Can someone post the companies they have had the most success with that they e-mailed. I don't have a budget to mail letters and many of the companies seem to request a letter. Can you tell me which companies I can e-mail?

Yes it took about that long to hear back from coroporate offices. But I think they only donate where they have a store. If your not in a state where they have a store they may not give. I would go to website and see if your one of the states. The gift card is only good in stores.

Carrie,

I'm assuming that since it took 5 months, that you had to go through corporate with Christmas Tree Shoppe...is that right?

Thanks,

Beth

The Christmas Tree Shops- We got a $20.00 gift card from them. It took months to hear back from them. It also helps that we have 5 in the area.

I think the way to go with direct sales companies is to get local reps to donate -- other than Stampin' Up, it never even occurred to me to try the headquarters. We have donations from the local reps of Scentsy, Thirty-One, Creative Memories, Mary Kay & Pampered Chef every year.

As far as contacting businesses, I'm basically it for our school ... like one of the previous posters, it isn't a big deal to email companies from my comfy couch at night watching TV I still send quite a few letters in the mail, too. What we don't do is "cold call" local places. If we have a contact, then fine ... but we've found that no one really wants to do the leg work of going door to door & the years that we did, the baskets (lunch around town, etc) didn't bring much money, considering the work involved.

We're at the 30-day mark for our auction (on Tuesday) ... I might do one last blitz of letters to some of our local places, but other than that, I think it's time to focus on what we can get within the school.

-- I got a no this week from Drury. Bummed about that one. We got a donation from them in 2010, and I'd hoped to put together a St. Louis package that included a hotel stay.

@ginko, How did you request donation through Christmas Tree Shoppe? Is it through the website, or via the local store? I was just going by ours yesterday and thought I should ask them. I forgot about it until I read your post, so I haven't looked up the website yet! Will do now! But if you know a shortcut as to where to send request, let me know!

Has anyone tried Joanne Fabrics, Creative Memories, Archiver's, ProvoCut (Cricut manufacturer), Bass Pro Shop, Thirty-One, Tupperware, Usborne Books, I just saw an email come up from a local Creative Memories consultant, but haven't opened it yet...just popped up and off screen. I put in requests either via donation forms or just through the contact us section on Creative Memories, Archiver's, ProvCut, Thirty-One and Usborne Books. Any tips for these companies...if donation received or is it better to go through a local consultant for the Direct Selling Companies?

Thanks

Beth