Photo by Tannazie by permission under the Creative Commons Share-Alike License 2.0
Although it is still October, the holiday season will be upon us sooner than you think. In anticipation of this season, PTAs, charities, and religious organizations all over the country will be unveiling holiday fundraisers in the form of holiday wrapping paper, cookie dough sales, and mugs and calendars for grandparents. This is only some of the possible fundraisers that schools, religious organizations, and other community groups sponsor throughout the year.
I know as a parent I hate these fundraisers. How much gift wrap do you need? I could not eat another cheese cake or order anymore stationary for my children. How many trees have we cut down in the name of fundraisers? How much sugar have we consumed in order to supplement needed programs at our community organizations?
Don’t get me wrong. Fundraising is necessary to supplement the income of an organization, institute special programs, or provide supplies which are needed. Unfortunately, the amount of hours needed for some fundraisers and the money earned has caused organizations to rethink their fundraising strategies. What if there were new fundraisers that were available that were fun, easy, and had an environmental purpose? With the news constantly bombarding us with global warming issues, people are trying to make a conscious effort to be aware of their impact on the Earth.
Would it be easier to market a “save the Earth” fundraiser rather than a tired old fundraiser that has been done over and over again? It is worth a shot.
Just to give an example, a couple of years ago, my school joined Staples’ Recycling for Education program, which I am in charge of. We collect inkjet print and laser toner cartridges and send them back to Staples for money.
This fundraiser is a no brainier and people drop off their cartridges in a box in the school office. In turn, our school collects $3 for each eligible cartridge and we are doing our part to keep our share of print cartridges out of landfills.
Are there any other fundraisers out there that either are as simple as Staples’ or at least parents could buy something benefiting the Earth, such as a “feel good fundraiser”?
Here is a list of the “no brainier” fundraisers where all people have to do is drop off the requested collectible in a box at the school or any community organization. Many of the organizations pay for shipping as well. I have provided a brief synopsis of these fundraisers and urge you to click on the link to read more about these programs, or visit my site during the week when I will go into more depth about these fundrasiers.
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