Go Green with Earth-friendly Fundraisers
Thanks to our sponsor Flower Power for this great article.
Traditional fundraisers are rarely a boon for the environment. Plastic tubs of cookie dough contribute to our landfill and non-fair-trade chocolate means it’s often made with cocoa beans farmed using environmentally unsustainable practices (and sometimes by child labor.) If your school or non-profit organization is looking to raise money in a more sustainable way, read on for our favorite greenest and most eco-friendly options!
Flower Power Fundraising
The greenest of all fundraising efforts is…well…actually GREEN! Our sponsor, Flower Power Fundraising, allows you to conduct online and catalog orders for the highest quality bulbs and plants available. You keep 50% of the sales, and the company ships directly to your buyers right when the plants and bulbs are ready to go into the ground. There’s no minimum order, no up-front costs and the company offers a 100% money-back guarantee so there’s no risk. With sales tools and expert help provided, this eco-friendly and beautiful fundraising option is an ideal choice for a sustainable fundraising campaign that benefits your organization and the earth at the same time. Watch your fundraiser bloom right before your eyes!
Green Consumables
There are many product fundraisers for selling green cleaning supplies, reusable grocery bags, biodegradable trash bags, and eco friendly pet supplies. Bundle a variety of them into a coordinated effort to help your community go green on every front! Sell these environmentally friendly alternatives to support your organization’s values while earning cash.
Divine, a company co-owned by the 85,000 farmer members of Kuapa Kokoo cooperative in Ghana that supplies its cocoa, sells Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate. You can buy Divine chocolate bars at wholesale prices by providing your nonprofit EIN number (or tax ID number if you’re a school) and placing a $100 minimum order. Then, simply resell them at retail and keep the profits! In addition to its fair-trade cocoa, Divine actively seeks to avoid using palm oil in its products.
Grounds for Change is an organic coffee roaster specializing in 100% Fair Trade Coffee. Sell 12-oz. bags of organic, shade-grown, Fair Trade coffee using the company’s order forms and information cards, or purchase the coffee in bulk at a discount and resell it, pocketing a percentage of the profits.
Electronics Recycling
Recycling Fundraiser has fundraising opportunities to buy back electronics including cell phones, iPhones, iPads, and other digital electronic devices –even broken items!
Funding Factory collects and pays for used toner and inkjet ink cartridges, thus far keeping 42.5 MILLION pounds of items out of landfills.
School or Community-Wide Garage Sale
You know the old saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure? Encourage reusing of household items, games, tools, and clothing by hosting a community garage sale in your organization’s parking lot. Sell “spots” to individuals at a predetermined price. Each person brings their items, a folding table and their own cash box. Add some musical entertainment (the school choir, guitar club or a small section of the band), a concessions table selling refreshments and baked goods, and collect a suggested 20% of profits for a fun community day. Use SignUp.com to keep track of details and collect the participation fees!
It’s nice to know that it’s possible to raise funds and save the planet at the same time.
Looking for more great ideas on fundraising, check out Reap the Benefits of School and Community Gardens!
