Traditional Drive Challenges
In the traditional collection drive, nonprofits assemble a wishlist of supplies, identify a large number of dropoff locations, and ask their donors to purchase and drop off the supplies at one of these locations. Simple to set up, the traditional drive comes with some drawbacks: Inconsistent product quality Donors purchase a range of products making it difficult to provide the same type of goods to your clients across the board. High volunteer support required A large number of volunteers are often required for the mundane tasks of counting and reviewing donated supplies. Product gaps It’s common in drives to find that donors like to purchase certain types of items (e.g., cute backpacks for young kids) while other more expensive items are under-donated (e.g., large sturdy backpacks for teens).
More Efficient Online Collection Drives
With Ronga’s online collection drives, you can run a targeted drive and get only the supplies you need. Nonprofits improve the effectiveness of drives by: Maximizing the reach of your dollar Our vendor network includes wholesalers whose bulk products can be used in drives - so your supporters can get more for their dollar compared to retail. Getting only the supplies you need Donors pick from your pre-selected list. Quantities are updated with each donation, so you know how much of what is still needed at any time. Simplifying your logistics Roonga delivers your supplies pre-sorted at the close of your drive. Minimize your storage requirements during the drive. Consolidating your purchasing Collecting cash donations? Eliminate a trip to the store by adding to your Roonga order. All items arrive together pre-sorted with the items from your drive.
Convenience & Transparency for Donors
E-commerce continues to grow, and traditional retail is shrinking. As more and more people become accustomed to shopping online or on their phones, relying solely on the traditional offline drive will not be sufficient. Our online collection drives help you: Expand your reach Expand your footprint beyond your collection barrels – leverage email and social media to engage younger supporters inside and outside your physical footprint. Provide a convenient purchasing option Recruit busy donors by offering the convenience of purchasing on their terms - wherever they are, whenever they’re available, and however they’d like, from their computer or on their phone. And since Roonga delivers, no dropoff required! Give your supporters complete transparency The prices on your drive are the costs of the supplies. When your supporters purchase through the online drive, they know exactly where their money is going – this is especially important to millenials! Make it easy for supporters to organize their own drives Instead of passively asking supporters to organize their drives and receiving goods that may not be needed, provide a simple way for them to launch their own drives with quality goods you actually need. Engage your volunteers in a meaningful way Instead of asking volunteers to count and recount supplies, they can now take on higher value add activities or engage your clients in more meaningful tasks that build a stronger connection to your organization.
How it Works?
Set up a drive in as little as 10-15 minutes! We provide the tools to set up and monitor your drive. Once you get the word out, our service will do the rest!
Set up your drive
Name your drive, pick your launch and close dates, and select the items and quantities you’d like to target. Launch your drive!
Promote your drive
Point your supporters to your drive. Send an email blast, share on social media, and encourage them to purchase in a timely manner.
Receive your orders
When the drive closes, we submit the orders to our vendors who deliver the supplies directly to you – aggregated & pre-sorted, ready for distribution!
Thank your supporters
After distributing the supplies at your event, thank your supporters for their contributions with Roonga’s report on who purchased what!
How Online and Offline Work Together
Have a successful offline drive? Looking to attract the tech-savvy donors? If you are interested in growing your next generation donors and increasing the outcomes of your drive, it doesn’t hurt to leverage both options.
| Offline Collection Drive | Online Collection Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Offline drive where nonprofits sign up partners to host collection sites within the community. Donors are asked to purchase items and drop off at these locations. | Online drive where nonprofits specify needs on a website and communicate the drive to donors with a web link. Donors purchase items online, and the supplies are delivered to the nonprofit. |
| Ideal Scenarios | Great for nonprofits with a lot of community partners and volunteer support. | Great for nonprofits with limited resources and/or interest in expanding digital presence (especially with millenials). |
| Key Benefits |
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| Key Drawbacks |
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Why choose one when you can have both?
While many nonprofits continue to run only the traditional offline drives, some organizations have opted to replace their offline drive entirely with the online option, streamlining their collection process and reducing the resources required to run the drive. However, there is no reason you can’t do both. Nonprofits can simply add the online drive as an additional option for your donors to use. In partnership with the offline drive, nonprofits can also take the additional step of optimizing the drive by:
- Eliminating collection sites that are not frequently visited, or further away
- Leveraging the online drive to target gaps in the offline drive – that is, selecting items that aren’t donated frequently offline and asking online donors to purchase those.
Case Studies
See what people say
Chris Norwood, Executive Director,
Bay Area Tutoring Association
Bay Area Tutoring Association
Stuff the Bus is our in-person drive where donors drop off supplies at local retail stores. I was really happy to have our online drive when 4 out of 5 stores fell through at the last minute!
Kaarina Romero
Director of Marketing,
United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties
United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties
I liked how easy it was to see where our drive was at, who donated, and what items were still needed. The supplies from Roonga ensured that we didn't have to dip into our own funds to close the drive.
Bridget Hickey
Volunteer Coordinator, Volunteers of America Illinois
Our school supply drive was so darn easy this year! Huge load off my shoulders without hiring a temp. We grew our donor base, helped more children than ever, and spent less time managing the program. Thanks, Roonga!
Carolyn Alexander
Director of Operations,
Sunnyvale Community Services
Sunnyvale Community Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Run Donation Drives?
Donation drives have long been a popular way to collect items for families in need. They give donors the opportunity to purchase basic necessities like hygiene supplies, warm clothing, and school supplies.
Creating an online donation drive can open up a whole new world of possibilities for nonprofits beyond the traditional offline drive.
Creating an online donation drive can open up a whole new world of possibilities for nonprofits beyond the traditional offline drive.
What is a Donation Drive?
You've probably seen traditional donation drives at grocery stores, schools, libraries, and other locations. These drives are designed to collect items for people who need them, but can't afford to buy them. Shoppers or visitors can place donations in a designated box, making it easy for community members to contribute on a whim. More recently, donation drives have gone digital, allowing donors to purchase safely online from the convenience of their home or office.
Donation drives are popular at the start of the school year, during the holiday season, and at other points throughout the year. You'll often see a food drive around Thanksgiving, or a school supply drive over the summer before the start of the academic year.
Successful drives often partner with homeless shelters, youth groups, community service agencies, and other nonprofits. These groups will solicit donations according to the needs and requests of their clients. That way, you can be sure the donations are meeting a true need. These programs are a great way to collect resources and support people in your community.
Donation drives are popular at the start of the school year, during the holiday season, and at other points throughout the year. You'll often see a food drive around Thanksgiving, or a school supply drive over the summer before the start of the academic year.
Successful drives often partner with homeless shelters, youth groups, community service agencies, and other nonprofits. These groups will solicit donations according to the needs and requests of their clients. That way, you can be sure the donations are meeting a true need. These programs are a great way to collect resources and support people in your community.
How Is An Online Donation Drive Different from a Traditional Drive?
When you move your donation drive from the physical world into the digital one, the approach is a little different. However, once you get over the hurdle of learning how to set up a digital drive, you may actually find it to be far more convenient than a physical donation drive.
Traditional drives require physical collection sites. Collection bins or boxes are distributed to locations throughout a community and must be monitored and retrieved. While these collection bins may increase convenience for donors near these locations, they also raise a logistical challenge in terms of counting, storing, and transporting donated items. Collecting donation boxes and then inventorying receipts takes significant time and effort from staff and/or volunteers.
Online donation drives eliminate the need for distributed collection points. Donors purchase online, and the goods are shipped directly to a specified location. Logistics can be greatly simplified and easily shared between different members of an organization, allowing you to focus on your most pressing concerns.
Pairing the traditional drive with a digital drive is often a very effective way to run a donation campaign, allowing donors to participate in the way they are most comfortable.
Traditional drives require physical collection sites. Collection bins or boxes are distributed to locations throughout a community and must be monitored and retrieved. While these collection bins may increase convenience for donors near these locations, they also raise a logistical challenge in terms of counting, storing, and transporting donated items. Collecting donation boxes and then inventorying receipts takes significant time and effort from staff and/or volunteers.
Online donation drives eliminate the need for distributed collection points. Donors purchase online, and the goods are shipped directly to a specified location. Logistics can be greatly simplified and easily shared between different members of an organization, allowing you to focus on your most pressing concerns.
Pairing the traditional drive with a digital drive is often a very effective way to run a donation campaign, allowing donors to participate in the way they are most comfortable.
How Can You Set Up an Online Donation Drive?
Setting up a donation drive online might be unfamiliar, but once you get past the learning curve, you will find there are many ways to save time and make things more efficient. Many of our clients continue to host smaller traditional drives while expanding their reach to the digital realm to simplify their logistics.
If you plan to set up an online donation drive, first you'll need to find a platform to host the drive. This is where you'll select products and allow people to see what has been requested. Donors have the advantage of picking from a precise wishlist.
Some platforms have advanced features that allow live updates, so you can track the number of items that have already been purchased.
Publicizing the charity drive is an important step that shouldn't be overlooked. Traditional drives have the advantage of being physically present. It's important to email the drive links to donors and make sure people are informed that a donation drive is taking place.
Online participants can easily inspire others to donate. They can spread the word to their friends and families by forwarding your emails, and sharing links and social media posts.
If you plan to set up an online donation drive, first you'll need to find a platform to host the drive. This is where you'll select products and allow people to see what has been requested. Donors have the advantage of picking from a precise wishlist.
Some platforms have advanced features that allow live updates, so you can track the number of items that have already been purchased.
Publicizing the charity drive is an important step that shouldn't be overlooked. Traditional drives have the advantage of being physically present. It's important to email the drive links to donors and make sure people are informed that a donation drive is taking place.
Online participants can easily inspire others to donate. They can spread the word to their friends and families by forwarding your emails, and sharing links and social media posts.
What Are the Benefits of an Online Donation Drive?
The unique qualities of an online donation drive can help you solve problems that will be very familiar to anyone who has ever helped plan a traditional one.
You can take advantage of:
You can take advantage of:
- Increased Quality of Items - One of the most common challenges with drives has always been filling requests accurately. A digital wishlist has many benefits, including giving you more control over the items donors purchase. When people supply their own donations, the quality and type of products will usually vary. Purchasing from a pre-approved wishlist ensures consistently high-quality items for your recipients.
- More Manageable Campaigns with Fewer People - A well-organized online drive allows you to leverage your volunteers and their skill sets more effectively. Volunteers are the lifeblood of any charity mission, but they can be in short supply and often prefer to spend their time on more meaningful tasks. Switching to an online drive can free up organizations to plan more ambitious projects without needing as much volunteer support.
When dealing with physical donations, you need to count items, sort them, and deliver them yourself. You can skip these steps by ordering items directly to your location, where they will arrive on time and with a convenient inventory slip. - Reduced Prices - Nonprofit organizations often buy things in bulk or at a special discount to make their money stretch further. Regular people might not have access to those deals, which means their donations might not go as far.
When people are buying things via an online drive, however, your donors can buy high-quality products with less money. - Efficient Donation Tracking - When donors aren't as aware of what other people have already donated, they might tend to buy certain things more often than others. Well-meaning donors may tend to buy certain lower cost products, not knowing that you already have an abundance of those items.
Switching to an online donation program gives you the ability to update your donation requests and show how many more items are required. A flexible, live request list makes it much more likely that you'll get the items you need.
How Can Roonga Support Your Donation Drive?
Roonga streamlines logistics for charity projects across the nation. We make it easier than ever to organize donation drives and make the most of your resources.
Online donations are easy to track, increasing company transparency and efficiency. Donors can be sure their donations have a positive impact, and organizations can get the donations they need most.
Our platform can help you host a successful donation drive for your organization. Reach out today to get started with digital donations!
Online donations are easy to track, increasing company transparency and efficiency. Donors can be sure their donations have a positive impact, and organizations can get the donations they need most.
Our platform can help you host a successful donation drive for your organization. Reach out today to get started with digital donations!
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