Promotional Kit. Promote-Plan-Raise. For Used Clothing Drive and Used Household Goods Drive

Transcription

1 Promotional Kit Promote-Plan-Raise For Used Clothing Drive and Used Household Goods Drive usedclothingdrive.com is a community project owned and operated by Bank & Vogue Ltd.

2 Introduction to Promotional Kit This Promotional Kit was created to help you promote Used Clothing Drive to as many people as possible and to assist you in organizing and executing a fun and exciting Donation Day. Promotion is a crucial aspect of organizing a Used Clothing Drive and will ensure you reach the minimum requirement of 5000 lbs of donations and raise as much money as possible. Organizing a Used Clothing Drive can seem like a tough task and it is a lot of work. But with our guidance and resources however, you can plan, promote and execute a successful and fun event fundraiser for your organization. In Step 1: Plan, We provide information to help you motivate your team, organize friendly contests, manage volunteers and determine what makes an appropriate event site. As well as these resources and information, we are available to walk you through any challenges that you might face in the planning process, weekdays during regular business hours. In Step 2. Promote, There are so many ways to promote your event to the community, be creative, and persistent. We provide resources to help you promote your Used Clothing Drive to a large number of people in your community. Promoting your Used Clothing Drive is the most important step in the process. The reason for this is simple: the more you promote-the more you collect-the more you will raise. The more potential donors who know about your Used Clothing Drive, the more donors you will attract. It will benefit your organization to promote your Used Clothing Drive to as many people as possible, inside and outside your network. In Step 3. Raise, Donation Day may be chaotic at times. Stay positive and remember to have fun! If donors have a great time at the event, they will spread the word! We provide details about how to load the truck that arrives and many ideas to make your event fun and exciting! Remember All promotional resources and documents are available for download. Please contact your Fundraising coordinator for access to these resources. We will provide you with a single point of contact should you have any questions on your Donation Day. We will be able to answer all your last minute questions. We are always here to help! 1

3 Table of contents Step 1. Plan.4 Planning Checklist...5 Volunteers....6 Motivate Your Team Newsletter...8 Donation Day Contest Ideas...9 Event Site..10 Step 2. Promote.. 12 Promotional Checklist...13 Media & Publicity.14 Why Facebook. 15 Facebook Content.16 Flyers & Posters...17 Press Release...18 Request Letters 20 Step 3. Execute..23 Donation Day Checklist..24 Loading the Truck..25 Event Activities & Ideas..26 Evaluate Your Event...27

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5 Promotional Kit Step 1. Plan For Used Clothing Drive and Used Household Goods Drive usedclothingdrive.com is a community project owned and operated by Bank & Vogue Ltd. 4

6 Planning Checklist-Overview 8-10 weeks prior to event Schedule a meeting with your Organization/Group to discuss the upcoming event and outline your plan and goals. Select a day and time to hold the Used Clothing Drive (UCD) Confirm dates with your organization and your UCD coordinator Add the date to the group calendar/newsletter Select the location of the event and donation drop off Confirm/seek permission of Owners/Managers of donation drop off location/event site Schedule a call with a UCD coordinator to discuss the Drop Off location. Inform group/community members of the upcoming event (use newsletter template) Establish and recruit appropriate number of volunteers 3-4 weeks prior to event Schedule another meeting with your organization and include volunteers to discuss any event updates Assign tasks and shifts to volunteers o Receiving donations o Loading the truck o Clean up o Directing traffic on site Connect with Event site manager/owner to discuss Event set up and operations Connect with local businesses who will be donating supplies and arrange pick up/drop off of supplies Update volunteers/group members with Newsletter Template weekly 1 week prior to event Send out Newsletter to volunteers and include Volunteer Info Document Finalize volunteer schedule and distribute to volunteers Map out the Event site (where truck will park, where donors cars will enter and exit, where volunteer break station will be. See sample map for ideas) 5

7 Volunteers Managing your volunteers efficiently is an important aspect of organizing a successful Used Clothing Drive. The number of volunteers you recruit is very important, and depends on the scale of your Used Clothing Drive. Volunteers can help you recruit more volunteers, assist with the planning, promotion and execution of your Used Clothing Drive as well as increase the amount of money you raise. We suggest you appoint 2 or 3 volunteer team leaders to individually manage groups of volunteers with specific tasks associated with each step of organizing a Used Clothing Drive. Choose team leaders who have proven they are reliable and capable of managing a group that consists of 2-10 volunteers. You will need volunteers to complete the following tasks: Distribute flyers and posters Pick up and drop off supplies Be on hand to direct traffic and collect donations on Donation Day Be on hand to set-up and clean up on Donation Day Assist with administrative duties Participate in meetings and share ideas Be involved in planning and implementing other activities as required on Donation Day Distribute food and water to volunteers and run a volunteer break station Volunteers to be on hand in case any additional help is needed for tasks on Donation Day Important It is very important to have at least 2 contacts with cell phones who are good problem solvers on Donation Day to be available to volunteers to approach regarding issues that arise. Communicate these contact numbers and names to volunteers using the Newsletter. Arriving to the event site early is important, have your volunteer team leaders do the same. Hold a meeting with this small number of volunteers to discuss volunteer schedule, volunteer break stations and times, as well as details of how the event site will operate. If you plan to meet in the morning, it would be nice to include coffee and other refreshments to volunteers. Once all your volunteers arrive, hold a meeting thanking your volunteers for their involvement and have your team leaders guide their teams around the site and explain how and when donations will be unloaded, stored and loaded. Ensure teams are setting up in their designated areas and be available to solve any problems that may arise. 6

8 Motivate your team The easiest way to promote your event is by word of mouth. Your team/group/organization members are essential to planning, promoting and executing your Used Clothing Drive and collecting more donations. Keep your members informed. Use newsletters and/or s to keep team members motivated and inspire them to keep talking to friends, family and neighbors about the Used Clothing Drive. Communicate openly with your team. Meet with your team, in person or by phone, periodically to discuss your progress. Get creative with your team outfits. Plan to wear matching costumes, hats or colors on Donation Day to stand out from the crowd. Organize friendly contests between your team members. Compete to see who can collect the most bags and boxes. Have each member responsible for a set number of donation bags. For example: If there are 100 Girl Scouts and each Girl Scout brings in a minimum of 5 bags, that s 500 bags! Offer prizes, recognition or bragging rights to the group that brings in the most bags. Don t forget you are FUNdraising! The more motivated you are to have fun and collect Donations the more likely your team will follow your lead. Start your Event off with a BANG! Have Volunteers arrive to the Event site early for a meeting with coffee/tea. Make a speech and thank everyone for their participation. Stay connected to your team with our sample Newsletter We want to know the creative ways you Are motivating your team! Share your team story with us info@usedclothigndrive.com 7

9 Newsletter Newsletters are cost effective and a great tool to get the word out; they can be used in 2 ways: To communicate Your Donation Day updates with your volunteering team To remind and raise awareness about Your Donation Day to your audience All you need is an address. Here are some ideas that you could include in your newsletter to promote Your Donation Day, internally or externally. Ideas Try and send a newsletter at-least once a week. Keep team members updated on changes regarding Used Clothing Drive and promotional aspects of the event. Share pictures of activities that you and your team of volunteers are involved in. Share information regarding businesses that have agreed to help out, and the number of volunteers currently committed to helping out. This is a great place to communicate where you need additional help from volunteers or if there are a few tasks that have not yet been assigned. You can also announce team names or volunteers who have agreed to take responsibility for a particular task. Don t forget to thank everyone for their efforts up to this point. Make a personalized message to someone who went above and beyond this week to help move something forward. Add some fun facts about the environment and how the Used Clothing Drive can make a difference. You can find some facts on Contact information Be sure to include contact information in more than one place. Not only should it be part of your master template, you should include For more information contacts in every article where it s appropriate. Web links Include links to your organization web site wherever you can. Be sure to update the site to include the information you are referring them to. If you have set up a Facebook event page this is a great place to link to it Example Templates With the templates at we can provide, all you have to do is put your logo, use some of the ideas mentioned above, and send it off to your group / network. Contact your Fundraisng Coordinator to request access to downloadable templates and resources. info@usedclothingdrive.com

10 Donation Day Contest Ideas Getting members and volunteers involved in contests is a great way to get them excited and involved in collecting clothing and used goods. 1. Hold a contest that asks participants to upload a video to YouTube that tells people why they should donate used clothing at your event. Enter all participants into a draw to win a worthwhile prize. You ll build your YouTube presence, uncover compelling stories and generate new, heartfelt videos that, with permission, could be added to your website. 2. Encourage a timely action. For example, announce in your event newsletter and on social media that the first team to add 10 new members wins a free pizza party. Besides adding new registrants, your participants may begin to read your communications more closely. 3. Hold quirky and offbeat contests that show a little personality. For example, in honor of national Donald Duck day (June 9th), hold a contest that enters all participants who receive a donation from someone named Donald into a drawing to win a gift card. 4. Create teams within your group and have everyone in that team wear their team colour on Donation Day. If your site permits give each team a designated Donation collection area, hand out office labels or stickers in their team colour and the first team to collect that number of bags and use up all the stickers, can win a group prize. Remember Participants are not professional fundraisers, so always include directions, tips for success and share with them why this task is important. Prizes Prizes do not need to cost much, for example: a prize can be your group leader/principal dying their hair blue or wearing the mascot outfit. Prizes can also be donated by local businesses or by your organization. Download the sponsor Request letter and edit it to include prizes for volunteers when soliciting for prizes. 9

11 Event site Spaces that work best for a Used Clothing Drive are large open spaces such as parking lots, baseball diamonds, soccer fields and arenas. If your organization does not have access to a similar space, you can work with your community and local businesses to acquire the use of space. Use the sponsor Request form and edit it to include use of a parking lot or green space. When choosing an event site keep the following criteria in mind: Large enough space for the truck to park and be loaded on site Ample space for donors to drive in to deliver donations An area for a volunteer break station Space for other event & fundraising activities FUNdraising Making the event site fun and entertaining is key to attracting donors. Signs and banners are great for grabbing donor s attention as well as balloons, flowers, streamers and flags. Be creative, have your group make banners and signs or solicit local printing companies to donate them. Using signs to let donors know where to enter and exit the drop off location can reduce confusion on Donation Day. Signs advertising other event activities will attract donors to participate and have a good time. Use signs to advertise what your organization is and why you are raising money. Signs with your fundraising goal also motivate donors to pitch in. Live or recorded music also creates a fun and active atmosphere. Use the Sponsor request Letter to solicit Local bands, DJ s or radio stations to donate their services or broadcast from the fundraising site. There are many things you can do to make your event site interesting and fun. Here are a few more ideas: Have your school or team mascot attend to attract donors Have a volunteer at the front directing traffic and advertising the fundraiser to passers-by who stop out of curiosity. Invite a local public or media figure to your fundraiser Have volunteers in costumes directing people from nearby intersections to your event site 10

12 Notes: Now that you have your notes, give us a call! We are here to help! 11

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14 Promotional Kit Step 2. Promote For Used Clothing Drive and Used Household Goods Drive usedclothingdrive.com is a community project owned and operated by Bank & Vogue Ltd. 12

15 Promotional Checklist 8-10 weeks prior to event Create a promotional plan/timeline Schedule a meeting with your Organization/Group to discuss your promotion plans for the upcoming event. Connect with Local businesses to request sponsorship Create Facebook page and invite network of friends to event 3-4 weeks prior to event Schedule another meeting with your organization and include volunteers to discuss any Promotion assistance if needed. Assign volunteers to distribute flyers and hang posters in the neighborhood as applicable Connect with local businesses who will be sponsoring the event to discuss details of their involvement Continue social Media promotion based on suggested schedule Submit articles/press releases to local media outlets via Submit an article for your group newsletter Send flyers home with group members for distribution 1 week prior to event Update the Facebook Event and send out a reminder to users Send out blast reminders to donors (use the Newsletter Template) Assign volunteers to distribute flyers and hang posters in the neighborhood as applicable 13

16 MEDIA AND PUBLICITY Promoting your Used Clothing Drive can be easier than you expect. Promotion is important to draw attention and donors to your event. The more donors you have the more goods you collect and this in turn increases the amount of money you can raise. Local newspapers and radio stations love local news and social media is another great platform to promote your event, it s free and easy. Local Media Contact your local media, newspapers, television and radio stations. Often times, these platforms are willing to donate free ad space to schools, community groups and non-profit organizations, all you have to do is ask. We have provided some sponsor request sample letters for you to edit and distribute. Advertising with one of the provided flyers in newspapers and newsletters is a simple way to give donors the information they need to support your Used Clothing Drive. Consider contacting local public figures to get involved such as: The Mayor, Regional Councillors, Local news anchors and Radio hosts. We have provided a Public Figure Invitation sample letter for you to edit and distribute. We have many resources available to make promoting the event fun and easy. Contact us for a full downloadable list. Social Media Social media is a great way to get people in your community who are also part of online communities, involved in your fundraising event. Your messages reach many different people at once and you can send targeted detailed messages to specific groups. There are many different social media outlets you can use to promote your event such as: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Youtube and Instagram. We highly recommend using Facebook, it is a free and easy way to promote your event to donors and to communicate to your team, group and volunteers. Everything posted on Social Media should focus on textile recycling benefits, used clothing drive donation and detailed information on your particular event. We have created a calendar of Facebook content suggesting what & when to post links, articles, videos and images. We also provide the content that you can use directly or as suggestions for finding and creating your own content for Facebook. 14

17 Ways to Promote Word of Mouth Have members, volunteers, family, friends and neighbours spread the word to their network. You will be surprised how quickly the news will spread. Social Media Social media is a fairly new and easy way to promote your Used Clothing Drive. Social media gives you the ability to post images, videos and links to websites quickly, easily and to a large group of people. We provide information and resources to help you use social media to promote our event. Traditional Media Traditional media sources are very reliable and often donate ad space and airtime to community groups and organizations that are fundraising. We provide resources you can use to solicit media outlets for assistance. Grass Roots Advertising Flyers in public places do get attention. Local supermarkets, restaurants and community centers usually have bulletin boards where you can post flyers and posters requesting donations. You can also post flyers at bus stops, on telephone poles and park benches in high traffic areas. You can also have volunteer s flyer individual mailboxes and cars. is a great way to spread the word. Using the Flyer, Donor Request Letter or Newsletter we provide, you can a large group of people in your community with business or member directories. With our help and a little bit of time, you can efficiently promote your Used Clothing Drive to attract a large number of donors. 15

18 Why Facebook? Why should you promote your Used Clothing Drive using Facebook? 1. It s free! 2. A lot of help is readily available online for ideas related to posting on Facebook 3. Chances are most of your prospective donors and volunteers are already on Facebook 4. It s easy to invite your group to your Facebook event page. More here 5. It s easy for your group to share The Used Clothing Drive information with their friends 6. It s easy post and share pictures, videos and images 7. You can ask for volunteer help and suggestions 8. It gives you the ability to make your event more social! Facebook Resources We have created and compiled a list of resources to make using Facebook easy and fun! Here are some examples of the Facebook resource available: Facebook Calendar How to set up a Facebook Event Suggested Images Suggested Videos Suggested Links 16

19 Facebook Content All Facebook content is available by request from your Fundraising Coordinator, please contact us for details. Videos Posting Videos to Facebook is a great way to get people interested in your organizations Used Clothing Drive. We have created a few videos as examples of what you can create for free, online. Some online video programs only allow you to create 30 second videos, which is usually enough time to make your message clear. But you can also download Microsoft Movie Maker for free and make longer videos with details about your organizations event. Check out our Facebook group for these ideas and more! Some great online free video services: Onetruemedia.com Stupeflix.com Animoto.com Most of these services allow you to upload to other social media sites directly from the video editor. The type of information you should include in your videos: Date time and Location of Event Your fundraising goal in $ and # of bags Information about the organization Cause for fundraising Textile and household recycling facts Tips to de-clutter house/garage Tips to help cleaning out closet/cupboards Acceptable and unacceptable donations Images Images with facts and information about textile recycling as well as the details of your event would be a great addition to your Facebook event site. We have many images at that you can share on your event site, or you can upload your own images. Links Links re-direct the viewer to a different site. There is a lot of wonderful content online with information about textile recycling and textile manufacturing s impact on the planet. 17

20 Flyers & Posters These are a few examples of the types of Flyers and posters that are available in digital format for you to print and distribute. 18

21 What is a Press release? A press release is a written statement to the media. They can announce to the media information about your fundraising event. They can also be used in generating a feature story. Reporters are more likely to consider a story idea if they first receive a press release. We have available two pre-written sample press releases for you to edit, print and distribute. Simply insert your organization and event date/time/location into sample press release. You can send this sample press release to: Local television stations Local newspapers Local radio stations Tips Include the organization name in the headline, any subhead, and in the body of the first paragraph for better visibility via search engines and for news professionals and other readers. If you're mailing a hard copy, you may put it on organization letterhead. Get permission from the principal or director of your organization before using their name on the quotes. The timing of the press release is very important. It must be relevant and recent news, not too old and not too distant. Send your release by , and use formatting sparingly. Put the release in the body of the , not as an attachment. Use your headline as the subject line of the . 19

22 Request Letters We have written some sample letters of request to make soliciting businesses and media outlets for support, easier. Tap into your network for a variety of businesses that would be willing to support your fundraiser. The sample letters can be downloaded from our website in digital format for you to edit, print and distribute. Please contact our Fundraising Coordinator to gain access to promotional resources and materials. Some suggested businesses/organizations you can solicit for support are: Printing Companies Grocery Stores Hardware Stores Shopping Malls Clothing Retailers Coffee Shops T.V. Stations Radio Stations Restaurants Local Government 20

23 Notes: Now that you have your notes, give us a call! We are here to help! 21

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25 Promotional Kit Step 3. Raise For Used Clothing Drive and Used Household Goods Drive usedclothingdrive.com is a community project owned and operated by Bank & Vogue Ltd. 23

26 Donation Day Checklist Provide water, shelter and chairs for the volunteers Ensure there is a first aid kit on site in case of injury Set up posters/street signs to promote the event to by-passers Provide a stepping stool or ladder for accessing the truck, and add extra bags/ boxes/tape for containing loose items. Secure the truck doors (if they swing out) by hooking then to the sides of the trailer to prevent injury in case of wind. If there is time between the end of Donation Day and the time the trailer will be picked up, ensure the trailer is locked to prevent loss of product. Set up signs to direct donors and volunteers to certain areas (parking, break station, donation drop off, etc.) Supplies you will need Ladder/Step stool Packing tape Garbage bags Bungee cords (to secure door if needed) Lock (to lock trailer if needed) Tables and Chairs Shelter for Volunteers Water At least 1 street sign First Aid Kit Extras Balloons Mascots Banners Colorful Decorations Music Food and beverage 24

27 Loading the Truck The donation truck needs to be located in an area with enough space for donors to drive in and drop off their donations, as well as the large truck to be loaded. We suggest you plan to have 2 volunteers in the truck to stack the bags and boxes, as well as 2-4 volunteers handing boxes and bags to the volunteers inside the truck. The truck is scheduled to be at your site for a maximum of 4 hours. It is important that we schedule the truck to pick up close to the end of your Donation Day. This is vital because the truck may be scheduled to pick up another delivery after he drops the used clothing off. There may be a fee for holding the truck longer then scheduled. Garbage bags are slippery. In order to stack garbage bags of clothing appropriately to maximize the space inside the truck, please stack bags in a brick layer fashion by placing long sides parallel to the sides of the trailer with tied ends facing the back or front. When loading a trailer, bags and boxes need to be loaded separately as they arrive from the donors. Boxes can become braces to help stack the slippery bags. Boxes can be placed in front of a wall of bags to support them from falling forward. Please stack boxes in the back of the trailer closest to the front of the vehicle like this: You may also want to use the boxes to contain the bags. The truck will be layered as such: Important Some trailers come equipped with a ramp- but not all trailers. You will need to have a ladder or step stool available in case the trailer does not have a ramp. The trailer doors will need to be secured with bungee cords so they do not close on volunteers and cause injury. It is very important that you understand the minimum amount of clothing you need to make your fundraiser a success. 53 ft truck completely full is approximately 30,000 lbs. We ask for a minimum of 5000 lbs because shipping is costly. You might decide to have 2 donation days in which case you can count the number of bags/boxes in your storage area (safe from rain/snow/theft). Once you have an estimate of the amount of bags you have after day 1 you can blast or contact the media to help raise awareness for Day 2. 25

28 Event activities & Ideas There are many ways you can increase participation at your event, here are a few ideas to make your event fun and interactive. Bake Sale Everyone loves sweet treats! Serving coffee and sweets is a great way to raise a few more dollars and make everyone feel good Silent Auction A silent auction is great way to raise some money if you get items donated by local artists or businesses. Raffles Having ballots given out to donors for each bag or box they donate can increase donations. Petting Zoo Who doesn t love a cute and cuddly farm animal? Sporting Event Having your donation Day at the same time as a large sporting event and advertising the Used Clothing Drive to people who are likely to attend can generate more donations then you ever thought possible! Fashion Show Having a Used Clothing Fashion show and highlighting the benefits of textile recycling can be entertaining and educational. Other Ideas: Car Show Car wash Fair Concert Farmers Market 26

29 Evaluate Your event We want to know how things went on Donation Day! We love to see pictures and to hear stories about your cause and the volunteers who work with your organization. We have a short survey online that can be found in Stage 3 of the Promotional Resources Download Centre webpage. We would really appreciate if you would tell us your story, send us your pictures and complete the survey. By completing the survey and telling us your story you will be helping us ensure we offer the highest level of service to non-profit organizations. We also ask that you allow us to share your pictures and story with other organizations who are considering having a Used Clothing Drive. Evaluating your event is also a great way to determine opportunities of improvement for future Used Clothing Drives and raising more money for your organization. Recognizing your volunteers Recognizing the hard work and dedication of your volunteers is an important aspect of retaining their time and effort to assist your organization in the future. We provide Certificates of Appreciation and Participation for you to download and distribute to your volunteers. Please also use the Newsletter to thank all your volunteers at once and honorably mention volunteers who went above and beyond to help out. It is also a great idea to thank any board or committee members who have an impact on your organizations fundraising efforts. 27

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31 Notes: Now that you have your notes, give us a call! We are here to help! 29

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