Well, we made it through 5 different Events in January--- one every weekend, and another that ran two successive Fridays. Some were definitely better than others; as always, the dollars driven by each Event are to a great extent dependent upon the publicity, advertising, and networking the beneficiary group does in the weeks leading up to the Event.
A good example of that was the Event for the Hoover High Marching Band. Michael, who spearheaded the drive for that group, managed to get contributions from the local YMCA and a media company. We sent a truck to pick up at those two locations separately from the Event, and they ended up adding roughly another 33% to the final tally! That kind of creative networking can really pay off, so if you're with a group thinking about doing an e-waste fundraiser, think beyond your own mailing list and circle of friends. Think about social networking (Facebook, local websites, Craigslist); local businesses; people who know people in IT Departments; people who know Facilities Managers at big companies; computer repair shops; etc.
We took February off, and it's a good thing because with the nasty winter we've had we would have been rained out several times. Now, looking ahead, we've got two Events in March (on the same day!); and we're booked April 23rd (two that day also, for Earth Day), and 30th. We've also got May 7, May 14th and May 21st in the books. So, looks like a busy spring! If you're thinking about booking an Event sometime soon, be sure to get in touch with us right away so you don't miss out!
This year I'm starting the process of turning this little enterprise over to my youngest daughter, Mackenzie, and her friend Bo. I'm hoping that future postings on this blog can come from them, and I transition them from being extra hands at the Events to actually running the whole operation.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Huge Turnout for "Resqcats" Event Jan. 8th
Wow, what a great day we had at the Santa Barbara Whole Foods Market location this past Saturday!
Jeffyne, the unstoppable bundle of energy who is the founder of Resqcats, did an awesome job of advertising the Event via emails to her mailing list, along with a few other lists provided by some of her volunteers. She also ran a triple listing in Craigslist, and EWF designed and financed an ad in the Santa Barbara Independent, along with about 500 color fliers (designed by one of Jeffyne's many amazing volunteers) which Whole Foods marketing dynamo Rae Vanseenus was kind enough to place at the checkstands two weeks prior to the Event.
The result? Non-stop action! We filled the truck by noon, and had to send our driver Mike back to Newbury Park to unload and come back! He returned right at 3PM, and we filled the truck again!
Most remarkable drop-off of the day: one of Jeffyne's friends evidently cruised neighborhoods in his truck for a few weeks during trash days, picking up TVs which people had put out with their trash. He showed up with 25 TV's!
We had a good proportional mix of the higher return monitors/TVs and PCs/laptops at this Event, and not so much "miscellaneous electronics" like printers, cd players, etc., which pay next to nothing. That mix can make a tremendous difference in the final take for the group. Once we have the weights and payouts totalled, I'll post them.
Jeffyne, the unstoppable bundle of energy who is the founder of Resqcats, did an awesome job of advertising the Event via emails to her mailing list, along with a few other lists provided by some of her volunteers. She also ran a triple listing in Craigslist, and EWF designed and financed an ad in the Santa Barbara Independent, along with about 500 color fliers (designed by one of Jeffyne's many amazing volunteers) which Whole Foods marketing dynamo Rae Vanseenus was kind enough to place at the checkstands two weeks prior to the Event.
The result? Non-stop action! We filled the truck by noon, and had to send our driver Mike back to Newbury Park to unload and come back! He returned right at 3PM, and we filled the truck again!
Most remarkable drop-off of the day: one of Jeffyne's friends evidently cruised neighborhoods in his truck for a few weeks during trash days, picking up TVs which people had put out with their trash. He showed up with 25 TV's!
We had a good proportional mix of the higher return monitors/TVs and PCs/laptops at this Event, and not so much "miscellaneous electronics" like printers, cd players, etc., which pay next to nothing. That mix can make a tremendous difference in the final take for the group. Once we have the weights and payouts totalled, I'll post them.
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