With the economy the way it is these days, charities have to come up with some new ways to raise the all important operating capital that is so desperately needed to function. Of all the ways and means of raising such capital, one way has been tried but somewhat laid to rest. This article is written to revive a very lucrative source of capital. Now we are not speaking about millions of dollars, but for many small non-profits, it could very well become a significant source of revenue…if applied properly. Read on for the details and give it a try.
When utilizing used and old cell phones as a way or raising resources, one must keep the following things in mind in order to be successful. Below are outlined those things which you should do to fully maximize the potential.
- When collecting cell phones look at the possible locations or resources from which you might draw these cell phones from. For example, you may utilize your church. You may utilize your scout troop parents and friends. You may utilize your neighborhood and even an entire city. You need to ask yourself, "How much money do we need to raise"? The answer to that will help you determine where to draw from.
- After you have decided on the populace from which to draw (church, scout troop parents/friends, the neighborhood or the city) you need to put together a drop point or multiple drop points. People need to know where to drop off their cell phones, but they do not need to be told. Drop points are places where the same person frequents meaning they will see the collection box and on a subsequent visit, they will donate if they choose. Good drop points are gas stations, a church, grocery stores, universities, colleges, etc. Talk to the managers of these places and arrange an agreement to place well labeled boxes for collections and to make regular pick ups. Also, request that donations include their charging device. Place a short, well written "donation instructions" on the box. Include things like include chargers, batteries, working cell phones, no stolen phones, no broken phones, etc. You may still get some however as people will inevitably use it as a way of getting rid of broken phone, stolen phones and phones with balances because they know they cannot be reactivated.
- The next thing to do is to know what you are sending in to be converted to cash. This is very important. There are two types of cell phones.
a. SIM card phones which are cell phones that require a little plastic card that is inserted inside the cell phone in order to make it operable. Such companies that use SIM technologies are the New ATT, T-Mobile, Nextel (not sprint), Cincinnati Bell, Sun Com, and Cellular One. These phones are often referred to as GSM phones. These phones are preferred because there is no interaction with the cell phone service provider to make them work. All one does is insert their SIM card and it works
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Dennis Says
