The Girls on the Run Pocono shoe drive fundraiser started with shoe bins at local small businesses, WNEP reported. As the Pennsylvania council’s own testimonial puts it, its drop-off locations did two jobs: they raised money, and they told new people about Girls on the Run.
Funds2Orgs has said it partnered with Girls on the Run Pocono for eight years and that the council’s annual shoe drive fundraisers raised more than $20,000. The council’s testimonial appears on our GOTR shoe drive fundraiser page, the program page for Girls on the Run councils.
The council behind the shoe drive fundraiser
In May 2023, St. Luke’s University Health Network described how Girls on the Run works. Small teams of girls in grades 3 to 8 meet after school twice a week for 10 weeks, led by volunteer coaches. Each team picks a community project, and the season ends with a 5K where every finisher gets a medal. More than 8,000 girls had taken part in the Pocono program by then.
On July 1, 2023, Girls on the Run Pocono merged with Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley to form one council, Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley and Pocono.
Drop-off locations that also advertised
That testimonial, from Kimberlee Zateeny of Girls on the Run Pocono, explains what the council’s drop-off locations did: “By having numerous drop-off locations throughout our chapter we not only raise money but also advertise. So many people learned about Girls on the Run from this fundraiser.”
A bin at a local business works like a small sign for your program. When you choose drop-off locations, look for businesses where the families and volunteers you’d like to reach already shop.
A collection season from summer into late fall
According to WNEP, the council ran its shoe drive fundraiser each year from summer through about Thanksgiving. The footwear WNEP listed included sneakers, snow boots, cleats, and flip-flops.
A season that long gives supporters time to clean out closets as the weather turns. Before you set your own dates and footwear list, read our shoe drive fundraiser FAQ, then ask supporters to donate gently worn, used and new shoes.
A drive-and-drop day and about 100 bags
The council didn’t rely on bins alone. At a drive-and-drop event in November 2020, supporters donated more than 300 pairs of shoes at the council’s office on Route 209 in Sciota, the Times News reported. At that point, the group had about 100 bags of shoes. In WNEP’s story, a trailer behind the council’s Hamilton Township location held just about any kind of shoe.
Pair your bins with a collection day of your own, and set them up where full bags can sit until pickup, so they don’t pile up.
Where the money went
In November 2020, the Times News reported that money from the shoe drive fundraiser went to scholarships, materials, and coach training. WNEP’s story put most of it toward scholarships and coach support, and described the coaches as volunteers the council trained.
The money and the shoes take different paths. Funds2Orgs pays by weight after we receive and process the shoes. The shoes enter a resale network in the reuse economy where micro-entrepreneurs buy and resell them in their communities worldwide to earn a living in developing nations. Our social enterprise explanation describes how that process works.
Lessons from the Girls on the Run Pocono shoe drive fundraiser
Kimberlee summed up what the yearly drive did for the council: “Thanks to our annual fundraiser we have an even larger reach in the community.”
The council’s story points to a plan for your own program: put bins at local businesses that will carry your name, run a long season with a clear end, add a drive-and-drop day, line up storage early, and tell supporters what the money pays for. Explore how Funds2Orgs shoe drive fundraisers work before you set your dates.
When you’re ready, start your shoe drive fundraiser and plan it with a Funds2Orgs fundraising coach.
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