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Are
you interested in holding a neighborhood donation drive
for the Smyrna Public Library? Well we hope your answer
is a resounding YES and we are here to help you!
You
will be both amazed and tremendously satisfied with
how YOU can positively impact YOUR local library with
a little planning, a few e-mails, some printing on your
computer and a little time over a weekend. By the way,
one recent neighborhood donation drive netted $1,000
worth of items for the Smyrna Public Library!
To
conduct a donation drive in your neighborhood, we suggest
that you start out with following guidelines as a baseline
for success.
Getting
Started
- Select
a weekend 4 to 6 weeks out when you know that you
will be free. This will allow ample time to get the
word out to your neighbors and allow your neighbors
ample time to identify what they wish to donate.
- Optional
but suggested: Obtain confirmations from neighbors
who will assist you.
- Plan
on using the e-mail, flyer and yard sign templates
that are available below so you do not waste time
reinventing the wheel.
- Setup
a dry, smoke-free, temporary storage area where donations
will be stored until they are transported to the library.
- Identify
specifically where you want donations to be dropped
off outside when you are not available to receive
them.
- Begin
locating physical yard signs to which the printable
yard signs available below will be affixed.
- Sign
Tip: Recycle subdivision and political yard signs
by spray painting them or covering them with a dark
plastic bag, leftover wallpaper, wrapping paper or
brown paper bags.
- Check
to see if your donation drive can be promoted via
your neighborhood newsletter and website.
Two
Weeks Out
- Send
an e-mail to the people in your subdivision that you
know and ask them to forward it on to others that
they know. See our e-mail template for an example.
- Distribute
fliers house to house. See our flyer template for
an example.
- Identify
the locations where signs should be posted and secure
the homeowner's permission.
One
Week Out
- Make
your signs. At a minimum, have signs in the following
locations: donation center, at each stop sign facing
the approaching driver and at each development entrance.
- Ask
your friends to make signs for their yards too.
- Pick
up FOSL membership forms from the library.
The
Night Before
- If
it looks like rain, cover your signs with plastic
wrap.
- Post
signs in your neighborhood.
- Study
the FOSL website so you can accurately answer donation-related
questions with confidence.
During The Donation Drive
- Have
one donation receipt printed and available in case
someone who does not use the Internet makes a donation
and requests a receipt.
- Offer
each donor a FOSL membership form.
- Collect
the e-mail addresses of anyone who wishes to be added
to the e-mail mailing list.
- Thank
each donor for his or her donation.
- Answer
questions on what FOSL does for the library should
they arise.
- Encourage
each donor to make future donations directly at the
library.
- Remove
the yard signs the night you stop accepting donations.
The
Following Week
- Bring
donations to the library. Contact FOSL if you need
assistance.
- AppriseFOSL
webmaster of your donations so it will be recognized
on the FOSL website.
- Submit
collected e-Mail addresses at the library's Circulation
Desk to the attention of FOSL.
- Post
"Thank You" signs the following weekend.
Downloadable
Microsoft 2000 Templates (will open in a new window)
Sample
e-Mail to Neighbors
Sample Flyer
to Distribute Door to Door
"Donate
Today" Yard Sign (2 Pages, Post Side-By-Side)
"Donate
Here" Yard Sign
"Thank
You" Yard Sign
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