Brick fundraising is a popular fundraising tactic for projects that will be seen by the community. The idea is that donors contribute money to your project, and in return, they receive an engraved brick with their name or message.
Engraved brick fundraisers can be combined with a variety of other fundraising efforts to help boost your bottom line. These include:
Consider a Sponsorship Program
Whether your nonprofit is trying to create a walkway in a park or a memorial wall for a loved one, brick fundraising is a great way to engage your community. It allows donors to feel involved in the project, even if they can’t physically be there. And because each engraved brick or tile is personalized, they feel a sense of ownership over the final product.
Engraved brick campaigns can be used in conjunction with other charitable efforts to boost your overall fundraising total. For example, if you are holding an engraved brick fundraiser to build a walkway or custom art installation at your organization’s headquarters, you can team up with local businesses to help spread the word about your campaign. This partnership will also benefit the business by increasing their exposure to potential customers and employees.
It is important to have a clear plan for sponsorship levels and what benefits are associated with each tier of donations. This will allow you to determine a specific amount that should be associated with each level of sponsorship as well as the projects that will be supported by the donations made at that tier.
For example, if you have a corporate sponsor that is interested in getting their brand name out to your audience, you can provide them with naming rights for a section of the walkway or custom art installation, or even for your entire facility. You should always do your research to find a company or individual that will be a good fit for your organization and that has a reputation for being a generous employer.
Another partnership opportunity you can explore is a shoe drive. You can partner with an organization like Funds2Orgs to have your community donate their gently worn shoes. Then, Funds2Orgs will come to pick up the shoes, weigh them, and pay your organization based on a per-pound rate. The shoes are then sold in developing countries to help support small business owners and encourage economic growth.
Combine Bricks with a Walk or Run
Brick fundraising is a popular tactic that works well with non-profits that have a lot of potential mid-level donors. This type of fundraiser involves setting up a wall or walkway with engraved bricks that your supporters can purchase in return for their donation. This is an excellent option for organizations that are raising funds to help build a home or other facility. Adding an event such as a walk or run can give your brick fundraiser a more personal touch and attract attention from the media.
For example, the ‘Brick-by-Brick’ project in Wigan and Leigh has been set up with support from Amazon and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, as well as local charities. It will combine logistics expertise, donations of essential products from Amazon and other suppliers, as well as the network of care professionals in the area to deliver supplies directly to families who need them.
Consider a Challenge
Brick fundraising used to be a popular strategy for mid-level donors but has fallen out of favor a bit in the past decade or so. Recently, however, there’s been a bit of a resurgence in this type of campaign, particularly for nonprofits with large pools of potential mid-level donors ($50-$500).
The idea is that non-profits build a walkway or other tiled or bricked area and allow supporters to purchase a brick (or other item) to be engraved with their name or message. This creates a sense of participation that’s gratifying for donors and also helps to raise money for the cause.
Engraved brick campaigns work well for memorials or any other type of construction project where people are looking to contribute a permanent tribute. They can be constructed out of actual bricks or other materials such as elegant tiles or enduring granite. It’s important for organizers to collaborate with experts who can help market the campaign, identify the right brick sizes so that the names and messages stay legible over time. Organizations like Polar Engraving specialize in providing high-quality engraving services for such campaigns.
A commemorative brick fundraiser is a great way to raise funds for a new church, school or other building project. It’s also a good option for any fundraising effort aimed at honoring someone who has passed away. Supporters will pay to have their loved ones’ names engraved on a brick that will be part of the structure.
It’s always best to partner with fundraising specialists when launching any campaign, but especially when selling items as unique as engraved bricks and other personalised pieces. They can help you identify the right size bricks to use and suggest ways to make your campaign stand out from the competition.
A jelly bean count fundraiser is an easy, inexpensive and fun fundraising opportunity that’s ideal for families or schools. It’s as simple as filling a jar with jelly beans and asking participants to donate in exchange for a guess at how many there are. Similarly, holding a shoe drive is another easy way to raise money for your organisation. Organizations like Funds2Orgs will come and pick up the donated shoes, weigh them, and pay your organization based on the price per pound.
Combine Bricks with Other Charitable Efforts
Brick fundraisers are a great way to bring in money for non-profit organizations. They help to keep charitable coffers full and available to be used when students and alumni need it. They also provide a unique branding opportunity for businesses in the community who wish to show their support for their local college or university. This is especially true for companies that are located close to the campus, as they can offer employees the opportunity to emblazon their company name on the walkway or wall with an engraved brick or tile.
Another way to boost fundraising efforts is to combine them with other events. For example, you can hold a gala to celebrate your newest graduates or a silent auction to raise additional funds for the organization. Adding these extra events will allow you to reach more people and increase your donation amounts.
You can even go the extra mile to make your brick fundraisers more eco-friendly. One method that is gaining traction is the use of smart bricks, which are designed to work with smart home automation systems. These bricks reduce waste by utilizing organic materials such as straw and rice husks and have comparable strength to traditional bricks.
Other eco-friendly options for bricks include reusing existing ones or using recycled bricks. These methods can help to cut down on landfill waste, while also requiring less energy and resources than producing new bricks from raw materials. Another green option is to use biobricks, which are made from organic materials and have a carbon footprint that is significantly lower than traditional bricks.
A new charity initiative called ‘Brick-by-Brick’ is a first for Quebec and aims to deliver essential goods to families who need them. The project brings together the network and knowledge of Wigan charity The Brick with logistics expertise from Amazon and product donations from local and national retailers. It will also utilise the WEB-RECYC platform, which connects offers and demands for old bricks to give them a second life instead of being thrown away during renovation projects.