We are excited to announce the winner of our first Donation Give-Away drawing of 2016! Morgan Stewart of San Francisco, California will be using the $1,000 Fairmont gift card donated by Winspire to help raise money for California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) where she works as Special Events Coordinator.
CSPF is a member-supported nonprofit dedicated to protecting, improving and advocating for all of California’s state parks. Their mission is to deliver innovative solutions to create an excellent parks system by facilitating park improvements, inspiring stewardship, supporting partners, advocating for sound policies, and connecting people to parks.
“Over 75 million people visit California’s 280 state parks each year,” Morgan explains, “so it’s our goal is to ensure that the natural beauty, rich culture and history, and recreational and educational opportunities are available for everyone to enjoy now and for generations to come.”
Earth Day 2015 – Over 1,700 people showed up to volunteer their time at 27 state parks throughout California. In a single day they planted 1,235 native trees and plants; removed 630 cubic yards of non-native plants; collected 453 bags plus 56 cubic yards of trash and 37 bags of recycling; installed fences; refurbished picnic areas and campgrounds; restored trails; removed graffiti; painted curbs and buildings; and educated participants about the importance of caring for our California’s natural treasures.
How will you use the $1,000 Fairmont gift card?
Fairmont Lake Louise Mountain Adventure
Banff National Park Exploration, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (Alberta) 3-Night Stay with Airfare for 2 (1212-2)
Include this trip in your next fundraiser!
We plan to use the $1,000 Fairmont gift card as part of a live or silent auction item in an upcoming fundraising event. In the past, our most successful auction items were ones that we packaged to create a unique experience for our bidders. Ideally, I will try to package the Fairmont gift card with a special outdoor or park related experience. For example, the Fairmont Santa Monica location is just down the road from parks like Malibu Lagoon State Beach and Will Rogers State Historic Park.
The money raised with this auction item will provide general support for CSPF’s mission to protect, improve and advocate for all of California’s state parks.
How did you hear about Winspire?
I enjoy reading Winspire News for advice on best practices for fundraisers and auctions. In a competitive event space it’s helpful to stay up to date on what attracts individuals to your event, how to stand out from the crowd, and the best strategies to make your fundraiser successful.
We are always looking for unique packages for our live and silent auctions. Consignment and no-risk travel packages are great options to help round out an auction without having to secure the items on your own and with the added benefit of having a concierge take care of travel arrangements for our donors post-event.
For our 2015 gala we were unable to secure all of the unique travel experiences we planned for so we utilized consignment items to round out our live auction. It was great knowing that we could offer these packages with no risk while raising more money for state parks.
What is your biggest fundraising challenge?
The biggest challenge we face is marketing our fundraising events. It can be tough to create enough buzz to draw an audience of qualified donors. As a nonprofit we are always looking for ways to push our marketing dollars the furthest and even finding free advertising sources. Securing a fantastic item like this $1,000 Fairmont gift card gives us the opportunity to advertise a unique prize before the event and attract more interest from our supporters.
You too could win $1,000 in donated auction items for your next fundraising event! To enter, simply subscribe to Winspire News and you will be automatically entered into the quarterly drawing. For more information and to find out what we’re giving away this quarter, Click here.
Win $1,000 in Auction Items!
Subscribe to Winspire News for weekly event fundraising tips and you could win a $1,000 worth of donated items to use in your next charity auction!
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