Raise money – Raise awareness for your fire department
Posted on 19. Jul, 2009 by Chris in Fund Raising
I am more than lucky enough to be a member of a volunteer fire department who is very well equipped and taken care of by our township trustee. But all too often when visiting firefighter forums, I see questions and concerns about how to raise money for the department to keep in functioning.
It’s my belief that just raising money shouldn’t be the sole purpose of any marketing for a fire department. You see, as you reach out to your “customers” asking for much needed funds, you’re presented a prime opportunity to also market yourself and your services.
In business sales, there is a question you must answer for your customers – What’s in it for me? No matter your industry, you have to provide a reason for that person to separate them from their hard earned dollar. If you don’t believe this, think about the infomercials you see on late night T.V. and you’ll find one particular thing in common. They provide a reason or a sense of urgency. For example:
“Call right now and receive 1 free Acme Gizzmo!” This message tells them that they’re getting a better deal now, instead of later where they may only get one Acme Gizzmo
or
“If you don’t call today, you’ll miss our one time T.V. offer!” This creates a sense of urgency. If you don’t call right away, you’re going to regret not calling.
So how can we apply these same basic concepts to the fire service? Let’s look at some ‘typical’ examples of volunteer fire department fund raisers and how we can create that sense of urgency and answer the almighty question of “What’s in it for me?”
Dinners / Banquet’s: For decades this has been a ‘normal’ routine fund raiser for volunteer fire departments. And although it can work, the amount of time and energy versus the payback is a bit unbalanced. But all hope is not lost.
Usually the message is “fund raiser for area department”, which is all well and good and your usual’s have no problem chucking out $20 to feed a small family and donate to a good cause. But what if we change that message to read “fund raiser for much needed equipment”
This not only creates a sense of urgency because if you don’t get this equipment, you may not be able to protect the community as well.
It also answers that pressing question we spoke about earlier. The customer (citizen) now has a reason for spending their hard earned dough because they’re helping a very worthwhile organization that keeps them safe.
Boot Drives: This is another popular event where firefighters stand at busy intersections carrying a boot and asking for spare change. It’s nothing short of panhandling, but obviously goes to a greater cause and organization.
As cars coast by, you’re going to find it difficult to communicate your message of why you’re asking for money without causing a traffic jam. My suggestion? Get a big poster sandwich board and place it (safely) in a spot well before the cars reach you. While traffic is moving forward, the drivers can read the message and prepare to hand over some loose change to help out.
Have it read “Spare change for new [insert equipment here]”
The list of events could go on forever, but my key point here is that your fund raisers can no longer be just about raising money. You need to think about the reasoning behind why you’re raising the money.
