LOLLYPOP FARM - CHARITY IN A BOX GUIDE

Developed by:

“We gratefully give back to our communities.”

Eight volunteers from a company will visit Lollypop Farm to volunteer for the day: four people from 9am-12pm and four people from 12pm-3pm.

Resources: Eight people willing to donate up to three hours of their day.

Instructions: Contact Lollypop Farm to select a day to volunteer and gauge what the volunteers might be doing. Get permission from the company’s leadership to send eight volunteers to Lollypop Farm for Volunteer Day. When eight people have volunteered coordinate who will be going in the morning and afternoon. Advise them to bring clothes appropriate for what Lollypop has planned.

Promotions: Throughout the Volunteer Day have people take pictures or videos to share with the company and Lollypop Farm to post on social media or their website. Encourage volunteers to post on social media about their day/experience.

VOLUNTEER DAY

Strong businesses rely on strong communities, so giving back to your community is one of the most important things a business can do. But where to begin? With all of the day to day demands of running a successful business, it can be difficult to find time to put together a charitable agenda.

That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at Lollypop Farm to make it easy and fun to help an organization that improves the lives of countless people and animals in our area. After conducting a month-long program of activities benefiting Lollypop Farm, we’ve taken everything we’ve learned and put it into this guide.

Inside you’ll find:

• Everything you need to organize, execute and promote some of our most successful events.

• Results of our efforts to give you a sense of what each event can raise. Please note that donation amounts will vary by the size of the participating company.

• Pictures of our events so you can see how they came to life!

While we hope that these outlines will help inspire you, we encourage you to bring your own ideas to the table as well. Remember, whether you’re giving of your money, time or other goods, there’s no wrong way to give back. Just, don’t forget to use your social media channels (facebook, youtube, twitter, etc.) to promote your activities and encourage others to join in too!

So let’s get started! And let us know how it goes!

For more information, go to Lollypop.org or contact:Jenny HatchAssociate Director of Development(585) 223-1330 x249jhatch@lollypop.org

Creating an animal “wall” is an excellent way to put a furry face to the items on Lollypop Farm’s Wish List and a fun way to promote their need for supplies. It’s also a great way to spread awareness of the animals available for adoption.

Resources Needed: • An employee to create the tags • A location to post the display • A bin or box to collect donations

Instructions: 1. Based on the number of employees at your company, determine how many tags to create. You want enough to make sure everyone who wants to participate can (and remember, some people may “adopt” multiple animals), but not so many that there is a large group that do not get adopted. 2. Create the tags: a.) Select animals from the list of adoptable animals at www.lollypop.org. Hint: be sure to include any animals that share names with people in your organization. b.) Lay out the tags with: I. Picture of selected animal II. Brief bio (Name, Age, Breed, Animal ID #, …) III. “I’ve Been Adopted” message at the bottom of the tag 3. Select several items from the Lollypop Farm Wish List, write them on a Post-It note and attach it to the bottom of each tag over the “I’ve been adopted” message. Try to balance the size and price of the items so the donation value of the tags are similar. 4. Post the tags in a highly trafficked area within your company so it is very visible to all employees. 5. Once the tag has been removed from under the photo the animal has been “adopted” and the person who took the tag will purchase those items. 6. Leave a bin or box in a central location where items that are purchased can be collected. 7. The initiative will run over the course of a month. At the culmination all items collected will be delivered to Lollypop. 8. Set an end date and let everyone know to have items in the collection bin by then. 9. Identify an employee to deliver all items to Lollypop.

Promotion: • Encourage employees to place the tags of animals they’ve adopted at their desks for visibility. • Take pictures of the pile of donated goods as it grows. • Share pictures and updates via e-mail, signage and/or social media to promote the program and encourage additional employees to adopt if they haven’t yet.

$1,278.80Estimated Amount Raised»

Seamus

LOLLYPOP FARM - “ADOPT” AN ANIMAL

Who doesn’t love a catered lunch? It’s usually more delicious that the usual PB&J you bring every day. AND the proceeds go to Lollypop Farm! Suggested donation is $5 and gets you a hot dog, can of soda, chips and a cookie!

Resources/Materials Needed: (Required) • One designated person to oversee operation, lunch day-of, take photos of event, and collect the donations • Grill and person dedicated to grilling the food • Serving platters for meat, bowls for chips (if you buy large bags), cups (if you buy bottles of soda) • Disposable plates, napkins • Hot dogs, hamburgers (and vegetarian options if desired) • Hot dog/hamburger rolls • Condiments (Ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.) • Individual-sized bags of chips or larger bags (assorted flavors) • Cans or bottles of soda (assorted flavors) • Cookies (assorted, can be store-bought or homemade) • Dining area (and accompanying tables and chairs) • Trash bags and paper towels for easy cleanup

Instructions: • Pre-Event: o Appoint an employee to lead the planning and donation collection for the event. o Select a date and time for the lunch to take place. o Announce the event to your employees and ask for responses to see how many are interested so that you can gauge how much food will need to be purchased ahead of time (and any dietary restrictions). • If possible, do a sign-up so you can get an exact food count. • Be sure to buy some extra meat and buns just in case. o Select a location in your office for the lunch, preferably someplace where large amounts of people can congregate, socialize and eat. o Assign one or two people to work the grill and be responsible for cooking the food. • Day of: o Make sure all meat is thawed adequately. o Have the grillers arrive early to begin cooking. o Assign one or two people to set up for the event. o Have a streamlined plate, napkin, bun, meat, condiment station setup for quick flow. o Make sure garbage bins are set up. o Assign someone to take photos to promote on your company’s social media platforms. And be sure to tag or tweet Lollypop Farm to provide some exposure for the cause!Promotion: • Make sure to spread the word internally using email blasts, social media, signage, etc.

$100.00Estimated Amount Raised»

Many employees have pets and often need advice on training them. Come meet Lollypop Farm’s Behavior and Training Manager, Rebecca Lohnes, and learn training techniques. Proceeds go straight to Lollypop!

Resources/Materials Needed: A large space with enough chairs for everyone to sit and room for the trainer to perform with pet (no rugs please).

Pre-Event: 1. Contact Lollypop to see if a trainer is available to come in for a presentation. 2. Let the trainer know how much time you have for the event - example: 1 hour session. 3. Select a date and time for the session. 4. If you’re unsure how many employees have pets and might like to attend the training send out a survey prior to organizing in order to gauge interest. 5. Inform employees about the event (time, place, event description and trainer’s name) and that there will be a donation (recommended $5) in order to attend the event. 6. Send out a meeting request to everyone and allow time for people to sign up. 7. Follow up with trainer prior to them coming in and confirm time, place, etc. and if they need anything specific. 8. Send out a sign up reminder to all employees. 9. Designate one person to be at the event to take photos and videos.

Day Of: 1. Set up event room by moving tables and chairs around appropriately to accommodate event attendees and your Lollypop guests. 2. Have someone at the door to collect donations. 3. Welcome your Lollypop guests and show them where they need to be. 4. Be sure to take many photos and videos to document the event and for use later.

Promotion: • Create signage for the session (flyers, posters, etc) to post around the office. • Use Social Media outlets to announce the event and share photos (with employee’s permission). Encourage all employees to do the same.

$40.00Estimated Amount Raised»

TRAINING SESSION HOT “DOG” LUNCH

Instructions (Continued) • Day of: o Have the photographer and assistant(s) arrive early and set up any equipment they have/need. o Follow the sign-up sheet schedule and have fun! o After each session, have the photographer provide the memory card just used to an assistant who can review the photos with the employee to select the one they want. • This allows the photographer to use the 2nd memory card so that the next shoot can happen at the same time. • The photographer and assistant will then swap cards after each shoot. o There are a few options for delivering the images to your employees: • Email selected images directly to the employee. • If you have a shared server drive, create a folder that employees can access and post the pictures there. • Follow-Up.

Examples of Promotion: • Email employees prior to event and send out reminders as the sign-up sheet fills up. If demand is heavy, consider expanding the time and opening up additional slots. • Encourage employees to post their portraits to their social media accounts and link to Lollypop Farm. • With employees’ permission, create an album on your company’s facebook page to share the images and promote Lollypop Farm.

PET PORTRAITS

$50.00Estimated Amount Raised»

Do you like to show people photos of your pet? Bring them in for a portrait you’ll never forget! While most will likely be cats and dogs, any well-behaved pets should be welcome.

Resources/Materials Needed: (Required) • Photographer o Ideally, try to get a professional to donate their services, but at the very least, this should be someone with good photography sense • Photographer’s assistant(s) • Digital Camera (with flash) • 2 memory cards • Lighting equipment or a well-lit room • Computer available for image viewing • Assortment of dog/cat toys • Sign-up sheet

Instructions: • Pre-Event o Select a date for the portrait sessions to take place. Suggested donation for the portrait is $5-$10. o Announce the event to your employees and ask for responses to see how many want to have portrait sessions so that you can gauge how much time it will take to get to them all. o Select a location in your office for the portraits, suitable for the traffic and noise of people and pets that will be generated. o Confirm your photographer and assistant(s). The assistant’s role is to help with the flow of traffic and make sure everything runs on schedule. o Create a signup sheet to allow employees to sign up for the portraits. We recommend you have people sign up for 10 minute sessions with a few minutes on each side to allow for setup. o Encourage employees to bring in their pet’s favorite toy or other item so that it can be used to help with photography, but also have a few others on hand in case they are needed.

PET PORTRAITS

There’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition! In this charity event for Lollypop Farm, pit members of your senior management team against one another in a coin challenge to see who will have the most money in their jar at the culmination of the event.

Object of the Competition: Employees will vote with their change to choose the member of the senior management team they would most like to see subjected to some sort of silly or mildly embarrassing situation to take place during a facility tour of Lollypop Farm. Suggestions for animal-related silly situations include kissing farm animals, rubbing a pig’s belly, etc. Talk to the folks at Lollypop for suggestions and use your creativity!

Resources/Materials Needed: • Jars or bins – one for each participating member of senior management, preferably transparent. Label the outside of each jar with the name of a senior staff member. • Internal referee to watch and report on the progress of the competition (an office coordinator or office manager will work well). • Willing members of senior management to perform the silly task—please make sure you have their permission.

Instructions: 1. Confirm which members of your senior management team are willing to participate. 2. Work with the staff at Lollypop Farm to determine a date for the facility tour and sign up employees who wish to attend. 3. Place jars or bins with senior management members’ names on them in a well trafficked area of the organization. A lobby or reception area would work best especially if there is an office coordinator or manager to act as the internal referee. 4. The rules of the competition are simple: members of the organization will throw coins and better yet, dollar bills into the jar of the senior management member they would most like to see perform the silly task during the tour of Lollypop Farm. 5. The internal referee will keep close watch on the jars or bins and report to the organization how it’s coming along—this will help entice people to participate. Senior management members are encouraged to campaign, getting employees to donate to the others’ jars. 6. Promote the competition and its progress via e-mail, signage, social media, or whichever way it will reach members of your organization the best. 7. The senior management member’s jar with the most money in it and the end of the event is the one who will get to perform the silly task for the enjoyment of those that donated to Lollypop. 8. Attend the Lollypop Tour and make sure to share pictures/video of the silly task on your social media channels.

$150.00Estimated Amount Raised»

COIN CHALLENGE/LOLLYPOP FARM TOUR

Is your company or one of your employees an expert in a certain field? Why not share that expertise for a great cause? Organize a seminar/clinic for the public and donate the proceeds to Lollypop Farm!

We’ve provided a basic outline to help you get started, but the specifics of this project will be up to you. Unlike the other events, this one really depends on the nature of your company/employees expertise.

Resources/Materials Needed: • Seminar/Clinic topic • An employee or group of employees to develop and present the seminar/clinic • Dedicated promotions team • A bin or box to collect donations

Instructions: • Sign up employees to direct the following: o Presentation development and delivery o Event planning and logistics o Promotion • Presentation development and delivery: o Determine the topic of your seminar o Prepare and rehearse presentation • Event Planning and Logisitcs: o Set the location, date and time of the event o Create an attendance goal/estimate o Coordinate with Presentation team to secure any needed equipment (projector, speakers, visual aids, etc.) o Arrange for adequate parking, seating, refreshments, etc. • Promotion: o Use your owned channels to get the word out about your event • Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, blogs, etc. • Encourage employees and friends and family to share posts • Coordinate post sharing with Lollypop Farm o Send out an invitation to any email lists you may have o You can also promote your event on using paid Facebook/Twitter posts • For example, Butler/Till ran a two week paid promotion on Facebook that delivered 188,241 impressions and 111 clicks on a budget of $100.00

Estimated Amount Raised: This will be determined by the suggested donation you assign to the event and number of attendees. For example, Butler/Till conducted a seminar on mobile advertising for local businesses that was attended by 30 people and raised $1,500.00.

EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

$1,500.00Estimated Amount Raised»