[MacLawnCo]

Two months ago, i was approached by the private school that i maintain regarding me donating towards their raffle to raise money. I agreed and donated a free mowing within my service area. It worked out really well, and will result in a $40 lawn client within a subdivision i already work.

My question is this: i have the opportunity to do this again, but on a much larger basis. My church of 5000+ is doing a raffle, and they are looking for businesses to donate anything from services to merchandise for a silent auction. I am contomplating donating another free mowing or two, and would like to know if anyone else has done anything similar to this before. Think it has potential?? Would you do it?

 

[thartz]

I do this for my wife's silent auction at her school.I have a Nursery that donates trees and I donate the delivery and install.

 

[rkbrown]

I donate a lawn service to the annual silent auction that benefits the gym where my daughter is in gymnastics. Haven't gotten any business directly from this, but people around the gym hear my name. I also put a half page ad in their programs when a meet isheld in the gym and I keep a holder with my business cards on the receptionists desk. I have gotten a couple of one time landscaping jobs from the business cards.

 

[Grassmechanic]

I donate a 5 application fert/weed control deal for up to 5,000 sf to my kids school.

 

[ffemt1271]

1. you help the school.
2. it's tax deductible as a donation(at least it is here)
3. great advertisement

 

[Mickhippy]

I also am thinking of "Donating" a free mow to my kids school fete raffle. Problem is, the people who's kids go to that school all live on at least a couple of acres. I would have to word it like....... "1hrs Free Mowing" (about $50 or so) or I could get stuck with 150 acres of steep mountains or something which are in my area.

I still dont know if I'll do it or not. It would be for a good cause. Like to know how others feel about it. Excellent question mate!

 

[swonkeg]

I mow a hall/training center used by local Vol. Fire Dept. and every year they hold a raffle, auction, card tournament and a washer pitching tournament. This year I donated a E-Z up shade canopy to the auction (my cost $95.00 went for $210.00) and bought a sponsorship for the card and washer pitching tournament ($25.00).
This way we both benefit and I don't have to mowed a pasture or clean overgrown flower beds that only made the department $50-$60 dollars.

 

[thartz]

Mickhippy;That's exactly why I went with the tree deal.My interpretation of a $50 lawn and the potential winner's could be completely different.I thought of adding a sq.ft. disclaimer but do you really want to mow only half of somone's yard? The tree deal normally leads to bed maintenance,design work, etc.Don't get me wrong I'm not doing it to drum up business I'm doing it to help the school.I also don't want to get burned and work all day for $50.00 either.Only disclaimer about the tree is 2 people have to be able to set it in final resting spot without using power equipment(don't want to get stuck hiring a crane to lift it over a house or something like that)and can be transported by tree cart.

 

[Runner]

We do a silent auction here for a charity called Whaley Children's Home. It is for underprivileged children and is a MAJORLY well known icon of Flint. 4 times out of 5, I get more work from what I do, and it's always great to help out. They hold a big dinner for the event, also. Harry Chapin used to come here every year and his concert would always go to benefit the Whaley Children's Center.:angel:
Wow! I can't believe I just hit 3000 posts! I have GOT to get a life!:dizzy:

 

[Gravely_Man]

I have not done this but I believe that if you put a limit on the mowing area you can't help but come out on top. This gets your name out there, you are doing something good to help a school or charity and you may get a client as the end result.


Gravely_Man

 

[BRL]

My son's school had a Bingo night for the kids & parents that wanted to participate, and they solicitaed donations for prizes. So I donated a shrub plus installation. I included a coupon for installation work. The woman who won the first prize of the night chose the shrub & was thrilled (my wife was there & volunteered helping with it & thought some of the other prizes were better than a shrub LOL). She just had her driveway paved & wants to redo the landscaping around it. Only problem is when we met to plan that she found out her SUV was going to need 3 grand worth of drivetrain repairs and her husband is about to have some changes at his job, so the bigger landscaping project was postponed However we did install the shrub along with a small perrenial bed that she loved, and when her budget allows she will call me for the other work. So I say these kinds of donations are a great way to get your name out there & help a school or charity.

 

[GLAN]

I do it all..........

One thing I will not donate is a weekly service or shrub trimming, anything like that.

I will donate flats of flowers, plants, house plants, bag of fertilizer.

My old High School I have donated and planted 12 trees, Zalkovas, Honey Locust and Bradford Pear. This fall I am looking to plant several Spruces

My church when I maintained it I gave them the annual flowers planted. Shrub trimming free. I still maintain of the properties and give all the time.

Where I had posted a picture of the new Fire House that I landscaped. I couldn't list all that I gave them and or discounted. But it is HIGHLY VISIBLE and I maintain it. Get ALOT of work cause of what I did.

And the list goes on..........................

Donate $ to PAL
Sponsor 2 little league teams every year.

and more.....................


It don't hurt me in the least to be nice.

 

[GLAN]

Oh and I also do an in house Raffle once or twice a year for my customers. They get a chance of some service free or free flowers and stuff like that.

One year I raffled free weekly maintenance for a year.
Free lawn apps for a year, and so on.

The only way they are eligible for the raffle is that they have to have a 0 balance and return the raffle coupon.

It's a nice way to give back randomly.

 

[GLAN]

anyone else?

 

[gene gls]

I donated a mowing to our school raffel last fall. Still haven't been called to do the job. I didn't set any limmit as to size of lawn but I did restrick the area to the towns I work in. I did emphasize to the person picking up the paper work that they should explain that the larger the bidders lawn is the more valuable the bid should be. I was told afterward that my offer drew a lot of action.

Gene

 

[tiedeman]

I do it a lot..mostly for radio auctions

 

[Mowing Freak]

DONATE! When they announce who the winner is of the free mowing is from (your name) mowing service, what just happened?? You got your name announced to however many people that are in attendence and all you are out is just a little gas money and time, just as if a client skipped out on a payment.
You can put a disclaimer that you won't mow more than an acre, the yard needs to be clean, and grass can't be more than 6" high. Like said earlier, it is cheap advertisement and may land you a good account too.

 

[bob]

Idid one time for a silent auction. I donated one month of lawn cuts. According to my accountant, it is NOT tax deductable. You can only write off actual material used(gas). You can't write off your time as a deduction.