Connecticut Humane Society Pet Food Drive Starter Kit

Connecticut Humane Society Pet Food Drive Starter Kit

2 Thank you for coordinating a pet food collection drive to benefit the Connecticut Humane Society s pet food pantry. Collected food will be distributed to people in the state who are struggling to feed their pets. Your efforts will help prevent pet homelessness by keeping pets with their families and out of shelters. This guide will help you plan a successful collection drive. Please contact the Volunteer Services Director at 860-594-4502 x.6203 with any questions about your food collection drive. What to Collect The food pantry provides food for dogs, cats, and small animals (guinea pigs, birds, etc.) Canned and dry food is accepted. Dog and cat treats are accepted. The most common brands clients request are: Friskies Fancy Feast Nine Lives Iams Purina Pedigree Beneful Hill s Science Diet Kibbles & Bits Wellness Blue Buffalo Any natural/holistic brands Milkbones Grain-free dog food for pets with special dietary restrictions The needs vary based on the supply on hand. Sometimes the most urgent need is dry cat food and at other times it s just canned dog food. Please contact us prior to collecting so we can let you know about the specific needs. CHS is not able to accept: Open or ripped bags Expired food Bags weighing over 40 lbs. Rawhide bones

Steps to a Successful Collection 3 Step One: Choose a Location Pick a location for donors to drop off food donations. The most successful collections occur at businesses that sell pet food. It is especially helpful if you are there in person asking people to donate. Here are some location suggestions: A pet supply store A grocery store An agricultural supply store A pet grooming or boarding facility A veterinarian s office Your place of business Your school Your place of worship A local business A fire department *Always ask permission from the manager or school administrator to collect donations. *If your food collection is open to the public, let CHS know so the drop-off location can be advertised on the website. Step Two: Set a Time Frame Questions you should ask yourself: When will your food collection drive start? How long would you like the collection to last? (A week? A month? Just one day?) Step Three: Set a Goal How many animals would you like to feed? Setting a goal will help your supporters visualize the number of pets you are hoping to help. For example, 30 lbs of dog food will feed one dog or three cats for a month. If you collect 300 lbs of food, you will be helping 10 dogs, or 30 cats. Step Four: Contact Us Once you ve picked a location, time-frame, and goal for your food drive, contact CHS to let us know all about your plans. If your collection is open to the public it can be advertised on the CHS Facebook page. You can also arrange a time to pick up promotional supplies. CHS can provide you with flyers, signage, and collection bins. Contact the Volunteer Services Director at 860-594-4502 x.6203 to make arrangements to pick up these items.

Step Five: Advertise Your Food Drive The most important part of holding a successful food drive is getting the word out. Here are some ideas to market your collection: 4 Promote in person! If you re collecting at a local business, make arrangements with the manager to come in person to hand out flyers to their customers. CHS has special shopping list flyers that you can hand out to every customer. Post flyers in public areas. You can pick up flyers from CHS, download the flyer on the website, or you can create your own. Our flyer is available on the food pantry page of the website. Make sure to include the drop-off location and time frame for your collection. *Always ask permission to post flyers in public areas. Contact your local newspaper. They may be able to run a free story or ad about your collection drive to encourage people to donate. Use social media. Get the word out on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. Send status updates to let your friends and family know how close you are to reaching your goal. Step Six: Complete the Collection Drive Wrap-Up Form (attached) Please complete the attached form and bring it with you when you drop off your donation. The form asks for your contact information, and for a tally of the volume of food you ve collected for us. Step Seven: Drop-Off Your Donations Once you ve completed your collection, contact us to make arrangements to drop-off your donation. Contact the Volunteer Services Director at 860-594-4502 x.6203 to make arrangements for a drop-off time. Please be sure to return any bins and signs you have borrowed, along with the Collection Drive Wrap-Up Form, when you drop off your donations. Additional Considerations: Consider collecting monetary donations along with pet food. CHS can accept cash as well as checks made out to the Connecticut Humane Society. Donations will support the Connecticut Humane Society and Fox Memorial Clinic. CHS is also in need of businesses that will serve as permanent drop-off locations for food donations. Please contact us if your business is willing to have a permanent collection bin out for ongoing drop-offs. Your business will be listed on the list of drop-off locations on the pet food pantry page on the CHS website. If you would prefer to hold a fundraiser rather than a collection drive, that is fine, too! Some ideas include a car wash, bake sale, tag sale, penny drive, plant sale, etc.

Connecticut Humane Society Collection Drive Wrap-Up Form 5 * Please complete this form and return it when you drop off your donations. Please make sure to return any collection bins or signs that were loaned to you. Name of collection drive coordinator Organization Street Address City, State, Zip Phone # E-mail Date(s) of collection drive Where was the collection held? Food Collection Totals: *Please use the chart below to record the total volume of food collected. Lbs of dry Dog Food Lbs of dry Cat Food # of cans of Dog Food # of cans of Cat Food # of boxes of Dog or Cat Treats Other Items: *Please list other items collected here. Continue on the back of this form if needed. How did you hear about the need for donations? May we thank you publicly for your efforts? (ex. on the Facebook page, website, newsletter, press release, etc.) Yes No Thank you for your efforts to help pets in need!