Coordinator's Tips

This section contains ideas, strategies, and suggestions, as well as downloadable forms to aid you in conducting a successful and rewarding Basket Brigade.

The Power of Flexibility

Be flexible
Each person can have more than one assignment. One way is to have all of the volunteers bring all the ingredients for one or two baskets in addition to a dish for the post-delivery party to a central location on the day of your Basket Brigade. Everyone can wrap the baskets together and deliver them in small teams and then reconvene to celebrate a job well done.

Lack of resources?
If your group lacks some resources, it's O.K. to join forces with another charitable organization that provides food distribution. Even if you are alone in Alaska , you can still conduct a Basket Brigade by sending a lonely person a basket of food, however much or little, along with Thanksgiving greetings. Use your imagination! The Basket Brigade is about giving. Give in whatever way you can, as much as you can.

The Gift of Possibility: An Invitation to Contribute

Securing Resources
To conduct a large Basket Brigade, you may seek to enroll others in your community. Request their commitment to participate in some specific way. There are many organizations in your community that actively seek opportunities for involvement. Examples include local banks, insurance companies, office parks, local cable companies, local newspapers, and the like.

The Anthony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and extends an invitation for all to contribute. Extend this invitation to friends and your community.

Examples of resources you may be seeking include:

• Prepared Basket Pledges
• Volunteers
• Food
• Containers & Decorations
• Gifts
• Toiletries / necessities / clothing / blankets
• Assembly hall for basket decoration and post-delivery celebration

Suggestions for securing contributions of food:

• Contact local food banks. Very often they have an abundance of food, but lack the people to deliver to the needy!
• Contact nearby poultry farms and orchards. They may be willing to donate turkeys, fruits, or vegetables.

Suggestions for securing non-food items:

• Hotels may be willing to provide used terry-cloth robes, towels, blankets and toiletry samples.
• Drug stores, pharmaceutical companies and medical/dental clinics may be willing to donate hygiene samples.
• Toy manufacturers and retailers may be willing to donate toys and games.
• Bookstores and publishers may be willing to donate books.

Suggestions for getting space donated:

• Local hotels, churches, synagogues, gyms and community halls may be willing to donate use of a conference or large meeting room for the gift basket preparation and post-delivery party.

Suggestions for recruiting volunteers:

Volunteerism is infectious -- let people know what you're doing and that it is important to make a difference in the level of caring within our society. Very often, this will unleash within them a like desire to do the same!

• High school students who are pursuing community service hours.
• College fraternities, sororities, and campus residence halls are eager to get involved in social service, community-action activities.
• Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and sports teams also make great Basket Brigade helpers.
• Let your local police and fire departments know what you are doing. Good neighborhood relations are important to them.
• Most newspapers have a once-a-week volunteer opportunity section. Place an ad for Basket Brigade helpers. These ads are free!

TIPS FOR ASKING FOR ANYTHING!

WHY PEOPLE GIVE
Contribution is one of the six human needs. This is our basic philosophy. People contribute for many reasons:

• Significance
• Belief in the mission of the Foundation
• Personal connection to the cause
• Peer pressure
• To improve the community
• Concern for others
• Give back to those in need

The most compelling reason that a person gives is because SOMEONE ASKED!!! People give to people, not just to causes. If you are courteous and genuinely earnest, people will be impressed. It is hard to turn down a sincere request.

The Power of Rapport

Commit to the Foundation. The mission is bigger than the organization: To provide critical resources of caring, education, inspiration, and belief for those forgotten by society - the homeless, the hungry, our children, the prison population, the disabled community and the elderly.

As a volunteer, you are the expert about The Anthony Robbins Foundation. Make a commitment to know The Foundation's programs. Read organizational materials, and ask questions. Focus on the 3 or 4 things that impress you the most.

Answer this question: Why do you support this organization?

Perhaps it is your strong belief in the organization's mission statement, your belief in quality programs and service: Basket Brigade, Prison Programs, Youth Leadership Programs, or your commitment to concepts of community and charity. What is your personal connection to the cause?

Commit to the project. What do you personally pledge to do? Ideally all Basket Brigade participants will donate, prepare and deliver baskets personally. You may even let your contacts know what you are contributing this year. It is so much easier to look someone squarely in the eye and persuade him or her to do what you have already done; it signifies your level of confidence in the cause. BE AN EXAMPLE.

ACT! Make the appointment. Contact someone who can make a decision and contribute to your cause. Indicate that you are a volunteer for your organization and would like to take only a few minutes to discuss the organization's programs. Scheduling an appointment usually takes enthusiasm - and courage, patience and persistence.

Put yourself in a PEAK STATE and have a clear outcome.

Introduce yourself (if appropriate). Don't know what to say? SMILE! Be yourself and come from your heart. Thank the person for making time to meet with you. Identify yourself as a volunteer Basket Brigadier with a strong personal belief in the Foundation and your community. Speak with courage and conviction. Be earnest and sincere. You are asking nothing for yourself. You are rendering a great public service. Generally a good prospect is someone you are close to; they like and respect you. You have an important idea to present, and you should be absolutely straightforward in doing so. Be confident and remember this is a win-win situation!

Create Rapport! Encourage a two-way conversation by asking questions and exercising your active listening skills. Ask the prospect about his or her philanthropic activities.

LISTEN carefully. Determine your prospect's area of interest and / or possible reason for wanting to give. If your prospect doesn't state a clear preference, keep asking questions about what interests him or her the most. Appeal to the person as a business or civic leader. Remember, he / she has a stake in the community.

State the case for needed support this year while emphasizing prospect's interests:

• Enlist volunteers for crucial services for children/families/homeless
• Raise community awareness
• Provide an outlet for a coalition of volunteers to network & contribute

Advertising opportunities

It is possible to negotiate advertising opportunities with any corporation or group that you may approach. Most appreciate having visibility within their community, the Foundation and in any publications.

Ask for volunteers on behalf of The Anthony Robbins Foundation and your local Basket Brigade.

If the answer is yes - CONGRATULATIONS!! Get a written commitment of their pledge.

THANK THE PERSON AGAIN!

Give your sincere thanks for the person's time and consideration. Thank the person on behalf of all the people who will be helped in the year ahead by your organization combining with his/her volunteers.

PLEASE REPORT YOUR FANTASTIC RESULTS & EXPERIENCES TO THE FOUNDATION

We encourage and request that each group participating in the Basket Brigade shares their successes with us. Please provide us with the number of people who participated, the names of committee chairpersons, sponsors, the number of baskets delivered, a report on the post-delivery party and the special stories that particularly sparked your group. Let Tony know what you are up to! Fill out a Basket Brigade Results Form.

Make sure you get plenty of pictures of your basket assembly party and your post-delivery party. We'd like to utilize your stories to encourage others to join us, too. Send photos to the Foundation (identify your participants) for future publications!

YOU are the voice of The Anthony Robbins Foundation.
Build beautiful and bountiful baskets.
Feed many people.
Work hard, then CELEBRATE!!!
We are so proud of YOU!

In 1991, Anthony Robbins founded The Anthony Robbins Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing the finest resources to inspire, educate, develop, nurture, and train underserved populations and people often forgotten by society, including needy children and families.