Fundraisers are run for the benefit of worthwhile groups, so it seems natural that there should be a sense of responsibility and philanthropy attached to them. More and more these days what is responsible and philanthropic is to save and protect our world by practicing “green living.”
Your group can come on board with green fundraising by holding a fundraising collection campaign for recyclables such as bottle, cans, printer cartridges, and cell phones. But regardless of what your group is selling or collecting, your campaign can be more environmentally conscious simply by reducing the amount of waste involved.
Marketing and advertising fundraisers usually involve a large amount of paper-based informational resources, such as letters, flyers, brochures, and order forms. While the information given through these items is highly valuable, a large majority will probably end up in a landfill, muddying the environment and wasting valuable resources. But by incorporating a few (or all) of the following tips, your group can run a much more environmentally friendly campaign.
Here are some things your group might do to have a more responsible fundraising campaign:
Cut down or eliminate paper-based flyers and brochures—you may be able to use fewer by posting on public boards and not distributing to every individual; you can also drastically reduce wasted materials by only distributing to interested, participating members (many know they’ll never sell right from the start).
Fundraise online—many companies are now offering websites or pages for your fundraiser accessible from their parent site so long distance orders can easily be managed; your group can also set up their own free or low cost website for the duration of the fundraising event; selling at online auctions is another profitable green option.
Use recycled and recyclable materials—paper tops the list.
Reuse old fundraising materials—instead of buying new wood for this year’s sign for example, repaint and update last year’s; a time and money saver as well as a responsible thing to do for the environment.
Utilize local media resources for marketing—newspapers, community websites, and local cable access channels have wide outreach, and since they are being printed or televised anyway, your group will not add more paper waste advertising your event to the same audience; this includes adding your marketing to existing online and paper-based newsletters sponsored by schools and community groups; besides, marketing this way is a low-cost or NO-cost solution for your financially needy group.
