Everyone tends to be super busy around the holidays, which means you need to get creative with your Thanksgiving PTA fundraising plans to capture the attention of your friends and colleagues. One way to get everyone involved in your fundraiser is by making it incredibly easy for them to participate without having to spend money or commit a big chunk of their time.
An athletic shoe drive fundraiser provides a way to get money for your school with a low bar for participation. All you have to do is ask your friends and family to give you their old sneakers and shoes sitting in the back of their closets!
Here are some other reasons that make an athletic shoe drive a great fundraiser for the holiday season!
Unique Fundraising Idea
Athletic shoe drives stand out among standard holiday fundraisers like donating canned goods or offering gift-wrapping services. People around the community will want to know more about what you’re doing and where the shoes go after being collected.
The good news is that when you host an athletic shoe drive with GotSneakers the collected shoes go to a good cause. First, GotSneakers is a zero-waste company, so no shoes sent in will ever end up in landfills. The team at GotSneakers evaluates all shoes sent in and sorts them into categories. Athletic shoes that can be cleaned up and repurposed are shipped to impoverished areas of the world where quality used shoes are needed. Footwear with holes, rips, and tears that cannot be re-worn are shipped off to be recycled into materials that can be used in flooring, playgrounds, and even new shoes.
Once people learn how their old shoes can be repurposed they are usually eager to participate.
Set a goal for a specific number of pairs to collect and consider upping the ante by having the principal commit to doing something outrageous when the collection goal is met.
Earn Up to $3 Per Pair of Athletic Shoes
To get sneakers into the hands of people who need them, pick an organization, like GotSneakers, with which you can partner. Sign up to host a sneaker drive fundraiser, and GotSneakers will send collection materials and instructions for shipping the sneakers once your athletic shoe drive fundraiser is complete.
Because you’ll receive compensation of up to $3.00 for each pair, do everything you can to encourage your community to participate.
Ask parents to leverage their network of colleagues and get in touch with local footwear and clothing stores to add easy dropbox collection bins for customers to toss their old sneakers as soon as they buy new ones. Business owners should be happy to contribute to a cause making an impact on their community and around the world.
Free Promotional Materials Provided
GotSneakers will also provide you with free promotional materials.
Send flyers home with kids, distribute more around the community to generate interest and share your message on social media. Contact the local paper, radio stations and TV news to run announcements and spread the word. Every athletic shoe drive has its own narrative, and sharing the story gives added meaning to your fundraiser.
Paying it Forward
Meeting your fundraising goals isn’t the only payoff from an athletic shoe drive fundraiser. The pairs of shoes you get money for collecting go to real people to provide footwear and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Children in countries where shoes are required for school attendance can get an education when they have access to your old footwear, and people living in poverty receive merchandise for the foundation of successful businesses, which in turn benefits their communities.
Choosing an athletic shoe drive for your fall PTA fundraiser gives your school and the recipients of collected shoes something to be thankful for. It’s more than a way to raise money; it can truly transform lives.