Dear SWCS Families:

The Auction Team is working hard every day to bring in quirky, fabulous items for bidding at the Go Green Gala on February 28, 2015. All that is asked of each SW Charter family is for ‘one item and one bottle of wine’.

One Donated Auction Item per family —  Here are 3 ways to go about it:

• Email the .pdfs of the New Donor Letter to your favorite restaurant/neighborhood business with a personalized note such as:  “I am a regular customer and a big fan of your business.  I hope you will consider donating a gift certificate to our kids’ public school auction on February 28 the GO GREEN GALA.  I’d be happy to pick up any donation.   Thank you for your consideration.”  Super Easy! No cold calling!
• Drop off a request letter and donation form the next time you’re in.  Letters and forms are in envelopes throughout the SWCS hallways or you can print off the attached .pdfs.  Be sure to write a personal note (see above) and leave your contact info in the corner.
• Request donations on your Facebook page and attach the documents.   You will get responses!

More details:

• Don’t delay.  Before Thanksgiving is the slow season for donation requests.  Businesses are flooded come January.
• Follow up.  Once you’ve made contact once, sometimes they just need one more reminder.
• Restaurant certificates are hot in Portland.  Therefore, even a $10 gift certificate will sell right off.
• If you know someone who has a second home, please ask them for donation of a stay.  Donors can ask the top bidders for a cleaning fee in the item description and they are not beholden to donate year after year if they don’t want to.
• We can make a gift certificate for your donation.  Just turn in the donation form.  Easy.
• Your item can be placed in the Donation Box by Kathy’s desk.  Be sure to turn it in with a completed Donation Form.

The Bottle of Wine (collections begin in January):
Each year, we sell off a WALL of WINE.  We try to collect a bottle of wine (worth $15 and up) from each family, and sell them as Mystery Bottles on auction night.  It’s a blast! Starting in mid-January, we will be collecting bottles on each Thursday of the week.  Easy!

The GO GREEN GALA promises to be a great fundraising success and community event for our school if we all take part.  Thank you for your participation!
The Auction Team