How to Plan and Promote a Winter Hat and Mitten Drive

A business or organization can hold a hat and mitten drive to help people in the community without spending a lot.

The cold winter months can seem to drag on forever; especially to people without warm clothing. Having a hat and mittens in a cold climate can keep a child, or a less fortunate adult, from getting frost-bitten ears and fingers. Hat and mitten drives are often held around the holidays, but are a helpful idea throughout the winter season.

Planning a Hat and Mitten Drive

Of all the types of charitable giving an organization can choose from, a hat and mitten drive is one of the easier ones to plan. You do not have to put a big budget behind the drive, and you can really make the drive as big or as small as you like.

• Decide on a budget - Consider the cost of signs, either handmade or professionally printed, any advertising budget you want to put behind the drive, and purchasing a few hat and mitten sets to start the drive, or mitten clips. Mitten clips are a nice idea if they fit into your budget, because you can use them to display the hats and mittens during the drive and pass them along to the recipients when the drive is over.
• Find a group in need of hats and mittens - This probably will not be too hard. Places to check include schools, churches, hospitals, children's homes, nursing homes, shelters, and anywhere else people who cannot shop for themselves might congregate. Find out how many sets of hats and mittens are needed for the group; so you can figure out how much it would cost to donate that many pairs of mittens and hats if you do not get enough outside donations.
• Decide if you want to put up and decorate a mitten tree or string the donated hats and mittens around the room like garland to draw attention to the drive.
• Set up the display - Make the display colorful and inviting, with a large, eye-catching sign.

Promoting a Hat and Mitten Drive

• Put up signs - You need to have at least one sign at the donation site, but will get more donations if more people know about your hat and mitten drive. Put the signs anywhere you think interested people will see them. Anywhere you find a bulletin board is a good place to put up a notice. Churches, laundry mats, grocery stores, and campus recreation areas are just a few ideas.
• Put out press releases - Let the community know about your organization's charitable efforts and invite participation through press releases to the local television station, radio station, and newspaper; as well as any community flyers that are regularly distributed.

A hat and mitten drive is a simple and inexpensive way an organization can help individuals and families in need; if your organization wants to do something to help the community, but does not want to hold a hat and mitten drive, you will find some other business charity ideas in Five Ways a Business Can Do Good at Thanksgiving and Christmas.