First announced in January, Loop recently went live. Loop is the brainchild of Tom Szaky, founder of Trenton, NJ-based recycling pioneer TerraCycle. The latter, which Szaky formed 15 years ago, works with consumer product companies, retailers and others to recycle all manner of stuff, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts. And it teams up with companies to integrate ocean plastic and other hard to recycle waste streams into their products and packaging. Loop—its parent company is TerraCycle—is different. It’s all about creating a circular system, in which containers and other receptacles are reused, rather than disposed of and then recycled. “Recycling is incredibly important,” says Szaky. “But it’s only a short-term solution. It doesn’t solve the root cause.” With that in mind, Loop partners  with retailers, as well as manufacturers, which create new packaging for products—orange juice, laundry detergent, you name it—in durable, reusable metal or glass packaging. Consumers return the containers to a store or arrange for them to be picked up at home after a certain number of uses, depending on the product. (Brands can’t participate unless their packaging can be reused at least 10 times). The 41 brands listed on the Loop web site include everything from Tropicana and Tide to Colgate, Crest and Clorox. Szaky came up with the idea in 2017 and announced the company at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. It went live in May. Such stores as Kroger and Walgreens on the East Coast and Carrefour in Paris are stocking their shelves with Loop items. Brands create the packaging and, according to Szaky, it takes about a year for them to go from design to manufacturing. Still, according to Szaky, it’s a project brands are perfectly suited to take on. “They’re set up to do this kind of thing,” he says. “When they launch new products, they go through a similar process.” Consumers, who put down a small fully refundable deposit on each purchase, return the items in a special Loop bag when it’s time. (Prices are comparable to non-Loop versions). Loop then sorts and cleans them and returns them to the right brands to refill and start the process again. Szaky says the company is now shipping “under 100 products”, but expects that number to be 300-400 by the end of the year. He’s adding four to five products a week. For now, he expects that stores will mostly approach Loop products as they might organic produce, positioning products in separate sections on shelves. More Loop programs are planned for stores in the UK, Toronto, Tokyo and California.  

Tom Szaky, president and CEO of international recycling company TerraCycle recently gave the keynote address at the 7th annual Responsible Business Summit New York. Szaky addressed how companies are increasingly looking towards sustainable innovations to change environmental, social and governmental risks into workable business opportunities.

It's official: The world has a trash problem. Landfills are filling up, recycling is becoming more expensive and less attractive to municipalities, and a lot of trash is finding its way into our parks, rivers, oceans—even our drinking water.

 

When trash is dumped in the landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and when trash is incinerated it emits carbon and toxins that cause health problems. Many regions are running out of space to store their trash, so they're shipping it to far-off locations around the country and around the world.

 

That method of trash disposal has worked relatively well for the regions dumping their trash, but it's caused problems for the people who live where the trash is received. Yes, whichever way you slice it, that ever-mounting pile of trash will keep causing problems if we don't take charge of the situation.

 

For decades, municipal ordinances and business practices have made it difficult for ordinary consumers to easily and effectively reduce the amount of waste they generate. Convenience products and tempting time-savers have flooded the market and it's understandable why they've become popular fixtures in the average American home. 

 

Unfortunately for the health of humans, animals, and plants, those convenience items come at an environmental cost. But the tides are turning: More than ever, consumers are eager to simplify their lives and explore sustainable living practices that brings health, balance, and cost-savings to their lives, while at the same time minimizing waste. And there are a number of companies making it easier than ever to live a sustainable life.

 

Scroll through to learn how several companies are helping ordinary people make healthy choices for their home, their family, and their planet.

By Caitlin Castelaz

  Time was, the zero waste movement was led solely by a fringe group of do-gooders who eschewed highly packaged big brands in favor of more sustainable (yet hard to find) alternatives. Today, as bulk foods sections arrive in mainstream grocery stores and demand for waste-free farmers markets increases, the shopping landscape has changed dramatically—and big brands have taken note. In response to the cultural shift, large brands like Unilever, Clorox, Procter and Gamble, and others have banded together to create Loop, a grocery delivery service that emulates the milkman delivery model of old: mainstream products like Pantene shampoo, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Degree deodorant, Hidden Valley ranch, and Tide laundry detergent delivered to your door in reusable, returnable containers. When you're ready for a new delivery, make your order, leave your empty containers outside your door, and await the arrival of the UPS delivery driver who will bring familiar favorites in an unfamiliar, yet delightfully innovative, new way. Visit LoopStore.com to sign up to be notified when the service launches later this year.     For those who are ready to declutter their cosmetics shelf and create less plastic waste, there's bottle-free shampoo. With a small footprint and no packaging, Lush shampoo bars offer variety and cost savings, as well as space-saving and environmental benefits. Available in several flavors like rose, lavender, citrus, and honey-toffee, each bar-soap-sized puck equals two to three bottles of liquid shampoo—up to 80 washes—and sells for as little as $10.95 per bar. Available at LushUSA.com; from $10.95.       As the market for recycled plastic shrinks, some municipality recycling programs are no longer accepting plastic. If your region still accepts plastic products, chances are it won't process­—and has never processed—plastic toothpaste tubes. Toothpaste tubes are often made out of multiple types of plastic, and coated with remnants of toothpaste, making them difficult to recycle. To eliminate these awkward plastic items from the waste stream, some zero waste advocates make their own dental cleaning solution from baking soda and coconut oil. If the thought of slathering baking soda on your chompers sounds extreme, there's another low-waste alternative: Bite. This up-and-coming brand creates small toothpaste bits—about the size of a tablet of gum—packaged in glass jars. Crunch down on the toothpaste to release the cleaning lather, and brush as normal. Sign up for a subscription, and Bite will deliver another batch to your door, packaged in a compostable bag, whenever you need it. Available at BiteToothpasteBits.com; from $12.       Another bit of plastic that municipal recycling programs won't accept? Plastic cling wrap. If you want to keep this trash out of the landfill, you can ditch food wraps altogether and opt for reusable food storage containers. However, if you aren't ready to say goodbye to the convenience of wrapping leftover produce, marinating meats, or tomorrow's lunch, there's a sustainable solution in Bee's Wrap. This company offers reusable food wraps made of cotton cloth coated in beeswax to create a pliable, bendable, wrappable material that can cover sandwiches, snacks, leftovers, bread, and more. After use, the wrap can be wiped clean, then used again and again. When it finally loses its sticking power, it can be kept out of the landfill and sent to the compost heap. Available at BeesWrap.com; from $6.                                                 They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and for TerraCycle that expression couldn't be more true. This company recycles all manner of waste types that municipal recycling programs won't accept. Water filters, batteries, pens and markers, broken action figures, cereal bags, cassette tapes, worn plastic lawn furniture, pet bowls, electronic waste, shoes, stuffed animals, flip flops, insulin needles, and much more—all of it can be salvaged, sterilized, and recycled by TerraCycle, funded by like-minded companies. Visit TerraCycle.com to learn about their full range of recycling programs.  

Flip and Tumble

      Give Flip and Tumble's produce bags a chance and you won't go back to using the plastic produce bags available in grocery stores. While plastic bags are prone to ripping, cause food to spoil when transferred to the fridge, and clog your kitchen junk drawer—sturdy, washable and breathable Flip and Tumble bags endure for years and countless uses. Not only do they make life just a little easier, but they're gentle on the environment by eliminating plastic from the waste stream. Available on Amazon; $12 for a set of five bags.       When you think about it, selling soap in packaging doesn't make a ton of sense. After all, if there's any product that doesn't need the sterile protection offered by packaging, it's an item designed to deliver germ-busting cleaning power. Bring a couple bars of Good soap home from the store and rinse before washing your hands to remove any dust that gathered in transit. These bars, available in several scents, last longer than a standard-size bottle of liquid soap and deliver the same cleaning ability. Available at Whole Foods.  

Seventh Generation

      Yes, we're going there! If the entire purpose of a product is to become trash, why should it be made of new materials? Seventh Generation believes that anything that's destined for the trash should be made of recycled materials, thereby reducing waste. That's why all of their paper products like bath tissue, facial tissue, and paper towels are made of 100% recycled paper. Consumers who strive for a plastic-free life will love the varieties of bath tissue that are wrapped in paper packaging instead of the traditional plastic. Visit SeventhGeneration.com to find retailers near you.       Want to dip your toe into the zero waste lifestyle? Look no further than Whole Foods. Say what you want about this health food giant, but the Amazon-owned brand is taking initiative to make healthy eating more affordable and accessible. For waste-free options, head straight to the bulk section to load up on grains, pasta, legumes, dried fruits and nuts, candy, and more. Many stores offer bulk peanut butter, freshly ground coffee, bulk olives and salad bar, on-tap kombucha and freshly squeezed juice. Offerings differ by location. Bring your own bag or jar to capture these fresh ingredients, and be sure to use the on-site scales to record the weight of your container before you fill it. Write this weight (known as the tare) on the jar to let cashiers know how much weight to deduct from your bulk purchase. Visit WholeFoods.com to find a location near you.    

Dr. Bronner's

      America's favorite Castile soap has long been a staple in the hygiene section at health food stores, many of which sell the soap in bulk. Buy a plastic bottle of the stuff once, then return to the store to refill your bottle—or bring your own jar from the start. Visit drbronner.com for store locations.       Ziplock bags generate a lot of plastic waste in homes across the country. Whether you use them to pack lunches, store freezer meals, or marinate dinners, chances are you use them once, then toss them in the bin (most municipalities won't recycle the bags). If you're stuck on these sealable bags, there are several reusable options on the market—including those produced by Full Circle. Available in several sizes, these leak-proof, BPA-free reusable plastic bags can be labeled with a dry erase marker, then wiped clean, and placed in a dishwasher for easy cleaning. Available on Amazon; $13.49 for a set of four bags.       With the rise in minimalist mindsets and environmentally conscious lifestyles, there's been a growth in zero-waste and lower waste grocery stores and outdoor markets. Do some exploring in your hometown to see what options are available to you. To help you on your journey, Zero Waste Home, a free web-based app, provides a directory of grocery stores, markets, and pet stores with bulk foods and zero-waste hygiene products. So go ahead and log on—and happy exploring! Available at Zero Waste Home; free.

TerraCycle

Loop

 

 

Make your recycling efforts go further – and make a difference for our planet – with our easy tips. A lot of us already set aside plastic milk jugs, glass bottles and old newspapers for the recycling bin. But with Earth Day approaching, it doesn’t hurt to ask: Could we all be doing more? A lot of times, our good intentions to help the planet are thwarted by recycling incorrectly or simply not knowing what can be recycled. If you’re looking to pitch in more – or even to just get started! – check out our easy-to-follow tips. Start at the Supermarket Assess your shopping habits and think about the items you buy that produce the most waste. Look at foods packaged in unnecessary plastic wrap or products in needlessly excessive packaging. Be more mindful and decide if there’s an eco-friendlier way to purchase what you need. For example, you can buy loose fruit and vegetables instead of pre-packaged ones. If you’re stumped about how to recycle certain essential items like empty detergent containers or used air fresheners, check out TerraCycle, an innovative recycling company that specializes in recycling hard-to-recycle waste and offers a number of programs and initiatives to make the process easier. For instance, Tide laundry detergent bottles and caps and Febreze FABRIC, ONE, PLUG and CAR products are all fully recyclable through TerraCycle drop-off locations around the country, and they also offer an at-home recycling program for these products. Know How to Recycle Plastic Bags Shoppers worldwide use 500 billion single-use plastic bags each year, which often become part of the estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris floating in our oceans today. Because they take so long to break down, they repeatedly contribute to the more than 100,000 marine creatures that die each year after getting tangled in plastic. You might already know the impact that discarded plastic bags have on the environment, but did you know that they usually can’t be processed by regular recycling plants? Instead, separate plastic bags from the rest of your recycling and drop them off at a special plastic bag collection point – most grocery stores have them. Make Your Morning Coffee Offer(s) you can use near  10001 New York, NY (Change) You’re probably conscious of everyday recycling at home, but sometimes that mindset gets pushed aside when you’re out and about. Most disposable coffee cups, for example, are lined with polyethylene, which makes them nonrecyclable. It is estimated that every minute more than 1 million disposable cups are tossed in the trash. Invest in a reusable coffee cup instead, and use a drop of Dawn dish soap to wash it after every use so it’s ready whenever you need it. Repair, Share and Reuse Sweden is leading the way in recycling – it has sent only 1 percent of its waste to landfill since 2011. Much of their success comes from the Swedish ethos of miljönär-vänlig – a play on the Swedish words for environment and millionaire that suggests people can save cash as well as the environment by making, borrowing and recycling. Internalize this idea and repair any damaged clothes, or have a dress swap party with your friends so your unwanted garments can find a new wearer. You can also extend the life of your clothing by washing it with Downy fabric conditioner, which helps prevent pilling, stretching and fading in fabrics. And think of crafty ways to use items you’d otherwise toss: Jam jars can be turned into candle holders, and old tights can be used to store onions. Wash and Squash By cleaning your recycling before it goes in the bin, you reduce contamination and improve recycling efficiency. First, scrape off or remove any food leftovers or liquid. Then add a drop of Dawn dish soap and a small amount of water to containers and jugs, and swish vigorously for a few seconds before rinsing. Crush metal cans and squash plastic bottles to squeeze out any excess air, and flatten cardboard boxes. Think Beyond Paper, Tin and Glass Before throwing out an item, consider whether it can be recycled. Mattresses are full of valuable materials and can be dropped off at your local recycling center, along with many small electrical appliances. Look for battery recycling boxes in your area, and ask your local optician’s office about recycling old reading glasses. Wrapping paper can be recycled as long as you remove the sticky tape and it doesn’t have foil or glitter on it. Unfortunately, broken drinking glasses can’t be processed with your empty jars because the glass melts at a different temperature, and mixing in broken glass with recyclable glass can cause the whole container to be rejected. Instead, check with your local recycling center if you’re unsure. Are you a recycling superhero saving the planet one recycled item at a time? Let us know your best recycling tip in the comments section below!  

© Loop (used with permission) If the Loop pilot project succeeds, store shelves could soon look a lot different than they do now. Something major happened last week. On Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, 25 of the world's biggest brands announced that they will soon offer products in refillable, reusable containers. Items such as Tropicana orange juice, Axe and Dove deodorants, Tide laundry detergent, Quaker cereal, and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, among others, will be available in glass or stainless steel containers, instead of single-use disposable packaging.   The project is called Loop and it is the result of a partnership between these brands and TerraCycle, a waste management company that first pitched the idea to these brands a year ago at Davos. Brands who liked it, or saw the wisdom in sprucing up their environmental credibility, pay to be part of the project and commit to designing reusable packaging. Loop will start as a pilot project, launching in May 2019 for 5,000 shoppers in New York and Paris who sign up for it in advance. It will expand to London at the end of the year and spread to Toronto, Tokyo, and San Francisco in 2020. If it is successful, more partners could join Loop and products would eventually become available on store shelves. © Loop (used with permission) It works similarly to Amazon in that customers use a retail website to order goods; they must also put up a fully refundable deposit for the reusable packaging. The items are delivered to their doorstep in a reusable tote – a modern take on the old-fashioned milkman. Once the products are used up, the empty containers are returned to the tote and collected by a UPS driver. They do not need to be cleaned and, even if the containers are banged up, the deposit is issued in full. Customers only lose money if they fail to make a return. From CNN's report on Loop, "[TerraCycle CEO] Tom Szaky acknowledged that it’s a lot to ask people to use yet another retail website. He hopes that Loop will eventually be integrated into existing online shops, including Amazon. 'We’re not trying to harm or cannibalize retailers,' Szaky said. 'We’re trying to offer a plug-in that could make them better.'" © Loop (used with permission) This is an incredible step forward. These brands have enormous reach and influence in the consumer sphere, which puts them in a uniquely powerful position to effect real change. They are not perfect, of course. In the followup to the Loop announcement there has been some criticism about their less-than-perfect track records on other environmental issues, such as palm oil and animal testing, but I think that's beside the point. It is impossible to tackle everything at the same time. Plastic pollution is one thing that has captured the public interest of late and it poses a potential PR crisis for these brands if they don't act quickly. We should celebrate the steps that they are taking, which are more progressive than anything else I've seen so far. © Loop (used with permission) – Even Pampers diapers can be purchased in a refillable container, which TerraCycle says eliminates the need for a Diaper Genie. They'll even deal with the waste inside. Loop's future will depend on how the trial goes, but it looks promising. In the words of Bridget Croke, leader of external affairs for Closed Loop Partners, a group that invests in recycling technologies and sustainable consumer goods (and is unconnected to Loop), "If there's ever a time that these new models can succeed, it's now." Meanwhile, the recycling industry is broken, a "failing industry," and people are asking for reusable packaging. The interest is real. From CNN: "Small dairies throughout the country are already reviving the milkman by offering delivery services... Refillable beer growlers are staging a comeback, with Whole Foods and Kroger offering in-store beer taps. Startups are trying to help people refill reusable soap containers at home, and millions of consumers are already refilling SodaStream bottles in their kitchens." I think we're catching a glimpse of a future that looks more hopeful and exciting than it has in a long time. Visit Loop for more information.

The company TerraCycle, for example, has devised ways of collecting waste like ocean plastics, cigarette butts, chewing gum and even dirty diapers, and then processing it so it can have a new life.

If you’re a part of a student group at your school, you may have to fundraise for your organization. But how do you go about raising the money? Asking people for donations can be totally intimidating and awkward. Luckily, there are plenty of creative ways to raise the funds you need sans begging, and Her Campus has listed seven of the best. Hello, major cash!

1. Organize a food sale

There are many things you can sell besides the standard cake and cookies! For instance, you may have seen student groups selling bubble tea, tacos or cupcakes around campus. Cherisse Liptzin, a senior at UCLA, is a member of Gamma Rho Lambda. Every year on Valentine’s Day, her organization puts on an unusual fundraiser: a vagina-shaped chocolate lollipop sale. Cherisse explains that these lollipops make a statement against the taboo around sex. “The money that we raise in this fundraiser goes back to our sorority and will go toward putting on future events on campus,” she says. Like Cherisse, use your creativity to decide what to sell—the sky is the limit! If you’re not feeling that adventurous, it’s okay to go traditional! Malavika Chugh, a sophomore at UCLA, has helped with multiple bake sales, and recently sold funfetti cupcakes, chocolate brownies, cinnamon rolls and pumpkin bread for the Partner's in Health FACE AIDS program, an organization that fundraises for HIV services in Rwanda. “The way we do this fundraiser is donation-based,” she says. “So people typically end up paying $1 to $2 for each item, and some generous students even give around $5.” At their last bake sale, Face AIDS at UCLA made a profit of $150 in just four hours! Not only are bake sales always popular, but they can be super fun, too. Browse Pinterest and Her Campus for amazing recipes and get cooking!

2. Sell your used clothes

The members of your organization probably have plenty of clothes sitting untouched in the back of their closets. Thankfully, there are countless ways to sell your used clothing, and your fundraiser is the perfect occasion to do a little spring cleaning. Get everyone to gather their old clothes and choose the selling method that works best for you.

Sell them online

Many websites make it surprisingly easy to sell your clothes in bulk. thredUP and Twice are great sites for selling your clothing. Send the clothes your club has gathered to the company of your choice and let them do the work for you! Unfortunately, these sites sometimes only accept high-end brands, but if you and your friends have some of these items to sell, then this is the method for you!

Sell them to a store

Once you’ve gathered a good amount of clothes, do a Google search for thrift shops that buy clothes in your area. For instance, Clothes Mentor has stores in many states. These stores will most likely not accept everything you bring, but you could still make a decent amount of money. Branded items as well as seasonal, unique and trendy pieces are usually preferred.

Host a “garage sale” on campus

Alternatively, you could make an event out of selling your old clothes. Pick a date and make sure to get the appropriate permission from campus officials. Then, set up shop on campus or at your sorority house. Display the clothes you’re selling on racks, put up signs reading “charity clothing sale” and practice your business skills with customers (FYI, this is perfect for you marketing majors)!

3. Go canning

A fun and efficient way to raise funds is by “canning, or standing outside busy stores with cans for money,” says Connie Chan, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University. Connie has used this method when fundraising for breast cancer research with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi. Not only is canning super easy to set up, but you can “make hundreds in a matter of hours,” Connie says. All you need are some group members, an empty can for each person and some colorful posters to describe your cause. Stand outside pharmacies and grocery stores, but be sure to get permission from the stores beforehand. “Yell out slogans to nobody in particular to make it less awkward,” Connie suggests. Otherwise, you can talk to people who walk by and ask them if they’d be interested in donating to your cause. Make sure to give them some background information so they know where their money is going. Then, “when people donate, we sometimes do a cute little chant, which usually makes them laugh,” Connie adds. If you feel up to it, think of some fun chants with the members of your organization, and have the most outgoing member sing them to generous donators! You’ll be rolling in dough by the end of the day.

Related: The 7 Best Ways to Fundraise for Your Sorority

4. Recycle

Are you an avid recycler? If so, this fundraising method is the one for you—otherwise, this could be your incentive to start saving the planet! There is more to recycling than just separating your waste into different bins. In fact, you can actually make money from recycling! This can add up quickly if you get your friends and other members of your organization to help you collect the following recyclables:

Ink cartridges

Recycle Place collects ink cartridges (both ink-jet and laser) and pays you up to $4.50 for each. Once you register your organization online, the company helps you with the collecting process by providing you with brochures and guidelines. Once you have collected at least eight to 10 laser or 30 inkjet cartridges, you send them to the company, which will later send money to your group or organization.

Soda cans and bottles

In some states, you can sell your empty aluminum cans and plastic bottles for five to 15 cents each. Search online for recycling centers near you, and make sure to check their individual websites for exact guidelines.

Cosmetics, snack bags, Solo cups and more

Ashley Offenback, a senior and a member of an honors club at Penn State Berks, fundraises for her club through TerraCycle. This website lets you send your waste through different programs, one for each type of recyclables. Some programs are run by specific brands, calling for recyclables such as Tide laundry bottles and plastic Solo cups. Once you’ve collected a certain amount of waste (there is a minimum weight requirement), you register for a free TerraCycle account and download a shipping label. Then, you place your waste in a box and send it to the company free of charge. When they receive your recyclables, you are awarded TerraCycle points, which can be redeemed for a donation to your organization. You will receive $0.02 for each piece of waste, which can really add up if you make a collective effort to assemble items to send the company. You can also set up a Facebook event explaining why you’re collecting specific products and place collection bins for them in different areas around campus. Make sure to get permission from your school first, though!

5. Organize a restaurant fundraiser

Lucy Conroy, a junior at Loyola Marymount University and a sister of Delta Gamma, always seeks help from local eateries such as Pinkberry when fundraising for her sorority’s annual philanthropy, a synchronized swimming event. “Most places, if you ask them, are willing to… give some of the profits to your organization for people who come in and say a secret word or show a flyer saying they support your organization,” Lucy says. “It's great PR for the company because it attracts customers if they know that some of their money will be donated to an organization or if there is a small discount.” Which restaurants should you reach out to? This depends on the management of restaurants in your area, which you should definitely look into! “We used Yogolicious, which is a chain, but I know other student organizations who have used local restaurants and had luck with them as well,” Lucy says. Try multiple restaurants, especially ones you know have hosted fundraisers in the past, and one of them is bound to help you. Be sure to look professional and ask to speak to a manager. Explain your cause and watch the money roll in!

6. Use crowdfunding sites

Crowdfunding websites are typically used to raise funds for business start-ups, however, some websites, such as GoFundMe, allow you to start fundraisers for all sorts of reasons, including weddings and travel! All you need to do is set up a personal donation account for your group and share the link with your friends and family. You can also create a Facebook event to solicit donations and explain your cause.

7. Market your skills and talents

Offer to clean people's rooms, take out their trash or tutor them for a small fee. Use your imagination! Devyani Rana, a sophomore at UCLA, is participating in her school’s annual Dance Marathon, which raises money to fight pediatric AIDS. In order to reach the minimum requirement of $250, Devyani decided to sell her photography, graphic design and web design skills. “The idea came to me when a friend of mine jokingly said that my designs are good enough to get paid for,” Devyani says. “I do work with different organizations on campus, which requires me to design extensively, and having substantial experience with all three aspects just makes it easier.” She has “already designed a logo for a student organization on campus and helped design a term scheduling chart for another group.” Is there something you and other members of your organization are particularly good at? There are probably many people out there willing to pay for your talents! Use your best judgment to fix a price, or ask your friends how much they would be willing to pay for what you are offering. Devyani is charging $20 per hour of photography, and $20 per graphic design. She left the fee for web design negotiable. Like Devyani, you can set up a Facebook event to get the word out. Add a description of what exactly you can offer and your asking price, then let word of mouth do its magic. “Recently, I did headshots for somebody who heard about my fundraising efforts through a friend of mine,” Devyani says. “My friends did go out of their way to show support, so sometimes they would ask me to do a fun photo shoot just so they could donate to my fundraiser.” If you use one or more of these methods, you’ll find that fundraising for your organization is not as scary as it seems. In fact, people are usually much more willing to help than you know, especially if their donations are going toward the support of a good cause. As long as all of the members of your club are committed, you’ll not only easily reach your fundraising goal, but you’ll also have fun doing it. Now get out there and make some money!