At the beginning of the 2022 school year, administrators at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay reached out to the Council to ask about holding an event for us with their students. Every year, students at the school hold a fundraising drive for two organizations of their choice in exchange for swapping out their uniforms for “street clothes” for two weeks. The Council was delighted to be one of the organizations selected for this event, and by the end of the drive the students had raised $1,500 for the Council.
Groups donate to the Council in a variety of ways, and all it takes for your company or organization to support our work is for someone to start the idea rolling. If you regularly give to the Council and would like to support us further, consider talking with your group on how you can work together to help.
Every organization is different, so no two groups have to raise money the same way. For example, a group of students is probably going to use a different approach than an Lions Club. Many groups already hold yearly events to raise money for favorite charities. If yours does this, you could suggest the Council be added to their list of organizations to support.
It could be that you donate a portion of money raised from your garage sale, or through a weekly game night. It can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like, but using an existing event your group already hosts works well. When your group begins planning its next fundraising event, consider suggesting the Council as the beneficiary of those funds.
Some companies already have fundraising built into their routine. For example, Sargento has a program where they will match employee donations to a variety of different organizations, including the Council. “It’s a great way for us to support our employees and to support what matters to them,” says Karen Lepisto of Sargento.
An employer match can help a small donation from a single employee make a big difference to the Council. Sargento has been giving to the Council through their employee match program for over 15 years, and in that time has contributed nearly $25,000 to help support our mission. The Council is grateful to both Notre Dame Academy and Sargento for their generosity!
The first step in having your company, group or organization give to the Council is to reach out to those in charge of coordinating fundraising events. If you aren’t sure how to start, the Fund Development Director Lori Werbeckes of the Council is happy to help get the ball rolling. You can contact Lori at LWerbeckes@WCBlind.org or 608-237-8114. Learn more about ways to give to the Council at WCBlind.org/Donate.
