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When you want to raise money for your cause or charity, donation pick-ups are a good thing to try.
You can pick up anything your supporters want to give. Alternatively, you can narrow the donations to certain items that you know will be useful for your organization.
Use the tips below to learn how to set up a donation pick-up drive that makes your charity stronger and connects with the community.
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What Are You Picking Up?
The most important question for any charity is what it will pick up from supporters. Some charities pick up toys for children, and other charities pick up clothing. You can pick up electronic devices, or you might pick up furniture. Your charity could pick up junk cars, or you might pick up a combination of these items.
Before you start a pick-up drive, you need to decide what you will pick up, how it helps you raise money, and how often you will take these items.
How Do You Save Money with a Pick-up Drive?
When you use a pick-up drive, you do not need to spend money on buying the items you collect. For example, a pick-up drive for canned goods, toys, and clothes makes it simple for you to save money. This is because your charity does not need to buy these items for the public, and you can use that money for another purpose.
For another example, if you are picking up furniture, you can use that furniture in your facility.
Also, you can schedule pick-ups with people who have said they will donate. This means that you only stop at the homes that are on your list. In this way, you can create an efficient route to drive, and the driver can complete the route quickly. Your charity will have benefited greatly, but you will have spent only a little money in the process.
A company like Easy Donation Pickup benefits America’s veterans, and they serve a specific part of Los Angeles and Orange County. They help with pick-up drives like the ones described here. Plus, they can complete the routes faster than you can. You pay only a small fee compared to all the donations you will get.
How Do You Make Money with a Donation Pick-up Drive?
You can make money during a donation pick-up drive when you collect items that can be sold. For example, many charities will pick up junk cars. Those cars can be sold for parts, and the rest of the car can be turned into scrap metal. The charity makes a lot of money from just one car, and you can take a car out of someone’s driveway that has been an eyesore.
Also, you can take cars that might be used to help your charity operate. For example, if you get a generous donation of a car that is still in good condition, you can sell it to make money.
Ask for Monetary Donations Instead of Household Items
Instead of asking for donated household items, you can ask for monetary donations. Then, people who want to give to your charity can give you a check for any amount during your pick-up drive.
To ensure success of this type of fundraiser, use a direct mail campaign to send out envelopes and notify your supporters of the drive. Your supporters can put a check in the envelope, and they can leave that check on their door for your driver to pick up.
Host a Drive for Donated Electronics
Also, you can pick up donated electronic items to be recycled. When you send these items to a recycling center, you will get paid for everything you have collected. To give some examples, you can pick up TVs, phones, DVD players, and more. Plus, you can pick up these items along with other recycling products you collect during the year.
Do a Full Recycling Drive
Some communities do not offer recycling services with their trash services. Because of this, people need to find ways to recycle all their paper, glass, and plastic.
Moreover, paper, glass, and plastic are easy to recycle, and you will be paid by the pound when you send these items to the recycling center. You might be able to take both the electronics and other items to the same place. Then you will collect a check from the recycling center.
Hold Different Donation Pick-up Drives Throughout the Year
Your charity could choose to host different donation pick-up drives throughout the year. You can start with a drive that collects household items, and your charity will save money. Next, you can hold a junk car drive, then you can host a drive for furniture.
At some point, you can host a drive for electronic products, and you will earn more money throughout the year. Your charity remains visible to the public, and you will never go through a “slow” time during the year.
Conclusion
When you host donation pick-up drives, you should take a look at all the things your charity should collect. You might collect just one thing because you know you can make a lot of money from that item.
Think about possibly hosting more than one donation drive during the year, and you will continue to make money every time you complete a new pick-up. You can save money during the year as you pick up clothing, food, and furniture. You can sell junk cars, and you can take recycling supplies to the recycling center every few months.