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Potential
Revenues:
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$$
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Revenue Source:
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Tolls collected
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Advertising:
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Signage, social media, press releases, flyers,
posters, website, all communications
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Equipment/Supplies:
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Depending on local ordinances, a replica toll
booth, pre-printed charity receipts
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Partners:
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Your town police department and Mayor - or maybe a mall
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Volunteers
Needed:
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Volunteers to collect tolls and hand-out
receipts
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How It Works:
Ever dreamed of
opening up your own toll booth on some busy Interstate highway? Although not an interstate highway, this was
an enterprising fundraiser that was seen in the quaint Western Massachusetts
town of Lee. Several volunteers wearing brightly
colored safety clothing were standing in the middle of the road on their town’s
Main Street.
Strategically
placed signs announced a “toll booth ahead” and a line of cars were waiting to
pay. Most were probably also wondering
why there was a toll booth in the middle of Main Street in a small tourist town. As drivers got closer, they realized that the
toll booth was a fundraiser for the local school baseball team. Interestingly,
however, most of the cars were plunking coins and dollar bills into the
volunteers’ collection cans.
The key for running
this fundraiser is to get the police department (and probably the mayor) of
your town to go along. Perhaps their
biggest concern will be around the safety of the volunteers, as well as the
unsuspecting drivers who were coming upon the traffic congestion. As it was pretty easy to drive around the
cars that were stopped, it didn’t tie up traffic that badly, but plenty of cars
were stopping and donating with a smile on their face.
You’ll probably need to have a few alternative
scenarios available if your town views this as a safety hazard. Perhaps you can set up near the sidewalk
area, instead of in the middle of the road.
With the help of some volunteers to wave the cars over to your toll
booth area, you can probably keep the traffic from snarling up.
Ideas to Consider:
You will probably
increase your chances of being able to do this fundraiser if your town’s mayor
or police chief has a connection to your cause.
If they do, by all means use that leverage to get their approval. Another approach would be to ask a mall to let you set up in front of their main entrance.
The best time to do
this type of fundraiser is on a Saturday or Sunday when people are not in a
rush to get to work on time. The best
area is probably where traffic generally moves fairly slowly, as that increases
the chances of someone actually handing you money. It also increases your volunteers’
safety. Make sure you suggest a donation amount ahead
of the toll booth, so that drivers will have their money ready.
If you can get the
town to go along with placing a replica of a toll booth in the center of the
street, you will probably increase your success and your volunteers’ safety. If the town won’t go for the toll booth in
the road, you might want to find a busy sidewalk and try the toll booth concept
there. The fundraiser in Lee didn’t use
a booth.
You should also have plenty of brochures on hand, as
well as a way for people to contribute more at a later time. If you can tie this event to an upcoming
event, such as presenting your toll receipt and getting a discount on admission,
you will score a double hit.
Source
of Idea: Lee, Massachusetts, as described in the above
write-up.
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