Avon Fundraisers for Charity

AvonFundraisers

If you are into charity work, then Avon fund raisers are just what you need. Avon already has everything set up for fundraisers, including flyers and special products. You can do a regular flyer fundraiser to sell and make money for your project or you can do a “in-kind” fundraiser where the product goes to a special charity. You take your pick of where you want the money or product to go, anywhere from Toys for Tots, to nursing homes, to building a new room at your church, or playground equipment for your child’s school.

Toys for Alzheimer Patients

I met with the interim-district manager along with a group of leadership and other reps in Natchitoches recently and one of the points she went over was using some of the items Avon offers for fundraisers.

She showed the “We Got the Treats Pete” dancing Halloween bear in C19/2011. The way she explained it was to set up a table somewhere (in the mall or at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) and ask for donations. You will need at least one of the bears for show. For Pete, who sells at $19.99, ask for $20 donation for each bear. Take what every donation they can make and add them together to buy one bear, if necessary. Ask each person to sign a card or slip of paper to include with the bear.

Be sure to know in advance where you are going to donate the bears, such as a children’s home, or a nursing home for Alzheimer’s patients. One group of reps that did this earned over $2,000 in donations.

Another rep and I talked about doing this several times a year. You could also do this with the dancing bear or reindeer or whatever is in the Christmas brochure. I am thinking of doing this and making the donations to Toys for Tots program here in my home town. You need to pick a “cause” in your locality as people are more apt to donate for local causes than to places not nearby.

Also each year, Avon comes out with a special fundraiser item. Every year it is different. Most of the time the item sells for $20. Watch for the item later in the year.

Points to keep in mind:

1. You will have to pay tax on the items unless you work with a cause that has tax exemption and you have a tax exempt number to send Avon – must have copy of government paper.
2. For Pete bear “my cost” is $19.99 retail price, less 25% since I am President’s Club level, plus $1.70 tax, making the cost for each bear $16.70. I will take all the money I collect for donations and divide it by $16.70 to see how many bears I can actually buy. If I collected $400, I could purchase ($400collected/$16.70cost) 23.95 bears or 24 bears for a few dollars I would personally add. BUT 24 bears Xs the $19.99 retail price would give me a total of $479 in awards sales. If I donate any extra money it is also deductible on my income tax form, along with any expenses I incur—so keep records.
3. You would have to plan this weeks in advance to get permission to set up, get the demos, make big sign “Halloween Toys for Alzheimer Patients at Autumn Leaves Nursing Home Donations—help buy an adult a toy for Halloween” etc. I have a small table and the black table cloths to fit. Using ORANGE poster paper would work great for Halloween. IF I talked to the director at the nursing home – in advance – he could tell me how many Alzheimer patients he has, and their first names, so in case someone wanted to donate directly to a certain patient, you could take notes. OR...You could also do leaves or ghosts, with the patients name on front and have the donators sign the back.
4. Actually you would need to meet with an Avon representative and do this in advance to work out a couple of toys that would make good Christmas gifts. Have a different toy for each person at the table and allow the customer a choice in making a donation to whichever one they choose. There could be a friendly competition going to sell the most!
5. Always get their name to put with the toy donated. My software program can print out label sized tags on regular sized paper or cardstock they can use to sign their names.
6. In the off season (non-holiday) you could do this with personal care products for the nursing home, military overseas, hurricane victims, etc. Have a fundraiser going on every month. You have to set this up in advance, have a regular place or two to hold your fundraisers, and have demos of what you are going to donate.
7. Avon has flyers of some fundraisers for Care-in-Kind. New flyers are due out every so often, so wait until after C19 to order flyers for fall and winter.
8. You would also get a personally good feeling from making the effort to help someone in your community.
9. Avon representatives would earn recognition as one of the good guys.
10. If I was doing the Avon fundraiser, I could use my business card to write them a receipt; it would get my name out there more and I could also offer them an Avon brochure!
11. VERY IMPORTANT – Take a picture of making the donation and put in the local newspaper!!! Do this every time you have a fundraiser. It will help raise awareness for your charity.

If you are not an Avon representative, you could work with one to set up fundraisers. Avon reps are a very charitable group of people to work with. If you check the company website, you will find that Avon supports several foundations including Breast Cancer Research and Domestic Violence Awarness just to name a couple.

Avon reps have raised over $800 million in the last fifty years for just those few programs. Everyone in Avon feels strongly about charity work. Last year Avon’s CEO met with NATO officials and gave them a check for one million dollars toward the domestic violence program in third world countries. In fact, she feels so strongly about charity work that on March 15, 2011, Avon announced their CEO and chairwoman would donate the entire after-tax proceeds of her $5,362,500 long-term bonus award to the Avon Foundation for Women.

Maybe that is why leadership representatives know that helping other women start their own business as an Avon representative helps women build confidence, as well as help their families financially. If you want to know more about Avon or Avon fundraising, just ask your Avon representative or contact me through my website www.youravon.com/owmack.

Avon really is the Company for Women... and a few good men!