The holiday season is upon us, and many of you are busy collecting, wrapping and delivering last minute items to those who need them. We are thrilled to report that our holiday in-kind programs have been extremely successful this year. Most of our Adopt-A-Family programs have reached 100% days before the end-date, with many families being adopted within minutes after being posted on Roonga. Our online collection drives have also done well, with many gift cards and toys purchased. Many nonprofits have told us that they did not expect to have such high response from donors during these difficult times. We will dedicate a future post to discuss planning strategies for in-kind programs.
With this great momentum, it is only natural to start thinking about Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service in January. MLK Day is held on the third Monday of January every year. It is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to engage in meaningful activities for the benefit of others and the community. Traditionally, most MLK projects are geared towards in-person volunteering activities. Hosting a drive is a great way to engage organizations of all sizes and keep the MLK spirit. In this post, we would like to offer some ideas on the types of drives that are available, and tips on how to make the best out of Martin Luther King Day for the benefit of the communities our nonprofits serve.
Why A Donation Drive?
The surge in individuals and families in need has created greater demand for supplies than ever before. Donors, on the other hand, are interested in helping, but corporations are less inclined to organize in in-person events. Many employees and donors will opt in to stay home, either because they are caring for their family members, are at a risk group, or simply try to avoid unnecessary exposure. With that in mind, a drive provides a both tangible and meaningful solution to all parties involved. Donors like to see the impact of their purchases, and allowing them to specific items helps them translate their monetary impact to a direct benefit.
What Types of Drive Is Right For Your Organization?
- Online Collection Drive: Many of our non-profits tell us that an online drive is easy to execute, while keeping things both organized and secure. This is especially appreciated during Covid. With this type of drive, a list of needed items are selected with exact quantities. The nonprofit can track how many items have been purchased which increases predictability. Examples of solutions you can use include wishlists from large ecommerce sites (like Amazon, Target, and WalMart), or specific in-kind platforms like Roonga. In any of these solutions, the donors purchase specific items which are delivered directly to the nonprofit. In-kind platforms like Roonga can offer attractive bulk pricing which can be more cost effective than the retail stores, and the orders are streamlined and delivered at one time, eliminating a constant stream of deliveries throughout the drive and further reducing the physical touches during the process. With this model, nonprofits know exactly what they will be getting, and the whole process is straightforward and contactless to the donors. Donors can still make a big impact by purchasing items for those in need, although they would have to select from a pre-vetted list of products (e.g., a hygiene kit, pair of socks, or prefilled backpack) and will not have as much freedom as they would have with a physical drive where they shop for the items themselves. As always, what works for some may not work for others, which is why we encourage nonprofits to accept in-kind donations in a variety of ways and consistently throughout the year.
- Traditional Donation Drive: The traditional donation drives require donors to purchase the items themselves and then drop off or ship the items to designated location(s). Nonprofits can place large bins at entry to schools, stores or their main office. In addition, deliveries directly to the main office or a storage facility may be arranged. These types of drives are great for donors who wish to experience the giving by selecting and shopping for items that are meaningful to them. It is also great for gathering items that donors may already have (for example: gently used outwear, or extra non perishable food items from their home pantry). However, during the coronavirus pandemic, this option will require physical locations to be open, and volunteers are often required to assist with logistics (placing bins, arranging pickups, reviewing and inventorying items received, and organizing supplies in a space designated to store the donations). In addition, it can be tricky to predict what items will be donated, and possibly result in an excess number of items in one category (hello leftover pumpkin pie filling!) and lack of donations in priority categories. To make this type of drive successful we recommend making a detailed list of items needed, and to the extent that it’s possible assign each participating donor group with a specific task (for instance: Marketing department are to only bring diapers, Finance Department to bring socks, etc). We have seen friendly competitions between departments or school grades boost up the goods donated during the drive.
- “Adopt-a-Family” or “Adopt-a-Person” drive: With this type of program, nonprofits can sign with us to upload specific individual profiles and needs for seniors or families in need. Donors can select a profile that speaks to them and send groceries or other needed items directly to the nonprofit or recipient. This type of program has been successful for addressing specific, customized needs to high risk, homebound individuals. Project Home in Philadelphia has implemented this “grocery lifeline” program, recruiting volunteers to purchase groceries for their low income clients. This program can be done on a one-time basis or more regularly. When selecting this option, be sure to provide a description of the family or individual requesting the items – and when you collect the wishlist, be sure to gather a list of specific items needed and any dietary restrictions for groceries. In contrast to the traditional online or offline donation drives, this type of program allows the donor a more personalized experience, while still maintaining it contact free.
Product Ideas:
- Hygiene Items: Personal care items are always welcome year round – dental hygiene, body and body products, and cleaning supplies. If you are collecting hygiene products, be sure to consider the type of organization – homeless and warming shelters will have slightly different needs from temporary housing shelters. It never hurts to contact the organization to confirm the size and types of products they need.
- Winter Wear: Coats and jackets are in great demand in the winter months. Gloves, hats, socks, and scarves are also needed during this time. Be sure to specify size range as well as if you will be accepting gently used items. Many organizations during the coronavirus pandemic have stopped accepting used items completely, so make it clear to your donors! In addition, because sizing can be challenging with clothing, consider an “adopt-a-person” type program so specific size, color, and style preferences can be requested for an individual.
- School Supplies: With distance learning, we have seen a greater need for any and all supplies, but especially headphones, paper products (notebooks, graph paper, printing paper, post its) as well as writing supplies (pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, erasers, etc). Some schools are purchasing “distance learning kits” to provide students at home. And as schools prepare for (re)opening come spring, additional supplies for the classroom will be required since districts are already covering costs for additional safety and PPE equipment for teachers and students.
- Grocery items: Perishable items can be done through the the personalized “grocery lifeline” type program mentioned above. Non perishables such as cereal, rice, pantry items and cans can be collected in an online or offline donation drive format. Note that for large drives, shelf stable food can be challenging to collect right now using the traditional drive – many companies who would otherwise assist with collections have closed their offices, and with safety concerns still prevailing with COVID, volunteers are also not able to participate in collection and sorting projects in mass. In the short term, the “adopt-a-person” or “adopt-a-family” grocery approach may make the most sense until broader social distancing restrictions are lifted.
In Dr. King’s own words: “The time is always right to do what is right”. We hope that this MLK day will be meaningful and successful for nonprofits and donors alike. And while organizations and volunteers may be less inclined to sign up for soup kitchen shifts or for cleaning or painting houses – there are many other ways to make this day impactful for our communities.