Fundraising for Small Groups Newsletter

Maybe you've seen them before at your local bar, grocery store, gas station, hardware store, bank, pharmacy, or just about any other service or retail business. Pin-ups - or bar bucks as they're sometimes known as. Buy one for a buck, write your name on it, and they will pin it up on the wall. They usually make their appearance around a holiday.

One of the more successful ongoing fundraisers of this type is the corporate sponsorship of St. Jude Children's Hospital by Coors Brewing Company.

Here's how it works (from the St. Judes' website):

This October, thousands of retail locations across the country will unite to help fight childhood cancer through the 16th annual St. Jude Halloween Promotion sponsored by Coors Brewing Company and benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

During the month-long promotion, employees at the participating establishments will ask patrons to make a $1 donation to St. Jude to join in the fight against catastrophic childhood diseases. In return for the contribution, the donors will have the opportunity to write their names on pumpkin-themed pinups which will be displayed in each location through Halloween.

Coors Brewing Company adopted the St. Jude Halloween Program as its official Halloween project in 1992. Since then, the program has raised more than $33 million for St. Jude. In 2006 alone, more than 330 distributors and 150 independent retail locations participated in the program and raised more than $3.8 million.

Here's a look at exactly what they mean by a "pumpkin-themed pinup."



Here's more info from the St. Jude website: Press Release

Here's more info on how it works for donors and businesses: Press Release.

There's quite an impressive list of companies that participate via a link on this page. I picked up mine at Panera Bread in Michigan which isn't even on the list!

So do you, or a nonprofit you know, use a pin up of any sort? Shoot me an email (with picture if possible) and I'll add it as a comment to this article.

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About the Author:

Deane Brengle is the editor of several free online publications that cover fundraising for small nonprofit groups. You can visit these publications and read more about fundraising in articles by him and other experts in the field at The Fund$Raiser Cyberzine, The Fundraising for Small Groups Newsletter, and Fundraising Booklets.


Comments:
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From a reader who wishes to remain anonymous -

Chili's also has a branded campaign with St. Judes. Not that our little group could ever dream so big but it does give me ideas!

Deane-

Thanks "anonymous" for the feedback. Here is a link to their website: http://www.createapepper.com/. From their list of partners at the bottom of the page it looks like they leaned on their suppliers to contribute to this campaign. It appears they have this online version and a separate component for their brick and mortor locations

Don't let the size of these programs discourage you. These pin-up/bar buck fundraisers can work for any size group!

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