Going
green is a hot ticket these days. This is true for every business
including non-profits. Considering Labor Day has past, the fall
fundraising season in unofficially underway. Below, I’ve created a list
of five easy ways to go green and make some green at the same time.1. Use technology instead of paper
In general, a vast majority of fundraising events, outside of the classroom, are silent auctions. In the typical model, attendees write their name on pieces of paper – wait until someone has outbid them and write their name in the little space again, and again, and so on… With fundraising technology from IML, no paper is needed. Bidding is done with electronic devices and current bids are displayed on large screens throughout the venue. It’s great fun, more people are involved in the bidding, and it’s portable. No need to leave the bar, your table, or the colleague that you’re catching up with, the bidding can be done generally anywhere in the room. Data is tracked and stored digitally, so there really is no need for paper.
2. Host the event at a LEED location
If your event is being held off site from your organization’s office, discuss location ideas with your planner and local community. If there are LEED certified locations available, consider hosting the event at one of these. The gala event at Columbia College’s media production center is a good example. The waste elimination, water efficiency and energy usage at these locations will be very beneficial to your greening effort, and enticing to eco conscious attendees. Find out about LEED certification and green building here.
3. Provide unique recycling options
Although not extremely glamorous; recycling printer cartridges, old cell phones, or shoes (like Souls4Souls), can be an ideal way to reduce waste and clean out the closet. Consider offering services such as this during your event. If your attendees are anything like me, they more than likely have these objects lying around their house, office, back seat, etc… Having a time and place for these to be recycled is a unique way to bring guests to your event, while at the same time cleaning up the “big backyard”.
4. Offer green products and auction items
Giving people the tools and teaching them the value of going green is one of the best ways to greenify your event. First, encourage people to reduce, reuse, and recycle. It may seem a little clichéd now, but this notion is still the foundation of the green initiative. Offer cotton tote bags in lieu of plastic ones. They can be branded with your event and sponsor logos and will be the first step to getting attendees headed in the right direction. Another idea is to sell tree saplings, and solicit donations for the price and planting of these trees. This is tremendous for the environment and an interesting item for the auction.
5. Consider entertainment that supports green
Many recording acts and entertainers donate to and support green initiatives. Research will help determine who those may be and how to get in contact with them. If you must pay for the entertainment, and if this entertainment option still fits your target audience, you should consider hiring these artists for the event. That way your donations are actually helping multiple charities at once. For information on the importance of knowing your target audience, follow the link.
By now, you should be on your way to a more eco friendly event. Using these simple steps along with the many other resources available and some good old fashioned creative thinking, your event can be as green as you want it to be. In my mind and I hope many other’s too – The greener the better.
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