Didn't know what to do with this subject.  How do you approach businesses to ask for donations to send?  I have always felt too intimidated or shy about asking except at yard sales or charity resale stores for games or books, etc.  What kind of places are usually agreeable, and what are the limitations to what you have asked people for? 

I would like to hear your stories about how you have had success, because we are now on social security.

Gran

Gran

I have e-mailed practically every brand name out there for items to be donated to the soldiers.  My usual reply is something like, "We are always happy to help our country and so we donate once yearly to Red Cross (or some other charity group).  BUT - last week I got a positive e-mail from the Louisville Slugger Bat company.  They are going to send baseball equipment to the troops.  They said they've done it for four years now.  I had to explain that I was not a soldier and that AnySoldier would have names of people to send them to.  But, finally, a positive answer to my queries.  Just try e-mailing companies or step up and ask.  The worst that can happen is you'll get a NO.  Mary

I start with the businesses that I shop at.  It is a good place to start.  Starbucks gives me a pound of coffee just about everyother day.  I am in there everyday.  I also print pics of my guys from anysoldier, letters too.  Starbucks hangs them on their bulleten board.  Because of the pics and letters people read them and buy coffee and mugs, leave them their for me, Starbucks set up a donation basket for me.  I ask all the businesses I shop at.  They know me and have no problem donating.  I also ask my Avon ladies, Mary Kay ladies, I wrote a mass letter for my avon ladies to put in the bags of their clients.  Clients order and she calls me when she has enough for me to fill a few boxes.  Just start asking.  At first it can be hard to hear no.  Most people will say yes.  Also ask your friends, they have things around the house they can donate.

Gran:

 I would say start with people and places you are comfortable with and start small.  Since you are on a tight budget, perhaps you could start with asking your friends and neighbors for the coupons out of their newspapers.

Another suggestion:  Write a short e-mail to your friends and family explaining what you are doing to support the troops and ask them to get involved: by donating to anysoldier.com or by helping you with letters, unused stationery, coupons, suggestions, items they aren't using, etc.  Then ask them to forward the e-mail to their friends and family.  By doing this, you make people aware of how they can help and find people who are in a position to get those donations/discounts for you. 

I did this about 2 years ago and the e-mail I sent literally circumnavigated the globe.  The response was overwhelming. People really do want to help.

To help quell the first time jitters, remember your troops.  You're asking for them. 

If you get a donation, large or small, be sure to say thanks, and, if possible, tell them how the donation went over in Iraq.  They want to know their donation made a difference!!!

 Hope this helps!

 

Thank you all for offering your ideas.  I do know one young man who works for Starbuck's locally who might get some coffee to send.  I was thinking in terms of some local retail stores, for one thing.  I didn't know if they ever offered anything when asked or not since we are only sending from our home and not an organization.

Some things we have had luck with getting donations for is used items from charity shops and yard sales.  Some items we have gotten easily was some washable stuffed animals that I cleaned before sending, the McDonald's toys that are in the plastic bags, paperback books, hospital scrubs, t-shirts, golf balls, etc. At one yard sale last year, the woman was selling off her returning Army son's gear, so she sold us several of his t-shirts for 5 cents each, and we sent them to a unit badly in need of shirts. She also donated a box full of her granddaughter's McDonald's toys.  There was one post office that wasn't the one we usually used, only occasionally, that Hubby asked about undeliverable items, and they let him pick through their box to get some things, which included a stack of new magazines and a couple of decorative t-shirts that the Soldiers liked for wearing in their quarters. The post office we usually go to just throws their undeliverables away.  They won't even donate them to a charity. We also have a local Freecycle group that has donated movies, books, magazines, Tupperware containers, pots and pans, bowls, mugs - one even donated a Dust-buster that we just had to buy a new filter for.  The contact was really thrilled with that. 

I just don't seem to be shy about asking for used items, and especially the ones that are no longer needed.  I guess I just don't want to embarrass anyone who for some reason doesn't want to donate, which could be due to their conscience in some way.

 Gran

Another Source of Freebies:

 We live in an RV, so our travels often involve stops at RV parks.  Very often, there are free book exchanges in laundry rooms or public gathering areas.  I drop off travel books I no longer need, and pick up books that I think might be of interest to send to the troops.  All for free!  (I just found a recent James Patterson hardcover novel in excellent condition - free - it doesn't get much better, as one group I'm sending to is described by the contact person as a group of readers)!

An added benefit - I print the down-loadable flyers from the website and post them on bulletin boards in RV parks.

 Pat

Gran:

You're doing a great job.  There's a few ideas in your latest posting I will have to check into.

As for the larger retailers, I would start with the ones that have a reputation for giving back to the community - Starbucks and Target for example.

Sometimes the managers of the really large stores are not allowed to make donation decisions; they have to seek approval from higher up. Locally owned stores or locally owned franchises tend to work best.

Thanks for all you're doing!

Gran,

Also, don't forget to conatct major and minor league sport teams--MLB, NHL, etc. I sent an e-mail to the Boston Red Sox and asked if they gave out any free fan packs. I told them it was for a huge fan stationed in Iraq. I included my snail mail in the e-mail and 2 weeks later, a package. A very nice Red Sox calender, trading cards, game schedule, wristband and the greatest little packet of infield dirt from Fenway. They also included a letter.

Just visit the websites and send them an e-mail.. Some will only accept snail requests (like NY Yankees), but give them shot.

I also get tons of free magazine subscriptions, Maxim, Men's Health, PC, Games, Flying. Lots of things out there. I've gotten pretty resourceful.

If I can be of any help, feel free to ask,

Good day to you all.

Cheryl

A friend and I always take Any Soldier business cards with me when we go yard sale shopping.  She has been able to talk everyone into donating their beanie babies to send over.  With 60+ contacts looking for stuffed animals, 40+ specifically asking for beanies, it has been great.  Amazing how many of those little things can fit into one flat rate box.

I have also been told that quite a few of the direct marketing companies are happy to make donations to nonprofits groups.  Mary Kay, Stampin' Up, Close to My Heart, Avon, Tupperware, and Pampered Chef have been known to send free samples or clearance(but great) inventory.

Cheryl, how do you obtain the free magazine subscriptions?

 

I'm confused. Is it okay to request donations in anysoldier.com's name? I posted the question then read the terms and agreements. Maybe I misinterpreted the information because now I think that was so someone doesn't send requests to the soldier contacts. Then when I went to the anysoldier.com store I saw the cards and ordered them to hand out.

What is the protocal? I don't want to do the wrong thing here. Can I ask for donations in anysoldier.com's name? Not money but items.

 thanks.

momof6 

 

 

Hi momof6

You’re not alone in your confusion here.  I didn’t think you could . . . other than express that it is your intention to send the items along to a soldier identified through the site.  I thought the business cards were to promote the site like the downloadable flyers. 

Thank you for posting this because I didn’t think you could print et al. any content from the soldier pages for personal use or public display either.  However, my asking might have appeared ill-timed.

I made a promise and I’m trying not to break my word…so I’m going to let the management respond to this question for clarification of compliance with User Agreements.

-betc

The approach we take when going to yard sales and collecting stuffed animals is to ask the people how much they are asking for them, and relating the stories that the contacts have told and telling them that we found the contacts on AnySoldier.com.  Most of them are willing to either donate them or sell them very cheaply after we tell them what they are intended for.  Some of them are combined with other families and they can't give them away without the permission of the owner.  We usually do the same with paperback books.  We got a big stack of Patterson books once very cheaply.

Gran

I don't know if you "can," but I wouldn't, anyway.

I tell people I'm sending stuff to soldiers and I tell them about this great website and that this is where I get the names and addresses and find out what soldiers need. I also carry contact cards with me that have the website address.  I always make it clear that I am not affiliated with AnySoldier in any way and that anything they give to me to send to a soldier, they are giving to me to send, not to AnySoldier.  AnySoldier is just a resource I use.

I have not made any effort to collect cash donations for AnySoldier, and I'm unlikely to do so.  I mostly encourage people to go to the website and do whatever they want to do (donate money, send packages, etc), but if someone says they are too busy and offers me money to help with my own efforts instead, that's fine, but I'm not an agent of AnySoldier and don't take money for them. I take the money they give me, and then use it buy stuff for soldiers, pay for postage, and/or make my own cash donation to AnySoldier.