Auction Gift Baskets for Scholarships
Read how the Pigeon Ford chapter of the American Women’s Business Association set up a local college scholarship fund by auctioning gift baskets. Members of the organization created gift baskets, full of certificates and merchandise from local stores. Over the years, this event has netted over $100,000 in college scholarship funds for aspiring high school students by auctioning these baskets.
Events such as this are inspiring. As an owner of a gift basket business, you can get things rolling in your community to provide resources for high school kids in need and promote your business at the same time. Here are some steps you might take.
1. Talk to other business owners in your community to find out who might be interested in putting together an event to raise money for kids aspiring to go to college. Explain that baskets will be created that include gift certificates and merchandise from local businesses and that these will be auctioned off to generate money for a college scholarship fund.
2. Go to the local high school and talk with the principal to present your idea and provide a list of businesses that want to be involved. Find out if the event can be held at the high school gymnasium. If the high school can’t be used, ask a local restaurant owner to donate their space for the event.
3. Ask the principal how the monies raised might be allocated to needy students.
4. Get the names of school board members and contact them with your idea. Ask each board member for more names of other business owners who might be willing to participate.
5. Create mailings that feature all of the businesses who will participate in the event and send these to all parents of high school students. Many high schools have their own web sites where lunch menus, bus schedules, etc are posted. Find out if you can advertise the event on that web site.
6. Create gorgeous baskets with merchandise and certificates supplied by other businesses. Add some of your gourmet products for your donation. You will also be donating your time to make the baskets. Fill the basket with business cards from all merchants who have products in that basket.
7. On the day of the event, make sure you have more business cards and brochures to pass out to those who attend. Each person there is a potential new customer for you and the other businesses who generously gave their time and money to support local high school students in the community.
2 comments May 14th, 2007
