30-Second Fundraising Workshop Series: The Reject Gift Drive

(cont'd from Mar. 6th post) 

Here’s how the Reject Gift Drive works: Organizations solicit and collect unwanted, unopened gifts throughout the year.  (Note the phrase “throughout the year.”)

Random thoughts:

• Wedding and Valentine’s Day gifts can be particularly good auction items, in terms of monetary and/or entertainment value.
• It’s easiest to solicit unopened, unused gifts, but there are exceptions to this rule (see above).
• Encourage in-kind donations of all sizes. A lot of little reject gifts can be artfully displayed in the proverbial nonprofit auction basket (as in, “Italian Dinner in a Basket,” “Spa in a Basket,” etc.) encased in cellophane and adorned with a big bow.
• I find that this fundraising tactic works as a complement to more conventional fundraising, as opposed to a substitute for same. (Sometimes you collect great stuff; other times – not so much.)

Reject gifts can be used as auction items and raffle prizes.

To fundraise or not to fundraise?

That is the question confronting public school students and their parents...

What if parents channeled all their fundraising time and energy into organizing to demand that public education be publicly funded?

For organizing ideas, read my article in today's Crosscut.

The 30-Second Fundraising Workshop Series – fundraising posts for busy ppl

Here is the first in a series of quick posts re: raising $: 

Weird Fundraisers: What Worked, and Why

Weird Fundraiser #1: “Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”

When my dentist replaces a patient’s crown, she saves it. When she has a bunch of crowns (that’s a technical term), she sells them to a refinery and donates the money to the local food bank. When last I checked, she had donated almost $1000 in used-crown money over the course of the year.

Why it worked: It required almost no work, time, or monetary investment.

Weird Fundraiser #2: “Evil Ex Raffle”

At a Valentine’s Day-themed fundraising event (that I helped organize), attendees were asked to bring unwanted (but usable) gifts (in good condition) from their ex-partners. People brought jewelry, art, furniture and other valuable items, which were used as prizes of the event’s raffle and prominently displayed.

Why it worked: 1) Lots of raffle tickets were sold. 2) The raffle (and prizes) made for great entertainment. 3) No expenses were incurred.    

Tomorrow - Weird Fundraiser #3: The Reject Gift Drive