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July 02, 2008

How to Plan a Green Fund-Raising Event

Charities are increasingly taking steps to make their operations more environmentally friendly.

And, increasingly, donors want to know that the charities they support are doing their part to protect the environment.

With that in mind, fund raisers should be thinking green when they plan events for donors, says Sarah S. Brophy, a consultant who helps promote environmentally friendly practices for cultural groups.

To do that, Ms. Brophy encourages groups that host fund-raising events to hire businesses that rely on reusable dinnerware, washable linens, and locally grown food and flowers. She also says groups should be deliberate in explaining their green efforts at their events (on high-content recycled paper, of course).

For more tips from Ms. Brophy and other experts on green philanthropy, check see the transcript of The Chronicle’s recent live discussion on the topic.

And if you’ve planned a green event for your donors, we’d love to hear your stories about how you did it. Please feel free to post a comment to share your experience.

— Peter Panepento

Wednesday July 2, 2008 | Permalink

Comments

1. One great green event option is to rent digital cameras instead of using disposable cameras. http://www.CameraRenter.com rents digital cameras [fully insured] and creates a free picture sharing website for you. No need to dispose of any cameras and all the harmful chemicals in them, or develop bad pictures that will get thrown away. They also give 80% off discount to charity and non-profit events.

   — jonathan    Jul 8, 10:02 AM    #

2. I would check out two great green fundraising programs offered by Save Your World, LLC. This company sponsors two unique programs that enable any approved school or charitable organization to earn money for its goals, while also supporting its conservation mission to save ares of rainforest. For more information, go to: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/27.htm

   They are also sponsoring an Amazon walk, which would be a great topic for a special science unit on the rainforest. It would be very educational for classes to start communicating with British explorer Ed Stafford when school starts. They can track his progress in the jungle throughout the year. Children can also ask him questions and he can tell them about his adventures in the Amazon rainforest. To learn more about this extraordinary journey, see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/Walking-the-Amazon-s/1155.htm

   These are just some ideas on how to make green fundraising more meaningful, productive, and fun for parents and children alike.

   — Lisandra Estevez    Jul 25, 04:08 PM    #

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