Running a fundraiser or food drive is such a rewarding activity to do as a family, community group or workplace. At a time when more than 1 in 10 Torontonians are relying on food banks, this support (from leaders we call Community Champions) is more vital to us than ever.
If you’ve never done a drive before, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we created this step-by-step guide to walk you through the process.
How to run a fundraiser:
1. Create an online fundraising event on our website and set your goal
- You can personalize this secure fundraising page with a photo and message about why you’re raising funds.
- Set a goal based on what you’d like to achieve during your campaign ($1 raised = 1 nutritious meal provided for the community).
- You’ll receive a “Let’s get started” email after registering — hold onto this, as it gives you access to your admin page for the fundraiser.
2. Spread the word about your fundraiser
- Send your custom link to family, friends, neighbours and colleagues, inviting them to support your fundraising event (we have sample emails in our toolkits).
3. Track your progress and thank your donors!
- Keep track of your donations by logging into your fundraising page. You’ll be able to see who donated and how close you are to achieving your goal.
- Thank your donors! You can send them a thank-you email (we have samples in our toolkits) or show them a bit of love on social media.
How to run a food drive:
1. Register your food drive on our website, set a goal and get any needed bins or bags
- Register your food drive and let us know if you’ll be coming by to pick up any reusable shopping bags or yellow Daily Bread Food Bank bins for donation collection.
- Set a goal to motivate your donors! One pound of donated food provides about one nutritious meal to a neighbour experiencing hunger.
- Tip: Are you a high school student interested in earning volunteer hours? Run a food drive and earn one volunteer hour for every 25 donated items you collect. Find out more.
2. Spread the word about your drive and collect non-perishable food donations
- Tell your friends, families, neighbours and colleagues about your drive by posting on social media, sending out emails or using our downloadable, customizable flyers.
- Let your supporters know to donate only non-perishable, shelf-stable food items. Tell them how they can get their donations to you, or when/where you’ll be picking them up.
3. Drop the food off
- Don’t forget to snap a photo of your total collection to show your donors!
4. Thank your donors
- We’re able to thank and recognize donors who give funds online, but we have no way to do that for your food donors. Please thank each of them on our behalf. We are so grateful for their generosity, and for yours.
Ready to begin? Learn more about how to start a food drive or fundraiser or check out all our downloadable resources for Community Champions like you.
