3RD PARTY TOOLKIT FUNDRAISING 1
SHARE Family and Community Services Volunteer Fundraising Are you interested in helping improve the lives of families and individuals in the Tri-Cities but are unsure of where to begin? Do you have a great idea for a fundraising event but don t know how to make it a reality? SHARE Family and Community Service s 3 rd Party Fundraising Toolkit provides you with a stepby-step guide on how to organize an event that can make a valuable contribution to the vital work we re doing in the community. Thanks to people like you who share a vision for a stronger community, we are able to help provide thousands of individuals with the opportunity to pursue the life they chose. Thank you! This toolkit will provide you with ideas, organizing tips and other related information designed to help make your fundraising endeavours a success. Table of Contents About Share. 3 Your Event..4 Event Ideas..4 Promoting Your Event..5 Planning Checklist..7 Resource Documents..8 Event Proposal Form.9 Banner Usage Agreement.10 Photo Release Form..11 Food Bank Needed Items 12 Toy Bank Needed Items 13 Donor Collection Sheet.14 Recognition Letter Sample..15 Press Release Sample..16 Fundraising Guidelines 17 Submitting Donations.19 2
About SHARE and How You Can Help SHARE Family & Community Services Society is a non-profit, independent, community based organization providing leadership and programs in response to the social needs of the residents of the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra), New Westminster and adjacent communities. Founded in 1972, SHARE started as a children s clothing exchange in the basement of founder Gertie Grosser s home. It quickly became a focal point for community members who wanted to help themselves and their neighbours with life s challenges, and now SHARE has grown to be the largest social service provider and one of the largest employers in the Tri-cities. While the programs and services that we deliver have changed over the years, based on the needs of the community, SHARE remains focused on providing support to people who need it the most! What We Do Mission: Vulnerable individuals and families in the Tri-Cities, Anmore and Belcarra have the opportunity to pursue the life they choose. Vision: A strong Tri-Cities community in which individuals and families: build supportive relationships and develop their potential feel welcome and involved in shaping our community are able to meet their basic needs Values: we respect diversity, in all of its forms we build capacity in people, in neighbourhoods and in communities we focus on the unique strengths of the people we serve we are most successful when we work together What is a SHARE Third Party Fundraising Event? An event organized and promoted by a volunteer, community group or company is considered to be a third-party event. Acting independently, but with SHARE s approval and in some cases our direct support, third-party events are an essential resource for helping raise funds, food, and awareness that help us carry out our work in the community. We ask that all events being held to support SHARE be compatible with our mission, vision, values. 3
Your Event Here are a few important things to consider before you start planning your event: 1. Get to know SHARE - People are more likely to donate or volunteer to help if you can clearly articulate why you are supporting SHARE and why our work matters. 2. Coming up with a good idea. Brainstorm, research and test out your fundraising ideas on friends, family and colleagues. It is good to figure out what people are willing to support. 3. Know your audience. Who are you trying to attract to your event? What is your support network like? Tailor your event to match your strengths. 4. Set realistic goals. Setting realistic fundraising goals helps motivate and gives your supporters something to work towards. This will encourage them to be more generous in their support of helping you reach your goal. It is better to surpass a smaller goal than miss reaching a large goal completely. 5. Keep expenses low. Make sure to think about expenses and design events with reasonable costs. There is nothing worse than seeing your fundraising total shrink fast because of expenses. 6. Don t over-commit yourself. Give yourself enough time and make sure you have enough support that all the elements of your event can be completed successfully. It is better to have a well-executed small event than a poorly executed large event. 7. Have a back-up plan. Make sure you have a contingency plan, especially if your event is dependent on unpredictable factors like the weather. 8. Timing is everything. The timing of your event often determines how successful it will be. Be sure to check out whether there are any competing events on the day or time you have chosen. Choosing a theme related to the day of your event is an easy way to make it relevant and successful. Event ideas Food Drive - Trivia Night - Movie Night - Walk/Run/Swim/Cycle - Coin Toss Car Wash - Swag Sale - Raffle or 50/50 Draw - Pub Night - Bottle Drive Yard Sale - Concert/Band Night - Auction - Gift Wrapping - Learning Workshop Bake Sale - Challenge - Summer BBQ - Cook Off - Fashion Show - Sports Tournament 4
Promoting Your Event Getting the word out about your event is critical to its success. Here are some tips on creating awareness in advance of your fundraiser. Traditional word-of-mouth People tend to forget what the world was like before social media. Don t forget that one of the best ways to spread awareness is through word of mouth. Make sure you share details about your event to everyone you know and meet in the lead-up to your event. Ask them to share the information with their friends as well. Posters and flyers You can make very simple but effective posters and flyers using programs like Microsoft Word, or if you have a design inclined friend you can solicit their services. If you re designing your own poster please send it to us for approval so we can make sure all the information is correct and it complies with our branding guidelines. Online promotion Social media is one of the quickest ways to let people know about your fundraising event. There are lots of great free tools and programs available for your use. Also check out online event calendars serving your community such as municipal or community centre websites to see if they will accept a posting for your event. 5
Media If you re planning a large event, you might consider sending a press release (page 16) to local newspapers, radio and TV stations to try to get editors interested in doing an advance story or covering your event. Local news outlets love human interest stories, but they receive so many requests to cover fundraising events you often need to have a unique angle. Don t be discouraged if they don t respond to your release. If a reporter does contact you, tell them about your event, what you have planned, and why you re doing it, but if they have any questions related to SHARE you can direct the reporter to contact us directly at 604-529-5107. If the media doesn t cover your idea for a story, you can still get media promotion on their daily event calendars by submitting a media advisory a minimum of one week in advance. Be sure to follow up with all media outlets a couple of days in advance of your event to make sure they received your advisory and intend to list it on their event calendars. Sample Media Advisory TO: Media name, editor or reporter name DATE/TIME: Sunday, November 21st, 10:00am-4:00pm LOCATION: 2615 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam BC WHAT: CONTACT: Holiday Food Drive for SHARE Family and Community Services To raise money and food for the SHARE Food Bank, Port Moody Running Club will be holding their first annual Community Food Drive at Low Priced Grocery. The event will include a hot dog sale and a spin-to-win prize wheel. All proceeds will go to the SHARE Food Bank to support families in need this holiday season. For further information please contact: Your name, e-mail and phone number 6
Planning Checklist Planning an event is easy if you re organized. Use these step-by-step checklists to ensure you don t forget anything that could help make your event a success! Before your event Brainstorm fundraising ideas refer to our Fundraising Ideas on page 4 to get started Check into any possible safety or legal issues (permits, Serving It Right, etc..) Determine how many people you will need to help you execute your plan Enlist volunteers friends, family, colleagues or other motivated people Let SHARE know about your event Plan your budget Find a suitable location Schedule your event Promote your event During your event Assign someone you trust to be responsible for handling the donations Have a SHARE Donation Collection Sheet (page 14) available for donations After your event Collect the funds Thank your donors, volunteers, and supporters. See page 15 for a template letter. Compile all of your donation forms and money collected. Drop off at SHARE within two weeks of the event. See page 17 for donation guidelines and tax receipt information 7
EVENT RESOURCE DOCUMENTS 8
SHARE Fundraising Event Proposal Form Thank you for your interest in organizing an event on behalf of SHARE Family and Community Services. Please send us this proposal form so we can endorse and help promote your event. Tell us about yourself. Main Contact Name: Mailing Address: Street City Province Postal Code Email address Telephone Fax Please select the category that best describes you: Individual Business School Community/Social Club Service Club Other If Other, please describe Tell us about your event. Event name: Venue name: Event date and time: Location: Street City Province Postal Code Please agree with the following: I agree to submit donations within one weeks of the event date? I understand and agree to send all publicity material to SHARE for approval prior to printing/distribution? I understand and agree to SHARE s Third Party Fundraising Guidelines? Signature of applicant Print name *Please submit to jake.moir@sharesociety.ca 9
Event Banner Usage Agreement Should you be interested in borrowing one of our banners for your event, please fill out and submit the following form. Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee that a banner will be available. I,, am borrowing a banner for an upcoming event benefitting SHARE Family & Community Services. I will return the banner in the same condition within 2 days of the completion of the event, or at a mutually agreed-upon time. I have provided a security deposit in the amount $50.00. This deposit will be returned to me upon returning the banner to SHARE. Banner Return Date Name (Please Print) Signature Date *Please submit to jake.moir@sharesociety.ca 10
Third Party Event Photo Release Form Please use a form similar to the one below to collect permission from event attendees and volunteers before publishing any photos of them: Date: Event: I hereby consent to and authorize the use and reproduction by SHARE Family & Community Services of all photographs taken of me at this event. I understand that SHARE may use these photos for promotional material, educational activities, and fundraising both in print and electronic form - for the benefit of the agency s programs. Name Signature (parent or guardian if under 19) Parent/Guardian Name (if under 19) Email or Phone Number *Please submit to jake.moir@sharesociety.ca 11
Food Bank Most Needed Items List Canned fruit Canned vegetables Canned fish & meat Canned meals (i.e stews) Pasta & pasta sauce Peanut butter Juice Granola bars Rice Healthy cereal Baby food (in jars) Baby cereal and cookies Diapers Ensure/Boost 12
Toy Bank Most Needed Items List 0-2 year olds Play Mats or Gyms Ride-on Toys Soft Blocks Little People Playsets Soft Dolls Large Cars and Trucks Fisher Price Playsets V-Tech Learning Toys 3-5 year olds Dress-up Clothing Fisher Price Playsets Hot Wheels Cars & Racing Tracks Lego Sets Playdoh Sets Coloring Books & Crayons Wooden Train Sets Tea Sets Kitchen Sets/Work Benches Jr. Sports Equipment Construction & Rescue Vehicles Craft Sets Super Heroes Leap Frog Learning Toys 6-8 year olds Barbies Fashion Dolls Jewelery Boxes Arts & Craft Sets Hair Accessories Dolls & Playsets Coloring Books/Crayons Dress-up clothing Diaries Pet Shops and playsets Skateboards Remote Control Cars Action Figures Building Sets Hot Wheels Cars & Race Tracks Lego Sets Walkie Talkie/Spy Gear K-Nex Transformers 9-12 year olds Hair Accessories Diaries Jewelery Making Kits Purse/wallets Jewelery Boxes Pajama pants Jewelery Sets Slippers Craft/Art Sets Monster High Dolls & Accessories Clothing Hex Bugs CD Boombox Hand-held Electronic Games Skateboards/Scooters Lego Sets Remote Control Cars Nerf Toys Watches K-Nex sets Sports Equipment Science Kits 13-17 year olds Hair Accessories Jewelry Jewelry Boxes Clothing (Sweatshirts/Hoodies) Scarves Headphones Hair Straighteners /Curling Irons Fleece Blankets Purses Watches Wallets Lego Sets Skateboards CD Boombox Movie Passes MP3 players Perfume/Cologne Sets Ear Buds Hair Dryers Gloves Backpacks CD/Clock Radios Pajama pants i-tunes gift cards $25-$35 Gift Certificates to Coquitlam Center *If you are unsure about what a child may like, just ask a child. This is a generic list but there are many gift ideas available and all gifts will be greatly appreciated 13
SHARE Donor Collection Sheet Donor information that is collected on a sheet like the one below must be fully complete and legible to receive a tax receipt. Tax-receipts will be issued automatically for all donations of $25 and over. All cheques must be made payable to SHARE Family and Community Services. We respect your privacy. The personal information you share with us will only be used to process your donation; it will not be sold, traded or rented to any other organization. PLEASE PRINT Event name: Event organizer: Phone: Donor Full Name Address (including apartment #) City and Province Postal Code Phone Number Donation Amount *Please submit to jake.moir@sharesociety.ca 14
SHARE Donor Recognition Letter Sample Don t forget to thank those who were instrumental in making your event a success. Showing that appreciation is both the polite thing to do and it will also encourage people to support you again in the future. Use the text below and e-mail, mail, or personally thank your key supporters, sponsors and fellow team members for their contribution to your event. Dear Friends, Thank you for supporting my fundraising event, (Event Name), held on (Event Date) at (Event Location). Proceeds (specify amount if applicable) will be donated to SHARE Family and Community Services. SHARE Family and Community Services is the largest social service organization in the Tri-cities, working with thousands of individuals every year to help build a stronger community. Funds raised will support programs and services provided to families in the Tri-Cities, Anmore and Belcarra. By donating to SHARE you can be assured that your resources are going to support those in our community who need it most. Sincerely, Your Name 15
Press Release Sample (Please note: the statistics quoted below are not current. Please ask us for current statistics.) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Port Coquitlam, BC, December 11 th, 2013 SHARE Society in partnership with Port Coquitlam Firefighters is hosting our second annual Fill Up the Fire Truck food drive this Friday, December 12 th at Safeway 2850 Shaughnessy St. from 10:00am-7:00pm. The purpose for this drive is to re-fill the Food Bank shelves to meet the needs of Tri-Cities residents after the holiday season. Last year, we provided Christmas hampers to 2659 adults and 1895 children and were able to carry on supporting our clients after the holidays, thanks in part to this food drive. Two big fire trucks will be on location from 10am until 4pm in hopes of symbolically filling them until they burst. Since 1972, SHARE, a registered, non-profit charity, has provided services to help individuals and families have the opportunity to pursue the life they choose. SHARE s services touch over 55,000 people in the Tri-Cities area annually. For more information about SHARE, please visit www.sharesociety.ca. -30- For further information, please contact: John Smith Phone: 604-000-0000 john.smith@sharesociety.ca 16
SHARE Fundraising Guidelines and Tax Receipting Before you begin planning your event, it is a good idea to review SHARE s terms and conditions below to make sure your event complies with our requests. Terms and Conditions In order for SHARE to endorse events held on its behalf, organizers need to agree to the following terms and conditions: Prior approval before hosting a third-party event is appreciated. Every year, many individuals hold events without our knowledge, but if we are given enough notice we can help promote your event. This notice is also important as we need to track all donations and ensure you receive the recognition that you deserve. Complete and submit the event proposal form (page 9) two weeks prior to your event. You can email it to jake.moir@sharesociety.ca or fax it to 604-540-2290. All events must adhere to SHARE s vision and values. SHARE must approve all promotional/advertising copy featuring our name and logo. In your promotional materials if you are using images representing the recipients of the money or food you plan on raising, all photographs or images must be respectful and portray a positive message. SHARE assumes no legal or financial liability associated with the event. SHARE requires that event organizers submit the funds or food raised within one week of the event date, unless otherwise discussed. Involvement of SHARE staff and volunteers will be at the discretion of SHARE and will be based on availability, location and the nature of the event. Where applicable, insurance and/or gaming and liquor licenses must be obtained. 17
Tax Receipts SHARE would be more than happy to issue official receipts for income tax purposes upon request, but all gifts must meet the conditions defined by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Tax receipts will be automatically issued for all donations of $25 or more. We will issue a receipt for a smaller amount upon request only. Tax receipts can only be issued to those who have not received a product or tangible item in return for their donation. The purchase of raffle tickets, admission tickets, green fees, auction items, and performances are a few examples of gifts that are not eligible for a tax receipt. Official receipts require the full name and address of the individual who made the donations. If a company or business wishes to receive a donation receipt, the receipt will be issued only if the CRA criteria are met. 18
How to Submit Food and Money Raised Food If you re hosting a food drive, it is very helpful if you bring your food directly to the depot. This allows us to direct money to the costs of distributing food rather than paying for gas to transport food. The Food Depot is located at 2615 Clarke Street, Port Moody and we are open from 9:30am -6:30pm Mondays, 9:30am-2:00pm Tuesday, 9:00am - 4:00pm Wednesdays, and 9:00am 2:00pm Thursday and Friday. *Please bring the identifying event form with your food so we can track the donation properly. If you have collected so much food that you are unable to fit everything in your vehicle, call us at 604-931-2451 and we will arrange to have your donation picked up. We will weigh the donation at the food bank and let you know how many pounds of food you raised. Money You can coordinate with us to: A) Drop the money collected at our Main Office (#200-25 King Edward Street). B) Deposit the amount raised and mail a cheque to: SHARE Family and Community Service #200-25 King Edward Street Coquitlam, BC, V3K 4S8 C) Deposit the amount raised and donate online at www.sharesociety.ca Again, please keep in mind that if any of your donors want a tax receipt we need the individual s full legal name, address, and contact details. 19
SHARE Fundraising Event Contact Information If you have questions or require clarification on fundraising for SHARE, please contact: Jake Moir Valerie Hutton Fund Development Officer Fund Development Director #200-25 King Edward Street #200-25 King Edward Street Coquitlam, BC, V3K 4S8 Coquitlam, BC, V3K 4S8 Phone: 604-529-5107 Phone: 604-529-5119 Cell: 604-833-1949 Email: Valerie.hutton@sharesociety.ca Email: jake.moir@sharesociety.ca THANK YOU! 20