Whether you are part of a club, school, church or business that wants to organize a food drive, use this collection of ideas and tips to make the most impact possible. With the proper planning and follow through, your food drive can help those in need and let people of all ages and abilities make a difference.
Goal Setting and Getting Ready
Get the basics handled first so that everything will run smoothly once the actual food drive begins.
- Choose a Partner - Start by deciding which organization your food drive will benefit. Reach out to local nonprofits: food pantries, homeless shelters, as well as less obvious options like senior citizen or after-school centers. Start a relationship and line of communication to determine what their greatest needs are.
- Determine Food Items - Once you have a partner organization, establish exactly what types of items should be gathered. Will it be only canned food items or are frozen and fresh foods needed? Is there a need for cooking staples, such as oils and flour? Are there specific needs, such as items for infants or nursing mothers? This will affect what the drop-off sites look like, as well as how you publicize.
- Set Measurable Goals - After determining the quantitative and qualitative needs of your partner organization, set goals so that participants can easily measure how close you are to accomplishing them. Genius Tip: According to the Department of Agriculture, approximately 1.2 pounds of food equals one meal. Estimate the number of meals you plan to donate by multiplying your poundage goal by 1.2 meals.
- Delegate the Work - A successful food drive requires efficient delegation. Start with a small committee that will help plan the goals and logistics of the food drive, and then put leaders in place over different areas, such as volunteer recruitment and publicity.
- Get the Word Out - Start publicizing for the event ahead of time with fliers and social media posts. Local media outlets often welcome stories about community events. Send an email to the community desk editors of newspapers, TV stations and news sites with all of the basic information about the food drive and the kick-off event. Large businesses often are also willing to put bins in the lobbies of their buildings.
- Plan a Kick-off Event - Rally everyone to fight hunger with a kick-off event. Whether the food drive is in several locations over a period of time or one day in one spot, you can hold an event where the partner organization gets to share about its mission and purpose.
