FIGHTING HUNGER TOOLKIT. Tools for your Food Drive, Fund Drive and Special Event. Thank you for helping us fight hunger one day at a time!

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1 FIGHTING HUNGER TOOLKIT Tools for your Food Drive, Fund Drive and Special Event Thank you for helping us fight hunger one day at a time!

2 FIGHTING HUNGER TOOLKIT TABLE OF CONTENTS Getting Started...2 Food Drive...3 Our Healthy Food Wish List...4 Fund Drive...5 What Makes an Event Special...6 Understanding Hunger in WNY: Quick Facts...7 Food Drive Poster for Collection Box (customizable)...8 Event Poster (customizable)...9 Most-Needed Foods Shopping List (designed to print and cut to hand out as grocery shopping list)...10 Third Party Agreement...11 number of people served by the Food Bank of WNY in any given month NIAGARA 15,047 ERIE 93,265 CHAUTAUQUA 17,667 CATTARAUGUS 8,976

3 Getting started Whether your gift of time and energy is through participation in a special event, food drive, or fund drive, we want to provide support and guidance to make your experience a success. The following pages include helpful tips, promotional materials, and guidelines to walk you through those steps. First, determine what type of campaign you are planning. The following definitions will guide you to the section of this toolkit that you will find most helpful: A food drive has a singular focus: collecting non-perishable food items for the Food Bank. These are typically multi-day or week-long undertakings. A fund drive has a singular focus: collecting financial donations for Food Bank of WNY. These can be any length of time and are often in coordination with a food drive or special event. A special event is a single occurrence in a finite period of time, typically a one-day or evening time frame. These may have both a fund and food drive component, but they are characterized by their time frame and intent. Questions? Send an to jmeegan@foodbankwny.org! Good luck, and thank you! 2

4 Food Drive A, B, Cs Hunger is a serious problem in Western New York. Your donations are more vital than ever, and hosting a food drive is a fun and easy way to help our neighbors in need. Here are a few tips to make your drive a success. Ready... Establish a team or a committee to organize the food drive. Create a theme, set goals, plan logistics and develop a time line. See our wish list (page 5) to develop your food drive theme. For example: Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive: one of the items in highest demand and most versatile. Back to School: granola bars, fruit cups, snack-sized items Meat the need: canned meats and canned beans Baby shower: diapers, baby food, infant formula Set... 2 Obtain sturdy collection boxes or bins. 2 Establish food drop-off locations. 2 If you d like one of our barrels for your food drive, please consider the following questions before placing your request: Do you expect to collect at least 250 pounds of food? If you re hosting an annual activity, consider historical food collection totals. Did your collection exceed 250 pounds last year? Will your food drive last two weeks or longer? Will your food be collected in a location that is visible to foot traffic, thereby helping to raise awareness for the Food Bank? If the answer to these questions is yes, you could benefit from using one of our barrels. Contact us at to reserve your barrel. If the answer is no, we suggest that you prepare a cardboard box or other collection receptacle of your own use our customizable food drive poster (page 10) to market you efforts. 2 Contact the Food Bank before the drives ends to discuss the delivery of the food. 2 Promote the food drive through a company newsletter, s to staff, flyers, posters (page 10) ; leaflets (page 11) and on social media. Be sure to share the Food Bank of WNY website (foodbankwny.org) 2 You can offer incentives such as a prize drawing entry for those who give. To encourage participation, send a bag home for employees to fill with food. 2 Organize a group to tour the Food Bank and/or volunteer prior to or after the food drive. It makes a big impression to witness our work in action! 3 CREATIVITY RULES!

5 Go! Happy shopping and collecting! Let us know if we can help throughout the drive. When shopping, please keep our Healthy Food Wish List in mind. You did it! Once your food drive has concluded, please contact us to discuss drop-off or delivery options. It's important that we dedicate the Food Bank's resources to purchasing more food instead of expensive fuel, so we ask that you commit to collecting a minimum of 250 pounds (approximately one full barrel) if you are requesting a delivery or pickup. If you are hosting a smaller drive, simply schedule a time to visit the Food Bank of WNY. We will give you a receipt for the total pounds collected. Celebrate! Review the event and set the date for next year. Thank you for your support! Our Healthy Food Wish List No Sugar Added- Canned Fruit Applesauce 100% fruit juice dried fruit Whole-Wheat Pasta Quinoa brown rice rolled oats whole grain cereal Shelf-Stable Milk Non-Dairy Alternatives Low Sodium- Canned veggies tomato sauce canned soups 100% Veggie juice Low sodiumcanned beans nut butters canned tuna dried beans 4

6 Fund Drive 1, 2, 3s That's right. Every $1 donated to the Food Bank of WNY helps provide approximately 6 meals. So whether your fund drive is in your neighborhood, school, or business, here are some helpful hints to make it a success! First: Plan Establish your target audience and set a goal for your drive. If your goals are lofty, recruit a team or committee to help organize the drive, plan logistics, develop a time line, and decide how you will promote and encourage participation. *Make sure your donation/collection sites are well documented, secure, easily accessible and convenient for your participants Create a theme or make it a competitionyou want it to be fun for you and everyone involved! Theme ideas: Skip-A-Lunch: ask everyone to bring in their lunch or have a potluck and ask each participant to contribute what they would normally spend on lunch to your efforts. Friendly competition: spread the word to neighboring businesses and groups to gain their participation and track who can raise the most for your drive. Celebrate the winner. Prize: Throw a party for all who participate and award the top donor or the individual who recruited the most donors. Second: Promote Spread the word! Use our poster (page 9), , word of mouth, and social media. Remember to "like" our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. Be sure to mention us by name in any posts or tweets so we can help spread the message. See page 8 to connect with us on social media. Track your results and provide updates. Everyone wants to know how they are making a difference! third: Give Collect all donations and deliver to the Food Bank of WNY or if you would prefer to have a check presentation ceremony, contact us at to explore possibilities. If individual donors request a receipt and/or tax credit, we must receive their contribution as a check made payable to: Food Bank of WNY. Also, be sure to include the name of your drive or campaign on the memo line so that we can attribute the gift appropriately. Celebrate! Share/publicize your results among participants and in local and social media. Tag the Food Bank so that we can celebrate with you! Review the event and set the date for the next year! Thank you so much for supporting the Food Bank of WNY! Questions? Send an to jmeegan@foodbankwny. org! 5

7 What makes an event special A special event is a wonderful way to support the work of the Food Bank of WNY. Not only does an event generate much-needed funding, but it can bring awareness to a new, larger audience. Thank you for helping to share our story and raise awareness of our program and the necessary funding to support them. Let us know when your plans are in place so we can add your event to our calendar. Planning a successful fundraiser 1. Choose a planning team- Involve enough volunteers to share the work load. 2. Set a goal and develop a budget- Work with the end result in mind. Identify all possible sources of revenue and anticipated expenses. 3. Choose the right event - Be sure that your event complements the Food Bank of WNY's mission to end hunger in Western New York. Is the event unique to your community? 4. Who's your audience? - Plan a date and time that is appropriate and convenient for those who want to attend. 5. Fill out a Third-Party Agreement (page 12) 6. Promote/publicize your event - Use all appropriate tools to spread the work about your event. Consider sending a press release and make good use of social media to share/publicize your event with others! Remember to "like" our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. Tag us when you post about your event so that our followers can see all the good things you're up to! 7. Make your donation - Please turn in all proceeds to the Food Bank within 10 days of your event. All checks should be made payable to: Food Bank of WNY 8. Say THANK YOU! - Acknowledge everyone who participated in or supported your event! Things to consider for your event : Date & Time - Does the event conflict with any significant events planned for that time? Is this an after-hours event? Potential Audience - What is the target number of attendees to make it successful? Will the event be held if your target is not reached? Potential Revenue - Is the potential revenue in balance with the expected expenses? Is any portion of the revenue going elsewhere? How will the money/donations be collected? Staff Requirements - Our resources are limited, but we'd like to help you if we can! Examples of the Food Bank's assistance include: food collection (barrels), fund collections, promotion and attendance. Stewardship - How will those involved be thanked for their efforts? Questions? Send an to jmeegan@foodbankwny.org! 6

8 Understanding Hunger in WNY Understanding hunger Hunger remains a serious problem in Western New York, even when the economy feels better to many of us. Many people who need food assistance are employed, but just aren t able to make ends meet. The face of hunger in WNY does not belong to any one demographic. Those who struggle with hunger in our community can include children, working families, seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities and those who served or are serving in the military. Niagara The Food Bank of WNY serves 4 counties in Western New York Erie Chautauqua Cattaraugus Use the following hunger facts to cheer on and encourage your team, and to educate the community about the need in WNY. Within our four-county service area, 179,810 people (13.3% of the population) are food insecure meaning they do not have access at all times to enough food to lead a healthy life. The Food Bank of WNY provides food and services to 341 member agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, after-school programs and group homes, throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. In 2016, we distributed enough food to provide more than 13 million meals. Hunger is 365 days a year, and throughout the year, the number of people who need our services can vary depending on seasons and circumstances. During times of heightened need, the Food Bank assists as many as 135,000 individuals in any given month, including 55,000 children, more than 44,000 families and nearly 16,500 seniors. Every $1 donated to the Food Bank of WNY helps provide 6 meals for our hungry neighbors. Those who struggle with hunger are often forced to choose between paying for medicine and utility bills or purchasing nutritious food. While some may consider hunger and poverty to be inner-city problems, hunger and poverty affects our suburbs and especially our rural communities. Those who struggle with hunger are often forced to choose between paying for medicine and utility bills or purchasing nutritious food. On the following pages, please use customizable posters for your food, fund drive or event! 7

9 food drive Drop non-perishiable food donations here to help neighbors in need

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11 Most Needed Items Low sodium, low Sugar, and whole grains items preferred Cereal Peanut or other nut butters Canned Tuna and Chicken Canned Soups, Stews and Chili Canned Fruit Canned Veggies Beans, Canned or Dried Boxed Mac & Cheese Pasta and Rice Spaghetti Sauce Baby Food, Formula, and Diapers Thank you! Most Needed Items Low sodium, low Sugar, and whole grains items preferred. Cereal Peanut or other nut butters Canned Tuna and Chicken Canned Soups, Stews and Chili Canned Fruit Canned Veggies Beans, Canned or Dried Boxed Mac & Cheese Pasta and Rice Spaghetti Sauce Baby Food, Formula, and Diapers Thank you! Most Needed Items Low sodium, low Sugar, and whole grains items preferred. Cereal Peanut or other nut butters Canned Tuna and Chicken Canned Soups, Stews and Chili Canned Fruit Canned Veggies Beans, Canned or Dried Boxed Mac & Cheese Pasta and Rice Spaghetti Sauce Baby Food, Formula, and Diapers Thank you!

12 THIRD PARTY EVENT GUIDELINES Thank you for your interest in supporting the Food Bank of Western New York (FBWNY) by helping to raise funds to feed the hungry in Western New York. It is because of individuals such as you that we are able to continue the FBWNY s mission of providing food to the agencies that serve the less fortunate in our communities. We are frequently approached by donors individuals, organizations and corporations that wish to conduct special events/promotions and contribute a portion of the revenues, less out-of-pocket expenses (percentage of net proceeds), to the FBWNY. As a consequence of our limited staff resources, we may be unable to support your proposed event/promotion, although every effort will be made to assist you throughout your planning, and if approved, implementation. We welcome your intentions with deep gratitude and have provided the following guidelines to assist you in planning, organizing and conducting a successful special event/promotion to benefit the FBWNY and all that we serve: 1. To initiate the fundraising special event or promotion, organizers/sponsors or organizations, should review, complete, and submit the FBWNY Event Promotion Application for review at least 10 days prior to the fundraising event or promotion start date. 2. If only a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the FBWNY, the sponsoring individual or organization must clearly disclose to purchasers, participants, etc., the approximate amount of dollars and/or percent of the proceeds that will go to FBWNY. 3. The FBWNY has limited financial resources and is unable to fund third party events. All special event/promotion expenses need to be covered by the individual/organization sponsoring the event. 4. With the exception of nationally approved promotions, events/programs that cross the FBWNY s geographic boundaries must have the approval of all food banks involved. 5. All publicity and/or promotional materials referencing the FBWNY s involvement require advance approval from the FBWNY. The sponsoring individual/organization is responsible for the marketing and promotion of the event. 6. Events involving alcohol require approval of the FBWNY. 7. The sponsoring individual/organization will need to provide the FBWNY with a list of targeted corporate sponsors. The FBWNY reserves the right to exclude solicitation of specific sponsors. 8. If a separate bank account is being established by the third party for the event, it must be opened in the third party s name. FBWNY policies do not permit a third party to establish a bank account in the name of the FBWNY. 11

13 9. All checks from participants of third party events and programs must be made out to the Food Bank of WNY in order to qualify as charitable contributions. 10. The third party must tender the percentage of net proceeds from the event due the FBWNY within ten (10) days of the end of the event. 11. Once the event is approved, the FBWNY will assist in promoting the event via website and social media. 12. Hazardous or events that are inconsistent with our mission will not be considered. Additional guidelines: 1. The sponsoring individual/organization shall provide the FBWNY with a summary of results relevant to the event/program (number of tickets/sponsorships, etc. sold, revenues generated, and a list of expenses) within 30 days of the event s end. We ask that supporting documentation in the form of receipts, invoices, etc. be provided. The third party will maintain complete and accurate records should the FBWNY determine that an actual review is necessary. 2. If conducting a raffle, the sponsoring individual/organization must adhere to all legal raffle guidelines. In light of the state and federal laws and regulations governing these events, the FBWNY must pre-approve the terms and conditions of all raffles. 3. If the sponsoring individual/organization is conducting an event that requires insurance, the FBWNY requires verification that the sponsoring organization has adequate insurance coverage. A certificate of insurance that names the FBWNY as the Additional Insured must be provided no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled event. The third party must, in its sole discretion, determine the extent of required insurance for the event in order to protect itself from claims which may arise out of the event. For the FBWNY's protection, the FBWNY must have the third party agree to indemnify and hold the FBWNY harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, attorney s fees, expenses, and liabilities incurred in connection with any claim or action or proceeding arising out of or incurred in connection with the event. 4. The sponsoring individual/organization is also responsible for any licenses or permits and must ensure is compliant with federal, state, and local laws. 5. The FBWNY is unable to share or sell its internal list of donors or supporters. Thank you again for your support of the Food Bank of Western New York! Authorized FBWNY Representative: Authorized Event/Promotion Representative: Signature Date Signature Date Printed Name and Title Printed Name and Title 12