Donations Procurement

Donations Mini-Workshop

Donations Mini-Workshop

Presented by

Judy Brennan -- Service Unit 673/Troop 2099

Day Camp Ad Staff Conference - February 27, 1999 - Council Office

Welcome/My Experiences with Donations
Girl Scouts of Mid-Continent Council Policy on Seeking Donations

It is not expected that day camps, troops or service units seek donations for activities. However, if any of these groups choose to do so, they are not prohibited from asking for donations on a small scale. A description of all donations must be reported on the budget in the case of day camps or on the financial report for troops and service units. You may not:

Set up a committee specifically to seek donations.

Contact metro area corporations and companies whose corporate headquarters are here (such as Hallmark, Sprint, or Payless Cashways, etc.) to seek donations. This type of activity must be reviewed by Mid-Continent's Fund Development Department so it does not conflict with council-wide fund development activities.

Ask McDonald's, for example, for 100 free "Happy Meals". The degree of the donation is important here - it is fine to request ice or juice from a local McDonald's, but not a large donation of meals, etc.

Figure out what you need, FIRST!
Order of seeking donations

YOU - keep your eyes open at all times for the things you need
Who do you know? Who do you do business with?
Troop/Service Unit/Girl Scout Associates - Who do they work for?
Who do they know? Who do they do business with?
What businesses do you drive by? What can they provide you for your day camp?
Visit stores and write down addresses - write letters - if the company requires a letter from Council, send Mary Daey the information and she will forward a letter on your behalf.

What types of donations can you seek? Who is throwing what away? (Not by any means an exhaustive list, and not specific to every company/hotel/location.)

Fast Food Restaurants	straws, napkins, ketchup, mustard, cups, ice, juice (requires $20 deposit per container), Pickle Buckets
Hotels	damaged sheets, perhaps soap, pickle buckets (from restaurant)
Pie Pantrys	used pie tins (need to be cleaned)
Banks, Ins. Comp	pens, pencils, perhaps balloons
Grocery Stores	plastic bags/grocery sacks
Walmart/Sams	Apply for $25 Gift Certificate
Copy Centers	paper
Restaurants	end of day food items (donuts, bagels, deli supplies)
Manufacturing	Sunshine (cookies); Frito Lay (2-27 packs of chips, at best!)
Construction	wood scraps, maybe nails
Decorating Stores	wallpaper books, drapery samples, discontinued rolls of wallpaper

How to/role playing

* Hi! Who is the (Manager/Owner/Person in charge)? May I speak with him/her?

* Hello, Mr. Manager! My name is Susie Girl Scout. I'm calling on behalf of our Girl Scout Day Camp which is scheduled for June 8-11 this summer. We will be impacting the lives of 200 girls by enriching their lives with outdoor experiences including: rappeling, games, ziplining, crafts and much more (be sure to add the activity for which you need the item(s) you will be asking them for). It is for this reason I am calling you Mr. Manager. The cost to the girl to attend Day Camp is very low and we have very limited funds to get the materials we need to deliver the rich program we have designed. This is where we need your help, Mr. Manager. Would you be willing to donate 200 (item) for the girls to use during their XX activity? (Now, be silent and wait for an answer or response.)

* If no or not at this time, thank them and continue calling the next company.

* If yes, arrange for a time that you or one of your staff will pick up the item.

* Make sure you thank them, and thank them, and thank them for their support and generosity.

* Send a thank you note saying how the girls benefited by their generosity and if possible, a picture of the girls using the item(s). If you have a camp newsletter, publicly thank them for their support. If there is a article in the paper about your event, send a photocopy of the article. Treat them right and they will support you again!

Be persistent, be creative! Most companies have budgets for "goodwill". Manufacturing companies always have "seconds". Companies always have trash. Figure out how you can incorporate their trash into your program!

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Created 12/27/00