By combining fundraising and recycling, your group will be getting green in more ways than one. You’ll raise lots of money, which is green, plus you’ll be slowing the avalanche of printer cartridges and cell phones that go to landfills each year and helping the environment, which is a “green” activity. Raise money and help the planet at the same time. How cool is that?
Plus, this kind of fundraiser can run year-round, so it never has to stop.
A happy recycling fundraiser writes about her success
[…] Johnson Creek Public Library has participated in FundingFactory’s cartridge recycling program since 2001 […]. Because we are in a small community, we did not want to participate in a program that the local elementary school and other community groups were already promoting. When I received the information about FundingFactory, I was absolutely delighted. Not only could we keep these cartridges from landfills, but we could take advantage of this fundraising opportunity.
While I serve as the contact person and have publicized our participation in FundingFactory to businesses and individual residents in our community, another staff member packages the
cartridges and cell phones and monitors our points on the website. Our village Green Committee supports our endeavors with this project, thereby increasing public awareness of our FundingFactory project.
Our favorite part of the FundingFactory has to be (besides the wonderful checks we have received) how easy it is to participate. FundingFactory sends us the self-addressed boxes and all we have to do is fill them and secure them for shipping! We don’t even have to call UPS, because they stop regularly to deliver library materials we have ordered. Truly this project could not be easier!
It is the simplicity and the ease with which someone can participate that sets this program apart from other fundraisers. Even an organization with a small staff could easily participate in FundingFactory’s recycling program. Taping the boxes and packing them with the used cartridges takes only a few minutes. With just minimal effort, organizations can earn cash.
We are a public library whose mission is “to provide quality materials and services which fulfill educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of all citizens in the village of Johnson Creek and the surrounding area”. FundingFactory has allowed us to obtain a digital camera and a scanner, along with the funds needed to purchase a die-cut machine and the dies. Since we are a small library, our budget is small and it would have been difficult to come up with budgeted monies to acquire these items.
We have been very fortunate that local businesses and customers have supported our efforts. One of our customers has taken the responsibility at her company and collects the used cartridges from the different departments and then delivers them to us. Another customer went to college and started working in the computer department. Through his parents he learned about our cartridge recycling activity and he was able to collect and then donate used cartridges from that department. Local businesses also collect and deliver cartridges to the library.
We rely heavily on businesses for the bulk of our cartridges. We have posters displayed in the library and throughout the village, including the local school. In addition to word of mouth, press releases are submitted to the area newspapers indicating what we have received with these funds, and, at the same time, reminding everyone that we are still collecting cartridges and cell phones.
Those who have made significant contributions receive a thank you note which also explains what we have obtained. This continuing publicity helps maintain awareness of our goals. Everyone is delighted to help not only the library earn additional funds, but they feel better knowing that the printer cartridges and cell phones are being recycled, and not thrown in the landfill. Truly, this is a painless fundraiser, not only for the library but for the businesses and individuals who donate their empty cartridges and used cell phones.
Luci Bledsoe, Library Director
Johnson Creek Public Library
