I've been a supporter and volunteer for the Tacoma-Pierce County YWCA for a couple years now. My coworkers and I volunteer each Christmas to help the shelter residents and their children "shop" from among the donated gifts. We also volunteer or attend various fundraising events. While the Y does have a budget for print advertising, the majority of event awareness comes through their effective use of social media, namely Facebook.
The first event I remember the YWCA actively promoting was Glam That Gives. They sought donations of fancy dresses, shoes and purses, either new or lightly used that could be turned around and sold. They put the call out to their 900 fans on Facebook and posted on their website.
The donations came pouring in. Not just hundreds of dresses, purses and pairs of shoes, but rolling dress racks, dry cleaning services, and volunteers who spent hours organizing and pricing all the donations. In the weeks leading up to the event they posted photos of YWCA employees modeling some of the glamorous dresses.
Their efforts were acknowledged by local newspapers, online media outlets and on television programs. Once the donations were ready they hosted a glamorous brunch at the Hotel Murano, complete with fashion show, and then gave all the attendees the chance to shop the donated inventory.
Photo by Steph DeRosa- Weekly Volcano
The event raised over $18,000 for the YWCA. In the weeks that followed the event they continued to post photos from the fundraiser and asked attendees to share their stories and shopping "scores". I imagine this year's event will be a huge success as well.
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