Silicone Bracelet Fundraising Ideas
The Yellow One That Started It All
Celebrities from Robin Williams to Matt Damon have sported them. Political leaders like ex-President George W. Bush and John Kerry have worn them on cuffed wrists. In all, 70 million of the $1 yellow Lance Armstrong LiveStrong bracelets have been sold since 2004. Not a bad fundraiser for cancer.
There are orange “Smokefree” bracelets; pink bracelets for “Breast Cancer”; purple bracelets for “Purple Paws” (animal shelters); black and white bracelets for “Anti-racism”; and many others.
And today, they’re as popular as ever.
People like to show their support for a cause. And it’s hard to do this every day wearing a t-shirt or hat with your favorite cause. Silicone bracelets makes this easy. They’re comfortable, long-lasting, washable, and you don’t even know you’re wearing one. Plus, they’re cool.
And they make the perfect high profit, high volume fundraising item. Here’s how to plan and execute a silicone bracelet fundraiser.
First Steps
This is, on paper anyway, the easiest part. You need to make three basic decisions: What will the bracelet say? What are the bracelet color(s) and fonts? What supplier will you use?
- What is your cause or slogan? Keep it short and memorable. These are most effective and also suppliers have character limits—usually 25 or less. Do you want the name of the organization? The church name? School name? An acronym? Should you distinguish your words from other similar charities? Who are you primarily selling these to: kids, adults, seniors, etc.
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- Single color? Dual twisted colors? Multi-colored swirled? Rainbow? American Flag? Bauhaus Font? Bodega Sans? Garamond Bold?
Make it bright and bold and if nothing else, eye-catching. Make sure the lettering and bracelet color contrast to show off your slogan emphatically.
- Ask your supplier if the price is all-inclusive (i.e. no set-up, mold, artwork or imprint fees). What is the character (letters/numbers) limit? Are there any seems showing on the bracelet? There shouldn’t be any. Can you have special characters? Can you split the order with different colors/styles? Do you have children’s sizes? Are they 100% silicone? What is the minimum order? Free shipping? What is the turn-around time? What is your satisfaction policy?
There’s a big break in cost if you buy more. For example, one on-line company sells the first 499 bracelets for $1 each; order 2,000 or more and they’re just 50 cents. Knowing this price will give you a good idea of how much to sell them for and how many you want to buy—i.e. equals your fund-raising goal.
Keep your selling price low: from $1 to $2 each.
Just Do It
Now is the time to rally the troops (volunteers) and decide how and where to sell your finished bracelet.
Have a team meeting. Ask everyone for ideas on how they can sell the bracelets. Ask them about their resources and contacts: does anyone know a media person who would run a story? Does anyone know a manager of a supermarket or big retail store?
Write a press release for your charity and distribute it to the media: TV, radio, local magazines and newspapers.
Host your own charity event and sell the bracelets. You could even ask for donations above your “asked for” price. Easy events to pull off are spaghetti dinners, car washes, and yard sales.
Go to other charities for support. Ask to sell at one of their fundraisers or events. Have them mention your bracelet sale in their newsletter and at meetings.
Get permission and set up a table in a high traffic area like a Super Wal-Mart, grocery store, mall, or sporting event. Create colorful signs telling busy shoppers exactly what you’re selling, how much it is, and what your cause is.
Set up a table at an upcoming festival, carnival, art show, etc. to make good use of the high traffic.
Enlist your friends and family to sell bracelets. Give them a dozen at a time and turn them loose. Just be sure to account for each one.
Use the power of social media like Facebook. Create a Facebook page to create awareness. Send out a personal note to all your friends telling them about the cause and the bracelets.
Summary
Having a successful silicone bracelet fundraiser is simple: you’re offering a cool item, with a low price for a good cause. Selling should be easy. The most important aspect is just getting your volunteers excited and out there selling.