Organize a fundraising event
Individual adults, children and youths as well as community organizations, businesses, schools and individual classrooms have found remarkable ways of raising funds for HCEF. (See Winnie's All-Stars.) Many businesses have Charity Days or Jeans Days. Others match their employees' contributions.
Some businesses have engaged their customers in the fund raising.
As part of Dr. Leah Gallucci's annual event to say "Thank you" to her patients, she encouraged them this year to benefit HCEF by donating school supplies toward the August Gear for Grades distribution.
Weston Lyon threw himself a "30th Birthday Charity Bash." In lieu of gifts, he asked guests to make donations to HCEF. A raffle – with 2 tickets for the Steelers vs. Raiders game as the prize – raised additional funds in support of HCEF's work, and Weston made a generous donation of his own – this in honor of his guests.
Local poet Leslie Anne Mcilroy created Jargonation: her Pittsburgh-based company offering grammar-themed t-shirts. She intends to donate 5% of each sale to charity and HCEF is to be a recipient. See her online store at jargonation.com. Discover what kind of "Grrrrammar Dog" you are and wear a t-shirt that proudly proclaims it!
Sean Barrett of the Spice Cafe in Oakland organized a weekly pub trivia night that included also a 50/50 raffle and was billed as a benefit for HCEF. Many participants, who were mostly college students, contributed over the several weeks of the trivia night and raised $324 for HCEF.
The Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley celebrated the mission and work of HCEF with its 2011 Children's Festival, offering a 20% discount on books for teen reads to customers who purchased and donated books such books. HCEF advisor and Pittsburgh Steeler Brett Keisel was the guest reader for a story hour.
Is there a special project you or an organization with which you are affiliated would like to organize on HCEF's behalf? We invite you to click on the sidebar button link to our Project Proposal Form or to call us at 412-562-0154. We are eager to know what you have in mind and to work with you as necessary.
- Fund raisers and projects initiated by individual children, classrooms, entire schools and youth organizations are specially recognized on our honor roll of Winnie's All-Stars: Kids Helping Kids.
Contribute as an individual
- Make a personal contribution to HCEF and invite colleagues and friends to match your gift.
- Designate a contribution through United Way Contributor's Choice #963315 and also through Community Federal Campaign #45474 .
- Donate at any time to HCEF through Pittsburgh Gives. Enter "Homeless Children's Education Fund" or simply "HCEF" in the Organization Name box, upper right on the Pittsburgh Gives home page. Take advantage of the October 3, 2012, Day of Giving (from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59:59 p.m.) when your donation to HCEF will earn matching dollars. (The Pittsburgh Gives page layout will be modified on that day.)
- Encourage the business for which you work to serve as a corporate sponsor of our annual Champions for Children Benefit.
- Participate in the Gear for Grades drive from July through the first week of August each year by purchasing ballpoint and felt pens, pencils, crayons, markers, notebooks, 3-hole notebook paper, rulers, and glue sticks and dropping them off at any Citizens Bank office. The HCEF office accepts only new LARGE sized backpacks for older kids and those only from July through the first week of August..
- Support HCEF educational programs with your donations of the full array of unused school supplies; new small toys, books and such reading program prizes as bubbles, stickers, play dough, small games, sidewalk chalk, journals/blank books, markers, toy balls, jump ropes, small Legos kits, small puzzles, playing cards, and coloring books. Port Authority bus tickets (for Zones 1 and 2) can be purchased at Giant Eagle stores or Port Authority storefront on Smithfield Street, Downtown, are also much appreciated by parents with no other means of transportation to a doctor's office, a job interview, a workplace, etc. Call us at 412-562-0154. We will want to have a brief description of what you are offering and your contact information.
- HCEF does not accept clothing, used toys, furniture, used computers, etc., but with a printed description of what you are offering, we can inform our partners and provide your contact information. [Note: The Goodwill Computer Center in Lawrenceville will take your old computers to refurbish and sell to clients for a discount. Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (Point Breeze) will accept your used arts and craft supplies as well as odds and ends that can be recycled into art. Allegheny County Project Prom welcomes dressy prom-style clothing and accessories.]
