A Wish List is a great tool for giving donors, volunteers, and prospects ideas about how they can help you.
You can include literally anything on a Wish List – I’ve seen refrigerators, vans, and forklifts! I would suggest including a range of items from toilet paper and copy paper on the low end to whatever you need on the high end.
Be sure to include your Wish List in your newsletter, volunteer materials, and consider including it with Thank You letters.
Oh, and if you need volunteers for something specific, you can include that, too. “Volunteer wanted to answer the phones each Wednesday morning” or “Volunteer needed to help with golf tournament goody bags”. Just a thought!
You are so right, Wish Lists and Sign up Sheets are essential to tool for organizing events and keeping supporters informed about your needs. This great site, Give2Nework.com offers online Wish Lists and Sign Up sheets. By singing up for a free account your supporters have access to all the same information as they would if you post it on a newsletter, except they also now have the ability to click on the Sign up sheet or wishlist and tell what they are going to contribute or what hours they are willing to volunteer at a certain event. You can create as many Sign up Sheets as you need, and you by having access to that information, can stay on top of coordinating your volunteers very efficiently.
Give2Network.com also offers other free fundrasing tools for charities and non-profits, such as an online toolbar. When you or your supporters use the toolbar to search and shop online your group earns money for every click and every purchase. Many people spend time on the internet searching and shopping already, and this is great way to give back by doing the things you already are.
Great tip. Some people really like going out and shopping and donating specific items. Sort of like the angel trees at Christmas. Target, Sears and many other stores have baby/wedding/gift registries. I have seen non profits use these services and then publicize the registry in their newsletters.