Tree Planting Fundraiser: 5 Secrets to Success
Environmentally friendly fundraising has soared in popularity, as schools and groups focus on teaching students the importance of sustainability. A tree planting fundraiser a practical way children can demonstrate environmental care, while also helping raise money for your school or group.
However, a tree-planting fundraiser can be a massive challenge – especially logistically! Luckily, some companies make it simple if you need the extra manpower. But before you decide to enlist their help, discover five secrets to tree planting success!
Tree Planting Fundraisers: Tips for Success
Despite your most noble intentions, you may realize that a tree planting fundraiser is a lot of effort. But don’t give up yet – there are lots of ways you can make it simple! Whether you chose to enlist the help of an environmentally friendly fundraising organisation like Australian Fundraising, or you choose to DIY (Do It Yourself), you can host an environmentally friendly tree planting fundraiser that students never forget!
Consider these five secrets to success when deciding whether to DIY or partner up for your tree planting fundraiser.
A tree planting fundraiser needs an army of help!
1. Safety first!
Plants are living things – obviously! This means that their environment is also alive, and can present an array of risks for your students, teachers, and volunteers. From the soil to bugs, chemicals, and physical hazards (like tripping), DIY tree planting fundraisers need an extensive risk assessment. Unfortunately, DIY tree planting initiatives may be difficult to get approved by your Principal or Workplace Health and Safety Officer.
2. Have You Got The Power?
The first and most important thing you need to consider when planning your tree planting fundraiser is: Do you have the (man)power? These fundraisers often include lots of hands to make them work. For example, your volunteer team will need to include:
Your Fundraising Team
Your fundraising team will organise the heart of your fundraiser. These fundraising heroes will organise your fundraising materials, the banking, any communications and promotion with parents and teachers, and much more. Depending on the size of your school, you may need three to five volunteers for your fundraising team.
Approval and Council Liaison
Unfortunately, you can’t just plant trees anywhere! Lots of schools, councils, or private landowners have specific rules and preferences about where you can plant trees. You will need to designate someone to organise and set up the area on the day.
You need lots of volunteers when planting your trees.
Hunters and gatherers
If you are hosting a tree-planting fundraiser, you will need trees to plant! In addition, you will also need to arrange soil, shovels, water, netting, stakes, and more. Making sure you have a team of people to arrange these items and transport them is crucial to the smooth operation of your tree planting fundraiser. You may need up to 20 volunteers to make this happen, depending on the size of your group!
Volunteers
Children will need lots of support when it comes to planting their trees. You will need to organize volunteers to set up and marshal your tree planting day and assist younger students in digging their holes and safely planting their trees. We recommend having 1 or 2 volunteers for every 3-5 students.
Sounding like a lot of work already? Perhaps bringing in some extra help is the way to go. The awesome team at Carbon Neutral can help plant your trees so that you have nothing to worry about! Learn more about Carbon Neutral’s tree planting initiative today.
3. Right place, right time
Did you know? The success of most tree saplings depends on when they are planted, not just where? The success of a rejuvenated area also relies heavily on the other trees and shrubs around them. Sadly, this means that making a meaningful contribution to the regeneration of an area requires very careful planning!
It’s most important that you consult with local area experts or botanists to establish what trees and shrubs are most likely to thrive in your planting area, as well as when to plant them.
Don’t forget – some trees and shrubs will need lots of care in their first few months, meaning your fundraiser might not be done and dusted once planting is complete.
A tree planting fundraiser might not be over once you’ve planted your trees!
4. Costs can kill!
As you’ve just discovered, a tree planting fundraiser requires a lot of materials and resources. If you have ever been to Bunnings for some yard work, you’ll know that the costs very quickly add up!
Calculating the costs can be challenging upfront, yet students always want to know how much they need to fundraise to plant a tree! With so many costs involved, you may actually end up spending more than you fundraised.
5. The sky is the limit
When it comes to planting your trees, you may want to consider the maximum number of trees you are able to plant. For example, if your school raises a huge amount of money, you could be obliged to plant thousands of trees!
This is one benefit of partnering with Australian Fundraising and Carbon Neutral – the limit does not exist! The sky is the limit in the number of trees and shrubs we can plant on behalf of your school and group. Carbon Neutral has rights to protected land across Australia, and specifically in the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor.
For example, St Hilda’s School recently committed over 2,500 trees to the nature project with the Go Green Colour Explosion!
Tree Planting and a profit: Guaranteed!
You can make a guaranteed profit and still contribute to tree planting! With Australian Fundraising, you can choose one of our Go Green fundraisers. For every $15 raised, our partners at Carbon Neutral will plant one tree or shrub instead of incentive prizes. Trees are planted in carefully selected regions where they will thrive, you don’t have to worry about safety, costs, or a huge group of volunteers!
Plant a difference with Carbon Neutral!
DIY not for you?
Are you looking for a simple, meaningful, and exciting tree planting fundraiser that doesn’t drain your time and resources? Save yourself and your fundraising community the stress, and opt for a Go Green tree planting fundraiser with Australian Fundraising! Our Plant-A-Difference and Go Green Fun Run fundraisers take the hassle out of tree planting, by using Australia’s largest reforestation organisation, Carbon Neutral.
Learn more about our environmentally friendly tree planting fundraisers, and request a free information kit today!
