteers so the same few aren’t running up and down the turn lanes every few minutes for an entire day. Ten minutes on, ten minutes off may make life easier for the volunteers, and then swap out the whole group after 2 or 3 hours, bringing in new group members to tackle the traffic. It may be easier to have several people staggered further up the street, from your first signs to the corner. This will make it easier for multiple people to collect money at one time from the motorists. If your group would like to make this a well publicized event, you can contact the media to inform them of your fundraiser, asking them to announce it on air in advance of the date, and to host a live remote from your site during the day.

Prepare your volunteers for the day by reminding them they may hear a few nasty comments, from people having a bad day, people who don’t like animals, or just people annoyed at traffic. Review scripts to use, and remind them to have a cheerful attitude and a smile! The money raised for rescue animals is certainly worth one or two negative comments.

Last, this is a ‘fundraising well’ that you can’t tap more than 2 or 3 times a year. It’s certainly not something you’d want to do repeatedly, but could be an annual thing in conjunction with a special weekend or humane holiday. This would be perfect as part of an annual adoptathon event held at Petco or Petsmart. Their parking lots are usually in major shopping areas, and the Roadblock fundraiser can help draw attention to your adoption event.

Exam Care Packages

Danielle Hamilton — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:38:28 +0000

Looking for a fundraiser for a college town? This idea really takes the cake… or Ramen noodles! Sell exam care packages for college students, which will be delivered to the student during exam week! What a great gift from parents or friends!

Exam care packages are a wonderful way to send good thoughts and sustenance at a crucial time of year for any student. A few snacks, some quick meals and pick-me-up treats can make final exam time a little more enjoyable. Here’s how to get started:

Get permission from the school
First and foremost, get permission from the local school. You’ll need to make sure another group is not already doing this same fundraiser. While it is likely that a service group (like a club, sorority or fraternity) from the school may do this fundraiser, keep in mind that their students will also be the ones who are overwhelmed at exam time! By having an outside, non-student organization (especially a non-profit group!) take on this fundraiser, the need will be met, and no student will suffer from lack of study time.

Create Samples and Research Prices
Create a sample kit for a demo. Research prices for various items at warehouse or bulk grocery stores. Try to keep your exam kits priced reasonably, such as $15 for one kit and $20 for a slightly better kit. Ask the store manager if items can be purchased at a discount, or if you could receive a donation of some of the items to offset the costs of your fundraiser.

Advertise and Collect Orders!
Next, you’ll need to advertise in advance through mailings to the students’ parents. You’ll need to put a notice and order form in the school paper, which many parents receive. If the school is encouraging your fundraiser, the administration may be willing to allow the order form to be sent to parents as a flier through their regular mailings. Fliers can also be sent to the students’ personal mailboxes, or through an e-mail distro. Be sure to advertise heavily from mid-October through Thanksgiving weekend so the students and their parents have ample time to sign up and pay for their exam care packages! You can also send a gift certificate note via mail (or e-mail!) to announce the upcoming delivery of their special care package!
Be sure you have a webpage set up to highlight your packages, with photos of the contents. You may want to have a separate mailbox address to receive orders via mail, or assign a special e-mail address to receive e-orders from your website, or payments from Paypal or another online payment company.
Be sure to price your kits reasonably, but with a decent profit for your group! On your order form, you may also need to ask for the dorm building and room number, instead of the regular mailing address. This will ensure you have options for delivery, instead of just dropping items off at the mail room. Be sure to get the students’ phone numbers so you can call to arrange a drop off if you are unsuccessful at delivering.

Buy only what you need
By the Monday after Thanksgiving, the majority of your orders will be received. Tally up your totals for each item you need to package together. Purchase only the number of items necessary to complete your kits. You may have a few random orders come in later that you will need to fill. You may still have a few items leftover if you purchase the bulk items in cases. These items can be used for your volunteers at a later date, or to pass out at future events.

Package kits together
Get together with your volunteers shortly after Thanksgiving to put kits together. Set up mini-stations where volunteers can move around filling their kits with necessary items. Make this a party atmosphere with upbeat music, and serve pizza! Use this time to decompress before the holidays, and spend time chatting with your fellow volunteers! Store the completed kits in a safe place away from children, pets, and freezing temperatures.

Deliver!
Be sure to time your deliveries so that they arrive at least a full day before the first cram sessions for final exams. You may need to deliver the items directly to the students’ dorm rooms, and not through the mailbox system. Group deliveries together by dorms, and by local apartment areas so volunteers only need to cover a small area.

Ideas for the care packages:
Granola mix (or bars)
Gum packs
Apple
Popcorn
Protein Bars
Sun Chips
Chex Mix
Corn Chips
Water bottle
Juice Bottle
Rice Crispy Treats
Granola bars
Bags of Nuts, Raisins or Dried Fruit
Bag of Pretzels
Coffee or Hot Cocoa samples
Candy Bars
Microwave Popcorn
Ramen noodle or Cup O Soup
#2 pencils, pre-sharpened
Highlighter
2 Black ink pens

Check with your local Health Department to see if your group would be allowed to sell home baked goodies as a part of the exam kit. This can be tricky in some areas, but would be a really nice gesture for the students receiving the exam kits!

Gingerbread House Building Competition

Danielle Hamilton — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:15:54 +0000

A time-honored tradition for many families at Christmas is making a gingerbread house. Turn the tables on this tradition, and create a gingerbread DOGhouse building competition that allows people of all ages to work together to create a masterpiece fit for judging! Think of a Food Network competition, but with a pet twist. Whether you turn this competition into an exclusive event all its own, or pair it with another holiday festival or charity auction, a gingerbread house building competition can bring great exposure for your nonprofit group while raising money for rescued animals!

This type of fundraiser brings in some much needed funding for your group, but the more important part is that it highlights your group’s mission, your need for donated doghouses (or Kuranda beds), it reminds people to keep their animals warm in the winter months, and keeps your group’s name out in the public during the all-important ‘giving’ season.

The basics of this fundraiser involves getting people to sign up to submit a completed gingerbread creation for a judging competition. You can charge a nominal fee for entry, which can cover the cost of award ribbons and the promotion of the event. This also ensures you’ll have entries to judge, since most people will not back out of the competition if they’ve already paid a $10 entry fee. The registration time period should be at least one month in advance, and end one week in advance of your competition. Provide each participant with a small goody bag from a local bakery or pet bakery. Allow people to pick up forms from various locations around town, including animal friendly stores, as well as downloading the form at your group’s website.

Where to Host
The event should be hosted somewhere prominent during the holidays, such as at a local mall, a holiday festival/ carnival, a prominent pet supply store, or at a major arena already hosting holiday events. The mall would love another attention-gathering event at their location, designed to bring in entire families a week before Christmas for some extra shopping, or after Christmas to catch the sales!

This event does NOT have to be held before Christmas, and could be a great item to host in between Christmas and New Years, or on into the month of January if time permits. This gives people time over the holidays to work on their creations, and avoid the overcrowding events on everyone’s calendar with Christmas parties and school events.

Judging Levels
You can create judging levels based on age, as well as experience. You may also want to separate the entries into categories based on theme, such as gingerbread cottages, nontraditional creations, gingerbread doghouse or other pet themes, and replicas of famous locations or monuments.
Most contests have age levels for 12 and under, teens (13 to 18), adults, and groups, which could include both adults and children. This last category is great, allowing any Scout groups, elementary school classrooms, art classes, families or just multiple people to compete. You may also want to separate professional bakers into a different judging category, which will both encourage the non-pros to compete, and bring in more pros for their own private judging!

Prizes
The prizes can vary from tickets to an upcoming event, gift cards from mall vendors or a gift basket of baker supplies, donated by local shops. Many local Chamber of Commerce organizations offer special tickets to area charities as a giveaway prize in auctions or raffles. You can also contact your favorite media stations to ask for help in securing special event tickets or passes, since these stations partner with entertainment and event opportunities in the area as part of their promotions.

For most events, people are excited enough to get honors and a ribbon, along with their picture in the paper! If you can get an underwriting sponsor for this event, you can provide a monetary prize for the grand prize as well. Keep in mind that many companies are willing to underwrite a prize package since it gives them exposure to a different demographic than their current customers.

Make it Bigger and Better!
If you’d like to turn this gingerbread house competition into a major event for you area, here are a few things you can use to create a large gathering at your event:

Add a vendor section with handcrafted gifts from local artisans
Bring in a children’s chorus- this provides entertainment and brings in their parents!
Host a gingerbread building demonstration or workshop by a local baker
Host an auction of pre-decorated mini Christmas trees
Bring celebrity chefs to your event to showcase their own gingerbread creation!
Host a cookie decorating station for kids to make their own creations; charge $3
Take pictures with Santa or even the Grinch!
Set up tables for fellow rescues to promote adoptions or Q&A booths for vets
Sell the structures created by the participants or by a local pastry chef as part of an auction or raffle

Piggyback Fundraising
If you’d like to add on another fundraiser that will allow you to increase your profits for this fundraiser, you can piggyback on to several major holiday based events already being hosted by your group or around town! Combine this gingerbread house building competition with:

photos with Santa
a pancake breakfast with Santa
belgian waffle breakfast with Santa
a memorial ornament tree at the center court area of your local mall
your group’s wish list tree
at a cookie walk
Why limit it to the winter months?? Use this for a Haunted Halloween cookie house, a St. Patrick’s Day Leprachaun hideout, or an Easter Bunny cottage! You can also partner this gingerbread idea with a dog house building competition, giving the younger kids and bakers something to do instead of pounding a hammer.

Other Tips
Plan well in advance, securing your location 6 months out, and creating your fliers and sign-up sheets for download at least 2 months prior to the event. Trade volunteers with another organization for the day, making your workload lighter on the day of your event, and helping them on one of their future fundraisers. However you decide to host your event, be it large or small, be sure to publicize your heart out, raising awareness for homeless animals in your community!

Keep the Ball in Your Court

Danielle Hamilton — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:16:58 +0000

Ever have someone show interest in your nonprofit, only to see them walk away stuffing your business card deep into their purse or pocket? Think they’re going to call you? Why not change the scenario?!

Keep the ball in your court! Don’t let that potentially wonderful volunteer walk away. Grab their name and contact info as soon as they start to show interest. Use a script if you need to in order to steer the conversation to the name collection. This way, you’ll be able to contact them with a follow-up e-mail message or phone call to personally invite them to your next volunteer meeting, or otherwise discuss ways they can help your group.

You want to keep the ball in your court by making sure you have the next move. If that person walks away without giving you their info, the chances of them remembering to contact you, or taking the time to initiate the contact, are slim. They may lose your business card, or they think about calling, but never really get around to it. If you have their contact info, then it’s up to you to get in touch with them via e-mail or phone call, allowing you to keep the conversation going and build a relationship with them.

Use a sign-up sheet for potential volunteers and a separate one for people who would like more information or would like to join your e-newsletter. At the end of the event, write down a small tidbit about the potential volunteers for your own personal notes… lady with stroller, has 2 rescued huskies, has items to donate. These notes will help jog your memory a few days later when you start to make your follow-up calls. You want to keep the personal touch when initiating contact with a potential volunteer. This makes your organization seem more personable than a faceless corporation.

Don’t let those potential volunteers or group members get away from your table without getting their phone number, mailing address and/ or e-mail address. Keep sign-up sheets handy at all events, tacking them to a clipboard with a pen attached. It just takes a phone call from you to turn a potential volunteer into your best volunteer!

Touch A Truck

Danielle Hamilton — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:16:05 +0000

Looking for a fundraising event that will bring out the whole family? Try a Touch a Truck event and turn it into a community-wide fundraiser benefiting your animal rescue group!

Touch a Truck is basically a family-friendly community event held at a local park (or school playground) where kids have the opportunity to touch and climb on dozens of cool vehicles! From firetrucks and ice cream trucks to Army tanks and Hummers, from race cars and backhoes to tractors and cement mixers, kids just love anything that is loud, has wheels, and is unique. And, how often do you really get to look inside a fire truck or ride in the bucket of an electric company’s cherry picker? Have you been inside an ice cream truck before? Wouldn’t it be neat to get a peek?

Combine this with family friendly carnival games, concession stands, live music, child ID and fingerprinting station, bike safety info, and a pet adoption center and you’ve created a fun filled afternoon for a family on a budget! Bring in more of the animal focus by including microchipping, hold a police K-9 demonstration, invite McGruff the Crime Dog, and focus on dog bite prevention. Charge $5 per person, with a max of $15 or $20 per family. Some groups have opted for a printed program for the event, and charged another $25 to have kids’ names listed in the program next to some really neat photos of trucks. Include a layout of the area on this program so families can easily find the different types of trucks organized together.

You will need to coordinate with various truck companies and groups at least 6 months in advance. Since this is a charity based fundraiser, most companies and organizations will have no trouble working with you. You may face a little extra paperwork with government vehicles, such as the mail truck and Army Reserve vehicles, so plan accordingly.

As always, you’ll need to make sure you have event insurance for this, since you’ll most likely be using a city park or school playground area. Check with your city to see what special permits you may need, including traffic assistance from the local police.

ice cream truck
firetruck (check with a volunteer fire department to see if they have an older one that won’t be called out during your event)
ambulance (check with a private company who can give one up for the day)
mail truck
tow truck
race car (from a local track)
construction trucks (backhoe, dump truck, excavator, cement mixer, wheel loader, roller, snow plow, forklift)
farming equipment (harvester, baler, tractor, combine)
military vehicles (armored personnel carrier, tank, jeep, hummer)
police vehicles (including cruisers, motorcycles, bikes, and SWAT vehicles!)
utility vehicles (cherry picker, cable runner,
include a few classic cars so the adults have some neat things to look at and climb in, too!

Groups that have hosted this annual fundraiser bring in between $1,000 and $5,000! The more trucks and community involvement you have, the better your fundraiser will be! And, the event will grow more each year, giving you more opportunities to add in extra trucks, set up information booths, bring in food vendors (instead of a basic concession stand), add a bike rodeo and a golf cart test driving course, and simply make it bigger and better! The possibilities are endless here! And, the publicity you create in your community about your great charity will help bring in more donations and increase adoptions overall!

NOTE: If this does not exist in your area, start one! Be the first to try it and watch how excited the community will be to attend!