Ideas That Work

A Walk Idea Worth Passing On

As many of the Learning Centers prepare for their walk event, I want to pass on a suggestion from New Hampshire that proved successful for them and might for you.

Last year a combined Walk of the Nashua and Seacoast New Hampshire Learning Centers raised over $9,000, a good increase from the previous year. Their best walker raised more than $1,000. How did they improve the event?

Simply, Aileen Cormier, the Center Director of the Nashua LC asked one of the Centers donors to donate a Wii game console as the prize for the person who raised the most money. That $300 incentive raised everybody's game. It was an idea that paid off.

You know, you don't need a donor to imitate Nashua's success, you could offer that or another enticing prize and simply buy it. In that case, put a minimum amount raised equal to the cost of the item to assure you don't lose money on it. Don't worry, it is rare that there is only one participant eager to raise the most, so the idea will pay off (and if no one raises the minimum, you can return the unused item).

In my days of conducting walk events. I created prize structures that offered prizes for different levels of fund raising, keeping the value of the prize at about 25% of the amount raised. I would have a sample of each prize on display at the event as well as inventory for people who had already collected their money. for the remainder, I informed the participant that the gift would be delivered once the funds were deposited. That way I only bought what I needed.

At any rate, this a "prize" idea you can take to the bank.

Calling All Stories

Remember, our success story contest is open for September. You might win $100 for your LC, like the folks in Cambridge did for August. The deadline is September 30.