Hosting a shoe fundraiser is a creative way to collect money for your school, club, non-profit, church or community. It’s easy (and free) to get started and offers you the opportunity to give back to others.
Follow these four steps to achieve shoe fundraiser success.
Find Your Partner
Start your shoe drive fundraiser by partnering with an organization, such as GotSneakers, that is dedicated to turning unwanted footwear into opportunities for less fortunate people in places of the world such as the Caribbean, Central America, South America, West Africa and Europe.
Pick an organization whose mission you believe in, and get started with the resources they provide at no cost for your shoe fundraiser. Here at GotSneakers we provide a free fundraiser starter kit that includes:
- 5 collection bags
- Pre-paid shipping labels
- Downloadable marketing materials
- … and more!
You can learn more about how it works here.
Collect Shoes, Not Cash
People are often asked to donate money or help with fundraisers from many different organizations and may feel overwhelmed when faced with yet another effort to raise money. However, just about everyone has a pair of gently used shoes they’re no longer wearing just sitting in the back of their closet.
Shoe drive fundraisers give them a chance to get rid of something they don’t want by putting it toward a good cause. There’s no guilt and no pressure, and you don’t have to feel awkward or intimidated when asking for participation.
Get Funds
When your shoe fundraiser is complete, you simply pack up the shoes in the bags provided by the organization with which you partnered and send them all in. If you’re hosting an on-going fundraiser you would send the shoes in whenever you have a full collection bag.
Once the bags are received, the organization processes the shoes and calculates the total based on either the number of pairs or pounds of shoes collected. You then receive an e-check or a check in the mail and can put the money toward the needs of your group or community.
Give Back
Instead of winding up in a landfill, every pair of shoes you collect during your shoe fundraiser goes to a good cause.
Organizations use shoes to:
- Launch micro-entrepreneurships in impoverished areas of the world
- Provide access to footwear for children who need shoes to go to school
- Prevent infectious disease from spreading through contact with bare feet
It’s amazing what lasting impact one simple fundraising event can have when unwanted shoes find their way into the hands of people in need.
The next time you want to raise funds, give a shoe drive a try. You’ll not only get the money you need to meet your goals but also encourage your friends, family and community to give people around the world hope for a better life.