Hi folks-
Just re-posting the original guidelines (with thanks to slfournier):
I have found it tedious to go through pages and pages of a thread to get what we all really want - Names and contact info of national corporate donors people have been successful with. So, I ask the following:
PLEASE:
1) Only list sources you have had success with.
2) If you have questions for a poster, please contact them directly - not through this thread. This thread is supposed to be a Listing.
3) Use the following format for your listing
COMPANY NAME
-- Mailing Address -or- URL for online form
-- How long it took you to get a response
-- What did the company donate?
-- Your comments
We sent out solicitations at the beginning of April- late, because our auction is in early May.
CVS responded that they had run through their budget. I got the response in 2-3 weeks.
Pearl Paradise gave us a very beautiful necklace, in a nice box, with a pearl care kit as well. I faxed the form in 3 weeks before the auction - I found the web form confusing - and the necklace arrived just days before the auction; they were wonderful!
In general I have found small local businesses, especially the ones who recognize me, to be generous, especially when asked early. The other thing that has worked well for me is to either ask right after I've made a large purchase (I spent $95 at my local Papyrus store, and I try to shop there frequently), or to let them know that I'm giving a gift certificate and asking them to match it in part or full when I purchase it - our favorite bed and breakfast has added $100 to the $250 gift certificate that we purchased and donated (twice, now).
Be sure to give good thanks to the contributing businesses. In addition to the thanks in the catalog, and the thank-you letter that they can use for the tax write-off, create a flyer that thanks them for donating, and then highlighting the amount that the fundraiser brought in, which they can choose to display in the store window- that goes a LONG way to getting a donation next year!
We did auction the tix from Soaring Adventures. We netted around $250. No one wants the ride for one, so you end up asking the bid winners of the package for 2 and 4 if they want to buy it. Luckily, they did (for $60). Don't forget to deduct the $720 from your auction total (that's how much you pay them for the tix). You also have to give them all the info within 20 days of the end of auction, so you can't procrastinate!
We are located in Miami.
These are some other donors we have had luck with for the past 2 years:
Fruit & Spice Park
24801 SW 187th Ave.
Homestead, FL 33031 (mail your request letter)
They gave 8 family passes.
Laser Center of Miami
Call 305-270-3925
They are happy to donate because it brings them a new customer. They donate $250 GC.
Biltomore Hotel
305-913-3159 fax Danielle Finnegan
They donated a champaign brunch for 2.
Miami SeaQuarium
305-361-6077 fax Andrew Hertz, GM
They donated passes for 4.
Zoological Society of Florida
305-255-7126 fax Danny Elfenhein
They donated an annual pass for 4 to the Miami Zoo.
Swim Gym Aquatic Sports Camp
305-273-1189 fax Robert Strauss
They donated 2 $200 coupons off a camp session & 4 coupons for 2-20 minute sessions free with the purchase of 10 swim lessons.
AA Uniform
Attn: Kristen Lea
8807 SW 132nd St.
Miami, FL 33176
Mail your request letter. They donated an American Girl Doll Uniform (our school uniform). I went for well over the value. Very popular!
Pauline's Handmade Brittle
818-955-7722 fax Pauline Marasek
She donated a box filled with her AMAZING brittle.
Spoonful of Comfort
e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
They donated one complete order of soup, rolls & cookies to be shipped to a loved one who is sick, but lives out of town.
We do a silent auction each year at our school carnival. Along with the regular donated items from local businesses, each class puts together a themed basket that gets put up for bid as well. Each student is asked to bring an item for their's classes basket. The baskets generally bring in $35-$100 each depending on the items brought in. Our carnival is in November so the Harvest, Christmas, Wintery Night and Candy Cane themes do well. We also have teachers that pick Sports team themes, our school colors, movie night, family game night and many others. Every year they are different and it gets the students involved!
