| Brick fundraising is an easy way to raise money for | | | | needed to support a project of this size, and of |
| schools, hospitals, religious institutions, non-profits, | | | | those, which services might be donated? |
| government buildings, or any worthwhile project. | | | | Does someone on the school fundraising committee |
| Engraved names on brick are great as a fundraiser or | | | | know a brick mason who'll donate their time to lay |
| to appropriately honor donors. A donor wall or | | | | the brick or build the wall? What about a landscape |
| walkway will be meaningful for years to come - | | | | architect? What lighting, plants or shrubbery will |
| outliving the life of the donor. | | | | accent the structure? What fundraising information |
| Larry Cannon - brick fundraising since 1988 ( suggests | | | | will be sent - and how? Make a list of ALL the |
| that before beginning a brick fundraising project, start | | | | expected tasks, projected expenses and projected |
| with a few questions. Think it through and get good | | | | service donations. This list will enable the school to |
| answers to give the brick fundraising project the | | | | set a realistic budget. |
| direction it needs. | | | | It's now time to thing about the amount of individual |
| First, think about how much money needs to be | | | | donations - or the price of each brick. After adding |
| raised. Come into the project with an established goal. | | | | up the expected expenses, the school determines |
| This is the first, and often overlooked part of the | | | | that the expected expenses will be around $100,000. |
| project. A brick fundraising project can generate | | | | Therefore, they must raise $200,000 in order to |
| funds for years (by just adding more bricks), but | | | | offset the expected expenses of $100,000 and end |
| clear goals give a project structure. | | | | with their goal of $100,000. $200,000 / 4,000 (20% |
| Let's assume that a school wishes to raise $100,000 | | | | of the donors) bricks = $50 for each brick. Therefore |
| for landscaping and sports equipment. Their 20,000 | | | | each brick will be priced at $50.00. |
| member database consists of students, alumni, | | | | With a few simple questions, this project has |
| parents, and community leaders. A rule of thumb is | | | | determined the amount to raise, the amount to ask |
| that 20% of a database should be willing to | | | | for each brick, and determined the size of their |
| contribute. Given this formula, 4,000 (20% of 20,000) | | | | project. The school can now assess if these figures |
| will donate to participate in a brick donor wall, | | | | are reasonable. Do they want a project that size? Is |
| walkway or structure. So the school will have a | | | | that a reasonable amount to expect as a contribution |
| project with an estimated 4,000 bricks. The school | | | | from the people on their database? |
| has now determined the size of the project. | | | | Whatever the answers, these fundamental questions |
| Given this, the school needs to be thinking of the | | | | need clear, specific answers to get the project off |
| type of structure they wish. Which services will be | | | | to a good start. |