It is Labor Day, and although the calendar says it is not autumn for a few more weeks, this holiday has traditionally signaled the end of the summer festivities. For some, it also means a change in wardrobe and transition to the fall clothes and colors.
As you clean out your closets to prepare for the cooler seasons, invariably you will have clothes that no longer suit you. Many donate their castaways to the area Goodwill or missions, but I am a loyal contributor to the ScholarShop.
The ScholarShop is a model of collaboration. People donate used clothing, volunteers help run the two resale shops in St. Louis, and the proceeds are used to give scholarships to area college students. The foundation gave $4 million in interest-free loans and grants last year! Their motto is "give good things so we can do good things" and people take them seriously. The store is full of upscale, designer clothing, much of it unworn. They received over 400,000 donated items last year, and the place is always packed with shoppers.
Members of the foundation could have gone out and raised funds, but instead they developed a strategy that could earn funds for them on an annual basis. How can you apply their lessons to generate revenue to a cause that is important to you? Is there a need that you can fill by providing a service that has value to those with resources? What, in addition to clothing, do people have that they may no longer want and be willing to donate to you? The ScholarShop shows an innovative approach to non-profit funding. Look beyond the auction for your next revenue strategy.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Send your box of donations to: 8211 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63117
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