Insider Tips for Hosting a Shoe Drive!

1)    Get your community involved!

• Create a team to help you outreach in the community, host mini shoe drives, and spread the word about your campaign!

2)    Decide where to place collection boxes        

• Whether you create your own or order branded boxes from our online store, placing boxes in visible areas will help you collect more shoes!
• You can purchase a branded box here.
• Feel free to get creative and recycle a cardboard box from your community to collect shoes in.
• You can place boxes in your office, church, library, school, local business, grocery store, etc!
• Placing a trash bag in your collection box helps keep the box in good condition while making it easier for you to move the shoes when the box is full! 

3)    Utilize the resources!

• We have online marketing materials (fliers, posters, door hangers, videos, and pictures) for you to use to advertise your shoe drive!
• Call/Email your Soles4Souls representative when you have questions or run into any roadblocks! We are here to help you every step of the way!

4)    Fundraise any shoe drive related costs!

• You can use our online fundraising platform, Classy, for any of the following:
  • Shipping Costs
  • Marketing Materials
  • Travel
  • For those who didn’t bring shoes, they can contribute to your drive financially!

5)    Types of shoes to collect

• Let people know that they can donate any type of shoe in any size!
• We do prefer the condition to be new or gently used, however, we do recycle whatever we cannot utilize. 

6)    Talk about Micro-Enterprise

• Did you know: Most of the new/used shoes donated to Soles4Souls will go into our Micro-Enterprise program!
• Feel free to let people know how they are helping create jobs for individuals all over the world by cleaning out their closets!
• Spread the word using videos, pictures or stories from our site.
• You can also direct them to the Micro-Enterprise page on our website.

7)    Spread the word!       

• Let everyone know about your shoe drive by posting on social media!
• Ask others to repost your post.
• Tag Soles4Souls in your posts.

• Post reminders
  • Send out a Press Release (we have them available online!)
  • A Press Release is a great way to tell your community about your shoe drive. You can fill out our template, and return to your Soles4Souls contact, and then we distribute it out to your local media affiliates for you! 
  • This may get your more shoes or just give you/your organization more positive traction!

8)    Check and re-check your drop off/shipping location!

• Two weeks prior to the end of your drive, we recommend double-checking that the warehouse facility you’d like to drop off or ship to is still actively collecting. 
• Our warehouse/storage partners are volunteers (just like you!) who are taking the time to house shoes for us until they reach 25,000 pairs and we can pick them up! Things may come up to where they can no longer collect for us, so partners on our website may change!

9)    Offer Incentives         

• People love incentives for being philanthropic!
• Reach out to your local pizza joint and ask if they will give you a voucher to give to your top collecting participant! 
• Offer a dress down day for employees who collect more than 20 pairs of shoes.
• Create a fun competition and offer the winner a Soles4Souls shirt!

10) Take pictures

• We love to feature shoe drives on our website! We just ask for clear pictures of your friends, family, coworkers, and/or community collecting/holding shoes.
• Share your story with us!
• Did something unique happen during your drive? Was there a silly pair of shoes donated? Did someone donate a pair of shoes that really meant a lot to them? We want to hear about it! Send your story/picture to your Soles4Souls representative. 

11) Thank your participants!

• Shoe drives are hard work! Sending out a thank you card, email, or calling your participants is a great way to show them that you appreciate their donation to your drive. 

Download the list here: Insider Tips for Hosting a Shoe Drive