Can Drives as Fundraiser

[CNYScouter 46]

Troop is talking about doing a can and bottle drive to earn money. No one in our group has done one before and I have some questions

 

I was wondering if anyone has some statistics about doing a can and bottle drive.

 

1) If we were to hand out flyers what type of response, can we expect? In other words, if we were to pass out 1000 flyers how many will we get bottles from?

 

2) How many flyers do we need to send out to earn $500? What is the average donation we can expect from each household that does donate?

 

3) The troop is in an urban area and the households range from upscale, high income to middle income families to very low-income sections. We have a large university near us also. Were will we get the best response from?

 

[SemperParatus 1]

Some thoughts...

 

Our CO promotes a separate scouting scholarship program that is partially funded by can collections. I think just putting flyers out for a one-time collection will likely produce little results. What we have found works well is to provide for ongoing collections with a large group of people that get into the habit of collecting their cans for us. We have a separate open-top trailer set up at the CO (church). Parishoners bring their bags of cans for the week (religiously) and simply toss them into the trailer before or after services. There is a large sign on the side of the trailer to identify and market the program and a little advertisement appears in the church bulletin throughout the year. The trailer gets filled up every three months or so (worth about $200), when the scouts get the opportunity to participate in a can crushing (stomping) event. I think you may do well to hook up with the local university, rather than hanging flyers on doors. By having a central collection spot, close to the can donators (e.g., church or university), you will increase your take and make it much easier to collect.

[EagleInKY 14]

Semper dude is correct (again). For us, one time collections have been pretty dismal. Your best bet is getting some collection cans placed at strategic locations (dorms??), and a collection bin at your CO.

[nldscout 18]

We have done pretty good with can collections on a one time thing. We do one in conjustion with Scouting for Food. We pass out flers and 2 bags. Last year for a couple hrs work we got $400 dollars in cans and bottles.

 

The problem I have seen with collection trailers is they can turn into trash bins quick if you don't monitor it close.

 

[frank10 12]

Our local Stop and Shop Super market lets us set up in their parking lot right out side of their bottle redmetion area. I get the feeling they don't want folks to return the bottles to them. With just a one time - one line anouncement ad in the local paper we score about $400-600.

 

Plan in advance where you will be taking the cans, some of the centers only give 4 cents. Others make the scouts feed them in to machines. It's worth finding a place that will both give full price and take them in hte bag.

[anarchist 10]

in our area 55 gallon bag of crushed cans nets about $2.00 after paying for a heavy duty bag...not much for a lot of effort.

If you want to do this contact local schools and see if they would be willing to let you set up a can/bottle 'can' in their cafeteria and teacher's lounge...be sure to pick up cans as need 'requires' or they will end cooperation fast. Frankly, I'd rather sell donuts, have a dinner or pancake breakfast or even write a check than try to do can drives/bottle/paper...good spaghetti dinner can raise $500 dollars with just a few signs, support from your CO AND having the boys pre-sell computer printed dinner tickets ...a few weeks before the dinner...

 

lots of work but sure-fire return (just avoid winter time dinner...snow storm can cripple the effort....)

[acco40 95]

First, just like real estate, the three most important thing about can drives are location, location and location. In my state, Michigan, one lone pop bottle can fetch ten cents. In other states five cents. In California - TBD. In others, just the price of the scrap material.

 

For our National Jamboree fund raising, myself and three Scouts went out, unannounced (no fliers) and for an hour and a half of collecting and an hour of redeeming raised $118, slightly above average for the other boys. When I lived in Missouri, which paid a flat fee per pound for aluminum it may have raised all of $1.25.

 

I found that the week after the Super Bowl, New Years eve, Christmas holidays, etc. are good times to collect.