Many of us don’t give much thought to the coins that accumulate in our pockets or bottoms of our purses, in jars on our dressers or between our sofa cushions. After all, what good are a few pennies or the occasional dime?
Individually, not much—but when pooled together, spare change becomes pretty powerful, as LCIF Trustee Robert Littlefield recently proved.
Robert’s club, based in Oveido-Winter Springs, Florida, meets twice per month. In the two weeks between meetings, Robert challenged his fellow Lions to save their loose change in plastic bags he provided. At the next meeting, members were to return their bags of coins for counting.
In just two weeks, 17 lions collected a combined total of US$104.75! Not bad for spare change. Looking at their stacks of coins, the Lions set out to use that small-but-mighty wealth for the community’s advantage.
The change collected during their first exercise went to feed the hungry. Then Robert's club went on to plan five more coin-collecting challenges, dubbed “Time for Change.” They supported a new cause each month.
“Our goal is to raise over US$100 per month,” says Robert. “When this is done, we’ll have donated US$1,000 to LCIF from personal contributions of club members. This will help build the habit of giving.”
It’s easy to host your own “Time for Change” fundraiser. Here’s how:
- 1. Provide each club member a re-sealable quart-sized bag to collect loose change.
- 2. At the end of the collection period, tally the coins, then donate them to Lions Clubs International Foundation in the participants’ names.
- 3. Add an element of recognition.
Each month, the Oveido-Winter Springs club enters participants’ names in a drawing for a president’s pin. The club also recognizes anyone who averages at least US$2 per week; at that rate, the Lion would personally donate more than US$100 in a year. The club’s final honors are based on cumulative totals: gold, silver and bronze awards for those who collect a grand total of at least US$100, US$75 or US$50, respectively.
This is also a great way for club members to earn the newly minted Lions Share program pins. In its first year as the evolution of the Contributing Member program, individual, single donations of US$50, US$100, or US$200 in a year receive the respective one-star, two-star, or three-star pins. Visit lcif.org for more information. To help collect donations, download a Lions Share donation booklet for print!
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We’d love to hear how you make “Time for Change.” Share your stories with us at lcifstories@lionsclubs.org.
Visit LCIF.org/BE100 to learn how Campaign 100 will sponsor and deliver programs addressing the distinct needs of at-risk and vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the disabled, females, orphans and others disproportionately impacted by social and economic factors and requiring special services.
