I’m very excited to share this post with you for a fundraising idea for the office. One of the best practices I learned from my prior employment was participating in a food drive. As a part of an international company, the enterprise let each office choose a local charitable cause close to their heart for a donation. The trick was encouraging the workers to get involved by asking them to raise an amount that the company would pledge to meet. Spanish here.
Here is where the food comes in. Our local fundraising committee asked us to donate a breakfast or teatime snack, to be sold amongst ourselves for the cause. The initiative was so well received that a schedule was kept to control the donations. I remember having the most delicious chicharron sandwich ever. My own donation was an apple pie. Flash Forward to my current workplace where we are guarding a donation box for the Peruvian League Against Cancer through the month of September (#LaLigaSomosTodos).
So far, I’ve contributed with a fruit bowl and, most recently, with a batch of brownies with pecans. While I love cooking, you should know that baking is whole other ballpark for me. I’m not blessed. I had to make them twice. The first time, I overcooked them and turned them to cookies. No biggie. My plan is to eat my first failed attempt as granola. And because there must be a lesson to be learned, I did not give up. I tried again. This time with a Betty Crocker brownie mix and crushed pecans (mix them with flour so that they sit well in the dough and don’t fall to the bottom). Success.
If you are keen on this fundraising idea, here are my recommendations:
1. Communicate. Let your office authorities know what you are planning to do and be transparent.
2. Stick to what you know. Pledge something that you can make easily or buy. I think it’s the thought that counts.
3. Set a goal. Because the idea is to make a profit for your cause, you should estimate how much you want to gather and set a suggested price based on it.
4. Find a Sponsor. I shared my ideas with friends and was lucky enough to inspire them to pledge additional funds just because.
5. Be humble. Your first initiative is applaudable, but teamwork is the real winner of a successful food drive. Engaging your co workers is key to helping your cause.
