Tips from the Annual Conference
About 50 individuals from 18 member agencies of Travelers Aid International attended the Annual Conference earlier this month in Atlanta. Part of the conference tradition is an open forum to exchange ideas or seek answers.Two topics dominated the Q&A: A source of volunteers and fund-raising ideas.
Fund-raising:
- Annual dinner or award ceremony – sponsorships beyond group ticket sales are an important key to success; on-site crowd sourcing boosts total giving,
- Solicit vendors, including participating landlords, for an annual gift
- Google provides grants for free on-line advertising to seek donations, volunteers
- Partner with similar agencies to establish credibility and obtain office space
Volunteers
- High school and college students, especially those in academic studies similar your program’s activities
- Culinary students – a great source of volunteer kitchen labor at a fundraiser