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Procurement of
Donations (2)
Donation
Categories
Before you begin
soliciting
donations, give
some thought to
what sort of
donations you
need for your
event. Think
about what mix
of things would
fit your guests,
fundraising
goals, and even
your event
theme.
You will want a
different mix of
items for your
live auction
than for your
silent auctions.
Live auctions
tend to have the
most special
items in them,
along with items
that are
somewhat “higher
end.” Also, if
you have held
auctions in the
past, you will
want to
re-procure items
that did well
for you. Also,
don’t forget
about the
donations you
should acquire
to for raffle or
other game
prizes. Here are
some categories
and items to
consider:
Activities -
Golf
(greens
fees, cart
rental,
etc.),
family
putt-putt
golf,
museums,
skating,
amusement
parks,
special
dinners,
wine tasting
tours,
skiing
Antiques
-
Figurines,
glassware,
furniture
Books -
Coffee
table books,
signed
editions,
children’s
books
Clothing
-
Department
store
certificates,
your
organization’s
branded
items,
school
uniforms,
formal wear
Entertainment
- Movie
tickets,
tickets to
plays,
concerts,
Events -
Hosted
patio party,
special
dinner
cooked by
your
organization’s
staff
Food &
Beverages -
Cookies
(cookie
baskets,
Girls Scout,
etc.),
wines,
coffee
basket, tea
basket,
fudge,
market
certificates,
specialty
foods
Holiday
Items -
Holiday
decorations,
holiday
décor items
Home
Décor -
Furniture,
art work,
knick-knacks,
dishes,
quilts
Jewelry -
Earrings,
necklaces,
watches,
hand-made
pieces
Restaurants
- Fast
food
certificates,
fine dining
Services
- Auto
service,
photography,
home repair,
medical &
dental
services,
landscaping,
spa
treatments,
music
lessons
Special
Items -
Special
items
provided or
created by
people in
your
organization
(crafts,
baskets,
class
projects),
seats at a
school play,
special
parking
spaces,
tuition
credits,
principal
for a day
Sports -
Autographed
sports
jersey or
photograph,
tickets to
games,
sports camp
tuition,
sports
equipment
Technology -
Portable
stereo,
computer
software,
DVD player,
computer
hardware,
television
Toys -
Bicycle,
stuffed
animals,
children’s
toys, games
Travel -
Time in
vacation
homes,
airline
miles or
tickets
Cash
Donations
You may want to
ask your cash
donors if they
have specific
uses in mind for
their donation.
Let them know
what is needed
by your group,
and let them
earmark their
donation for a
specific
purpose. By
giving you a
chance to thank
them for
supporting a
specific part of
your event, you
can build
goodwill with
these too often
anonymous
supporters. For
example, you may
have one or two
donors willing
to cover the
costs of parking
for your guests
at your venue. A
sign or note in
your catalog
thanking them
for their
sponsorship is a
great way to say
thank you. Of
course, as with
donors of items,
you should
respect
someone’s wishes
to remain
anonymous.
One other note
about cash
donations: if
you require
members of your
community to
make a cash
donation to your
event, like some
schools do with
their families,
it is really not
a donation at
all. Once a
donation becomes
required, it
becomes a fee.
Do not refer to
it as a
donation, and
never issue a
donation receipt
for it.
Mailings
Introduction
letters can be
sent to
prospective
donors -
especially those
outside your
immediate
community. They
describe your
cause, introduce
your fundraiser
and your needs,
give contact
information, and
may inform the
recipient that a
procurement
person from your
group will
contact them at
a later time.
Thank you
letters are an
important part
of your
procurement
effort.
You should, of
course, thank
your donor in
person when you
collect a
donation.
Also, a listing
of all your
donors in your
catalog is
traditional. A
personalized
thank you letter
to your donors,
after your event
is complete, is
just as
important as
these others. As
with letters to
your guests, you
can use this
opportunity to
report your
results, present
the good that
will come from
the funds you’ve
raised, and show
your gratitude
for their part
in your success.
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