If you are running out of fundraising ideas, why not try organizing some checkout helpers to raise some money for your cause? It’s a great way to help in the community while swelling the coffers of those in need.
The first thing you need to do is find a suitable venue for fundraising, but that should be simple enough. Shops and supermarkets like to be seen helping local causes, so take a trip to your local mall or high street, and canvas a few prospects.
The next thing you need to do is to make sure you are not paying for damaged goods, so go over good packing practices; after all not all of us go shopping every week. Little tips, such as putting unbreakable goods at the bottom of a bag and delicate items on the top, should help avoid any damage; so make sure that experienced shoppers pass on good practices to any inexperienced packers before the big day.
Obviously, you want people to donate some cash, so make sure there are plenty of smiles and light hearted banter to accompany your bagging. A happy shopper is far more likely to give a donation than one who has been kept waiting while a grumpy bagger does his or her work.
It is vital to make people aware of your cause, and you can do this by handing out leaflets, putting a sign in the window, or placing a sandwich board outside; and don’t forget a sticker on the cash bin you have in place for those all-important donations and a name tag to make the service a bit more personal.
Finally, anybody who may be vulnerable (especially the young) will need to have a helper on hand themselves; so make sure that you organize somebody to stay with them.
