To protect our planet for future generations, the clock is ticking. Now is the time for organisations and leaders to take action to slow the harmful effects of emissions and pollutants. Similarly, people are feeling a greater sense of urgency to do their part to protect our planet, from the causes they support to the products they purchase.
According to the latest Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, more than half of respondents say they’re more eco-friendly now than they were six months ago. At this moment, charities like yours have a unique opportunity to create eco-friendly activities or offer more sustainable products, while still generating crucial funds for your cause. Read on for a few unique, eco-friendly, revenue-generating ideas that your charity can easily replicate with your own supporters.
Goodbye Landfill, Hello Resale! Give Items a Second Chance at Life
Clothing production comprises 10% of our total carbon emissions; it also strains precious resources and pollutes the environment. Every year, 85% of textiles end up in the rubbish. One way to remedy this is to breathe new life into already-existing clothing items. Your charity can host a second-hand drive and encourage supporters to donate (rather than discard) unwanted goods. Large charities could sell these items in a charity shop, and smaller charities could consider an online market or pop-up shop. As a result, you’ll give clothing, textiles, and goods a second life and reduce the number of items that end up in landfills, all while raising additional funds for your cause!
The Street Store is a unique example. It’s the world’s first rent-free, premise-free, pop-up clothing store for the houseless, with nearly 1,000 stores globally. The idea is that anyone can start a Street Store in their community where houseless individuals or families can shop for free. Participants take a pledge to receive everything they need (like posters and guidebooks) to create the pop-up store.
Offer Eco-Friendly Merchandise Alternatives
Merchandise is and will remain a key fundraising component for charities. Today, there are countless eco-friendly versions of the most popular merchandise, so you can continue to gift or sell items to raise money, but in a more sustainable and planet-friendly way. Consider your most popular items, or think about what items you would like to start selling. Chances are, we have an eco-friendly version of it! For example, branded badges are a big hit; we offer a range of recycled plastic or wooden badges. Or if you gravitate to wearable items, we offer a range of rPET charity bracelets made from recycled water bottles.
Now is an ideal time to make the switch to more eco-friendly merchandise, in honour of Plastic Free July. Consider opting for reusable bags to reduce the need for single-use plastic bags. Or what about a reusable branded water bottle, to help people avoid harmful, disposable water bottles? Need more inspiration? Here’s a list of simple swaps for more eco-friendly merchandise.
Leverage Facebook for an Effective, Easy Eco Challenge
Facebook Challenges are another key element of charity fundraising—they’re an incredibly effective way for charities to reach new audiences, engage with supporters, and boost fundraising efforts. Typically, Facebook Challenges are time-bound fundraising events that take place entirely through Facebook in which participants complete a specific activity. For more, check out the Charity’s Guide to Facebook Challenge Fundraising.
Often, these challenges include fitness activities, like completing a certain number of push-ups or walking a certain number of kilometres. But why not add an eco-friendly twist to your challenge? Consider asking your supporters to go plastic-free for 30 days in honour of Plastic Free July, or ask people to strive for zero waste for a month. As part of your challenge, you can build a dynamic online community where participants share tips and experiences. You could even tie your eco-friendly merchandise to the challenge, and offer a “Plastic-Free Starter Kit” with reusable bags, straws, and water bottles. Or for a zero-waste challenge, you could add Beeswax Wraps to a starter kit, to replace the need for plastic-based food storage products.
Throw a Clean-Up Party
The UK’s precious beaches, forests, and public lands are being polluted, which puts marine and other natural life at serious risk. However, there is some good news: Results from the 2021 Great British Beach Clean show that the amount of waste washing ashore is falling, and personal actions are having a positive impact. However, there is always more that can be done. One way your charity can support the local environment is by hosting a charity clean-up party!
Organise a day where volunteers can pitch in and pick up trash at their local beach, along a roadway, or at a park. Your participants can collect pledges—either a flat rate or by the total weight of the trash they pick up. It’s a productive, positive, and memorable way to organise your supporters around your cause.
For inspiration, check out the National Trust, which looks after nearly 800 miles of coastline and hosts a series of beach clean-ups. People can find and join a regular beach clean near them or while on holiday. Look for opportunities to make your clean-up event memorable and fun. The National Trust, for example, has a slideshow of “Unusual Items Found” from these clean-ups. Perhaps you could host a contest for the oddest item found and gift eco-friendly merchandise as an award!
Host a Special Vegan Meal
How and what we eat has a tremendous impact on climate change and the global food supply. Runoff from factory farms can pollute local water systems and grazing livestock contribute to damaging emissions. Eating a vegan diet can help stop deforestation and soil degradation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet, not everyone can easily adjust to nor desires to commit to a full vegan diet. Instead, why not offer a vegan meal for your next charity fundraising dinner or lunch event? It’s a great opportunity to promote the concept of a vegan diet, even if just a meal or two, and it will position your charity as a thoughtful promoter of smarter, more sustainable ways of cooking and eating. Following the event, you could share recipe ideas on your charity website, or even create a vegan recipe contest amongst your supporters.
For inspiration, check out the Donkey Sanctuary’s Sowing with Donkeys event, where people can join for a two-course vegan lunch and conversation. Where possible, the food is sourced right from the charity’s own lands, and participants can even stroll around the donkey sanctuary after lunch. Think about ways you can connect your cause to the lunch, and get creative with the activities before and after the fundraising meal.
We hope this article inspires you to host your own planet-friendly fundraiser this year, and every year going forward. What other examples have you seen? What ideas do you have for your own charity? We’d love to hear more and help you maximise the event, for our planet and your pocketbook! Please get in touch with our eco-friendly team today.