Frequently Asked Questions: Food Drives and Events
Getting Started
My organization has decided to hold a food and/or fund drive. What is the best way get started?
Materials and Logistics
Do you provide boxes for food collection?
How big are the boxes and how many food items will they hold?
What size are the posters you provide?
Are your posters bilingual?
Can you provide containers for cash and coin donations?
Will our organization be required to pay for the boxes, posters or jugs?
Can you drop off the boxes and posters for us, and pick up the donations when the drive is complete?
Can your drivers pick up money as well as food?
Goals and Publicity
Do I have to set a goal and report it to you before we begin our drive?
I’d like to put together a poster/memo/press release to get the word out about our food drive. Are there any facts or information available about hunger or The Food Bank that I can include?
I’d like to put together a poster/memo/press release to get the word out about our food drive. Is someone at The Food Bank available to provide a quote about events/hunger in the National Capital Region?
Can I use your logo for a poster/memo/press release regarding my drive?
Financial Donations
Our organization is collecting funds, and we’d like to put it all together and make out a cheque. Who should we make the cheque payable to?
Can we donate via credit card?
Does The Food Bank accept online donations?
Can The Food Bank provide donation cards to record cash, credit card or cheque donations?
Do you provide tax receipts for financial donations?
Misc.
We’d like to do something a bit different. Do you have any creative ideas?
We’d like to encourage the participants of our drive to donate specific food items that The Food Bank needs most. Do you have a list?
I have a question about a Food Drive that is not on this list. What do I do?
Q: My organization has decided to hold a food and/or fund drive at our organization. What is the best way get started?
A: Register your food drive at our website – it helps get your drive off the ground by providing us with useful information about your organization and event. It also helps us give credit where credit is due when your drive is complete. If you’d like even more information and ideas regarding your food drive, download our Food and Fund Drive Guide. There’s even a guide tailored specifically for schools.
Q: Do you provide boxes for food collection?
A: Yes we do. See below for more details.
Q: How big are the boxes and how many food items will they hold?
A: Our boxes are 2’h x 2’w x 2’d and they hold approximately 50 food items.
Q: What size are the posters you provide?
A: Our posters are 11”w x 17”h.
Q: Are your posters bilingual?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you provide containers for cash and coin donations?
A: Yes, we happily provide 2L plastic jugs for cash and coin collection, but ask that you refrain from writing on them.
Q: Will our organization be required to pay for the boxes, posters or jugs?
A: We provide the above materials for your drive free of charge.
Q: Can you drop off the boxes and posters for us, and pick up the donations when the drive is complete?
A: While we can generally arrange for a drop off of the materials, The Food Bank is open Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 4:00pm if you are able to come by and pick them up. Also, food donations can be dropped off at any Loeb or Loblaws location in the Ottawa region, or at The Food Bank itself during the same hours mentioned above. If these options are not feasible, a pickup by one of our drivers can be arranged during our regular operating hours (above). We thank you for your consideration when maximizing our resources – your ability to pick up materials or drop off donations will significantly increase our ability to fight community hunger.
Q: Can your drivers pick up money as well as food?
A: Our drivers can pick up both food and funds and bring them to The Food Bank.
Q: Do I have to set a goal and report it to you before we begin our drive?
A: Setting a goal for your food drive is simply a way to motivate drive participants to do their best. That said, you do not have to set or report the goal of your drive to us, but it is a good idea, especially if you or your office has never taken part in a food drive before. Be sure to effectively communicate the goal to the participants of the food drive to maximize donations. However, some organizations conduct successful food drives without setting a goal beforehand. Ultimately the decision of whether or not to set a goal is in your hands!
Q: I’d like to put together a poster/memo/press release to get the word out about our food drive. Are there any facts or information available about hunger or The Food Bank that I can include?
A: Feel free to use any of the facts found on our Food Bank Facts page or in the Food Drive Guide.
Q: I’d like to put together a poster/memo/press release to get the word out about our food drive. Is someone at The Food Bank available to provide a quote about events/hunger in the National Capital Region?
A: Absolutely. Contact Chris by email or at 613-745-7001 for more information.
Q: Can I use your logo for a poster/memo/press release regarding my drive?
A: Yes, please contact Chris for a high-resolution version. Please note that our logo must be used “as-is” and not be altered in any way.
Q: Our organization is collecting funds, and we’d like to put it all together and make out a cheque. Who should we make the cheque payable to?
A: Cheques can be made out to The Food Bank.
Q: Can we donate via credit card?
A: Yes! We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. When submitting a credit card donation in writing or over the phone, please remember to include the full credit card number, the name as it appears on the card and the expiry date. Credit card donations can also be made online.
Q: Does The Food Bank accept online donations?
A: Yes! Please see our online donation page to find out about the various ways to donate. Be sure to click on the Event section to properly track your drive’s online donations.
Q: Can The Food Bank provide donation cards to record cash, credit card or cheque donations?
A: We can definitely supply donation cards. For an online version, please consult page 7 of our Food and Fund Drive Guide. We also have a printed version available. Please contact Chris by email or at 613-745-7001 to receive them for your food drive.
Q: Do you provide tax receipts for financial donations?
A: Tax receipts can be provided for individual donations of $10 or more. In order for us to issue a tax receipt, we need the full name and home address of the donor, as well as the amount donated. If a donor is making a donation of $10 or more by cheque and the cheque has their full name and address printed on it, they will automatically receive a tax receipt and there is no need to include this information separately. Tax receipts will be mailed within 3-4 weeks of receiving the donation, with the exception of online donations – tax receipts will automatically be emailed upon completion of the transaction.
Q: We’d like to do something a bit different. Do you have any creative ideas for food and/or fund drives?
A: Absolutely! Please see the “Ideas” section on page 3 of our Food and Fund Drive Guide.
Q: We’d like to encourage the participants of our drive to donate specific food items that The Food Bank has a high demand for. Do you have a list of items that you need most?
A: Please refer to our Most-Needed Items list.
Q: I have a question about a Food Drive that is not on this list. What do I do?
A: If you can’t find the answer to your question anywhere in this FAQ, on our website or in our Food and Fund Drive Guide, feel free to contact Chris by email or at 613-745-7001.
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