Like all charities, Greenfingers was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Key events were cancelled, fundraising activities had to move into the comfort of people’s homes and virtual events and garden builds were put on hold. And like us all, the charity is now dealing with the effects of the current economic climate which has seen an increase in the cost of building materials.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the continued support of the garden retail sector, with many suppliers and retailers continuing to dig deep to raise vital funds for the charity. But did you know you did not have to fundraise to raise funds? Here, Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at Greenfingers Charity, explains the many ways brands can get involved.
“It’s easy to think that fundraising has to take the shape of sponsored walks, coffee mornings and acts of endurance. However, not all fundraising activities call for time spent away from the to-do list, nor do they need to be high adrenaline. Many businesses have incorporated the support of Greenfingers into their everyday. These small acts of generosity add up to unbelievable sums of money over the year; funds which we are enormously grateful for.”
Online Sales
Whether it’s a donation amount built into the retail price or asking customers to donate themselves, online sales are one of the easiest ways to generate significant sums over time. The ability to link to the Greenfingers website to showcase the charity’s work also makes it much easier to convert shoppers to potential donors.
HTA National Garden Gift vouchers
Currently stocked in 1,600 UK garden centres, the National Garden Gift Voucher scheme is the UK’s longest-running promotion of gardening and gardening good causes. Gifted around a million times each year, a donation from each voucher purchased is given to Greenfingers, which means that not only do these vouchers do good, but they keep customers coming back for more – a win/win for both the charity and the garden retail sector.
Social media
Social media is one of the easiest ways to support Greenfingers. By simply promoting the charity and its work to your followers, each company can increase the charity’s brand awareness exponentially. This brand awareness can convert into donations over time, including donations from people that may not have previously known about the charity. The power of a tweet or Instagram post can make a significant difference to the Greenfingers coffers.
Carrier Bag Tax
Homebase is just one company which has championed the carrier bag tax since its introduction in 2015. What’s more, they have ensured that Greenfingers benefit from this tax. 10p from each bag sold is donated to the charity with Homebase raising tens of thousands of pounds in this way in the last five years. In 2021 Squire’s, British Garden Centres, Longacres and Haskins Garden Centres collectively raised over £20,000 through carrier bag donations.
When talking about the carrier bag tax as a form of providing charitable donations, Linda Petrons said: “I understand that with the right sort of signage at your tills this simple act can turn customers into positive supporters of your outlets and your charitable motives.”
Promotional Products
Another easy ‘fundraising’ option for manufacturers is creating or allocating a special product which drives awareness of Greenfingers. In recent years the charity has benefited from ornaments, doormats, garden footwear, gloves, plant pots, books, planters, pot feet, bulbs, seeds, roses and many more products, helping to contribute to its annual income. From a fixed percentage to a set sum, this donation can be allocated to the supplier’s annual budget forecast, making it an incredibly easy way to show their support.
Skills exchange
PR, marketing, design and printing are just some of the ways that Greenfingers is supported outside the traditional realms of fundraising. Like any business, these services can greatly impact the charity’s bottom line, so building relationships with leading suppliers has enabled Greenfingers to significantly reduce such costs. From free-of-charge skills exchanges to charitable donation ‘rebates’ these donations are flexible and beneficial to both parties through joint promotion.
Pennies – https://pennies.org.uk/
Pennies, the micro-donations charity, has been helping retailers raise quite literally millions of pounds by inviting customers to top up their bill at the checkout. By simply switching on the feature within the EPOS platform, retailers can offer customers the chance to round up their transactions at the point of sale and donate the money to charity. It’s an incredibly effective way of raising funds and is now a favourite of Millbrook Garden Centres and others who are supporting the charity through this initiative.
AmazonSmile
Those suppliers which utilise the retail juggernaut, Amazon, may want to also communicate to their shoppers that the platform also offers the chance to donate to charity by switching to AmazonSmile and by ensuring their products are marked as “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” via the back office facilities.
AmazonSmile is operated by Amazon with the same products, prices and shopping features. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organisation of your choice.
Turn Your Unwanted Stock into Gold
Turn Old into Gold is an ongoing fundraising initiative where industry suppliers are encouraged to donate old or unwanted stock to be sold at auction with proceeds going to Greenfingers Charity.
If you would like to find out more about how you can support Greenfingers, contact Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk – she would love to hear from you.
Find out more
To find out more about the wonderful work the Greenfingers Charity undertakes please join in the conversation by joining Greenfingers on social media https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/, @GreenfingersCha on Twitter, and @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn.
ENDS
EDITORS INFORMATION
Greenfingers Charity creates and builds therapeutic gardens in the grounds of children’s hospices. It is supported by many businesses in the gardening industry who raise funds throughout the year and especially on Garden Re-Leaf Day each spring when manufacturers and retailers hold events that benefit the charity.
So far, Greenfingers Charity has built over 60 magical and accessible spaces that have provided stimulation, succour and serenity to thousands of patients, their families and staff that have struggled with the management of life-limiting conditions.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GREENFINGERS CHARITY from Linda Petrons – linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk – Tel 07908 221240