Conferences
"On the train home from Sacramento, Gail and I marveled at all of the information we had gleaned." Jonee Levy, Next Village, San Francisco.
Best of the Best - Practices to Emulate - submitted for the 2012 Conference
- Fundraising "Surprise" Bags - At your next event gather 50 donated gift cards from local vendors, small boxes of candy, and other trinkets and treasures. Pleace each item in a small decorative lunch style bag and staple or tie the bag shut. During the event have volunteers walking about selling the bags of chance for $10 each. Guests are guaranteed to win an item valued from $5 - $100. This is a fun and easy way to bring energy into the room while adding $500 to your event. (Submitted by Ruth Hamlin, "Thoughts for Thursday")
- Open a for profit arm - Resale Store - This resale is a consignment store. 40% of the proceeds go to the co-signer and 60% to the agency. Donations are received on a daily basis. The store fulfills the mission to the point that we may give out free clothes and merchandise for vouchers received from other human service agencies. Staff includes a full-time store manager and Senior Job Service helps fill-in when regular volunteers aren't available. After two weeks of work volunteers are eligible for a 10% discount. (Submitted by Faith in Action of Western Stark County, OH)
- Recreate your organization - This provider realized that there was another organization in town that was providing transportation services, and doing a great job. Rather than try and compete, LIFT recreated itself into a food provider. 80-100 boxes of food are delivered each month, 400 care receivers are served via a food pantry, and lunch sites serve 25-40 seniors per day. (Submitted by LIFT, Portland, OR)
- Partnerships - TJ could not afford the private pay of $3,000 for dentures. For over 10 years she was too embarassed to smile without placing her hand over her mouth. A partnership with a volunteer dentist and the state womens' prison resulted in dentures for $300. What were TJ's plans with her new teeth? "I'm going to buy an ear of corn and a piece of chicken and eat them." You may not have a volunteer dentist or a state prision system, but who do you have that you could utilize to meet care receiver needs? (Submitted by Community Health Ministry, Wamego, KS)
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