Anyone who has spent any time around the charity industry in the last few years understands that vehicle donation is really what butters their bread. There are foundations touting things like kidney cars and there are organizations going out and trumpeting the virtues of vehicle donation and truck donation. The American Red Cross is now holding events to both supplement the vehicle donation effort and promote it at the same time.
The new thing in fundraising is putting on galas and dinners for people who want to get together in their fundraising effort. Especially in the Washington, D.C. area, the American Red Cross is now making a good chunk of its money through these fundraising events.
The basic idea of these events is very simple. Though vehicle donation pays most of the bills for charities like the American Red Cross, they need to supplement their funds every now and then. With charity fundraising dinners, the Red Cross can put on auctions and have people pay to enjoy a dinner together. With all of the money going to a good and worthy cause, people are more willing to contribute.
Make no mistake about it, the vehicle donation program is still where the majority of the fundraising power comes from, but it is not really enough anymore. This summer, the events are out there in almost every community, with different chapters coming up with ways to involve people in their mission. The Red Cross helps us all, so it’s a team effort at the core.
