how to Collect Donations

FROM VENDORS

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Vendor Donations:
You may want to start gathering gift cards, items and cash from vendors in April as some businesses use up their donation budget early in the year - especially larger companies that have online donation request forms. But if you can’t get started till August, I think it actually it is helpful to have the deadline  coming up within a few weeks - people are pretty responsive to that.

 

Here are the documents/spreadsheet that we used to gather and sell donations:

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HOW TO GET VOLUNTEERS:
 

Sign up sheet for gift baskets and calling vendors for gift cards - use this to get help getting gift cards and later gift baskets

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ePrm0bCKHK6VPg4jBPZPULocN-tbRUlWqsrWO5f9_ts/edit?usp=sharing

 

Sample email to parents helping to gather gift cards - this is the text of just one of several emails we sent out to parents who agreed to help gather gift cards.  

 

Hey everyone!

 

Just a few weeks to the Fall Festival and we need lots of help gathering gift cards!  Please jump in if you can and thanks to everyone who is already calling!

 

Just put your name next to any vendors on our list that you can call so we're not all calling the same ones. And feel free to any vendors you want that aren't on the list. 

 

Most of the time, if you can speak with a manager, you can get an answer right away.  Some vendors require a follow up with an email, online form or call at another time.  There's a notes column if you need to keep track.  If a vendor donates, please put the amount in the green 'Total Face Value' column - it keeps a running tally for us at the bottom. If a vendor  declines, please strike through their name. Sounds like a lot but all that takes less than 30 seconds each.

 

Here's the link to the list:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IPczFOltnXFNjX0S_j1JN_OMuAQqBp5JHqkJhIv0iDw/ed

 

If someone donates and you can't pick it up, please text me or Amanda or reply to the group and we'll find someone to grab it.  We're happy to take merchandise or gift baskets as well!

 

I'm attaching an updated letter (the old one is still accurate, I just cleaned up a few things). The letter includes our tax id which most businesses will need to write off their donation. I attach or copy it into any email I send and I have a few printed copies in my car that I use to ask for donations in person when I'm out doing errands.  When you use the letter, please change my name and contact to yours so that the vendor can get back to you.

 

Let me know if you have any questions!!

 

Thanks so much!

Amanda

801-592-6952

 

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HOW TO CONTACT VENDORS:

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Letter to vendors on Foothill letterhead - use this to explain to vendors what we are doing and give them our tax ID info.  You can attach it or paste it into to an email with a short message asking for gift cards and you can print it out to give to vendors you happen to do business with.

 

 Please save and only send out as PDF: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-QqKwIBaRT4-3gXZKD2CnIb0LcNVVmIJHJwNqqb8Ums/edit?usp=sharing

 

Spreadsheet for tracking vendors to contact for gift cards - have everyone who is helping to get gift cards keep this updated so you’re not all calling the same places and so you can track whether and how much is donated.  You can copy the relevant columns from the last year to get started on the next Fall Festival.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IPczFOltnXFNjX0S_j1JN_OMuAQqBp5JHqkJhIv0iDw/edit?usp=sharing

 

Gift cards we made for services donated - we made up cards for services people donated so as to display them with the gift baskets but you can also list services on the gift card sign.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b0WdacBhciXgcKR9Wcel84tENrm5rbGafqllvNlTWrg/edit?usp=sharing

 

Thank you to donors - we printed logos to display behind the gift card table at the festival and we put a thank you in the next PTA newsletter:

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vav2lgT7LtVd41bbhBjv0-66ABl39LHIjOHSee4SRIE/edit?usp=sharing

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Gift Card list -  the font on this is big so you can print it to post at the Festival, Back to School Night, PTA Meetings and Parent Teacher - just cross out the cards you sell and update the doc later.  It is linked to the Foothill PTA website so you can sell gift cards there - you just need to update it there as you sell the cards.  Don’t add vendors to this list until you have the gift card in hand.  The spreadsheet lets you track who has agreed to donate and whether they’ve been picked up but don’t put them on the sign until you actually have the donation.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Sj5_EJnHV6nQ9l7ivqiB-Ycb2Cr8pkOEsPQkj-Ism4/edit?usp=sharing

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