In last week’s blog, we discussed our partnerships with the Children’s Burn Foundation (CBF) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as the importance of finding charitable organizations whose mission aligns well with your values. discussed our partnerships with the Children’s Burn Foundation (CBF) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as the importance of finding charitable organizations whose mission aligns well with your values.
Since fire prevention is a central reason to regularly clean and maintain dryer vents, much of our community outreach focuses on educating consumers about fire safety, while supporting children who have survived a tragic fire.
However, finding a cause that means something to you is just half the battle. At Dryer Vent Wizard, we are always looking for creative ways to fundraise for the CBF, raise awareness about fire safety and partner with local communities.
Here are some ways we accomplish these goals:
Fundraising with the CBF
When many business owners think of fundraisers, they think in terms of donating a percentage of their profits to a given cause. While this can certainly be an impactful way to give back, there are a myriad of other ways to raise money or get involved – you just have to get creative.
For example, at Dryer Vent Wizard, some of our corporate team members began an annual tradition of participating in a Tough Mudder run to raise money for the CBF. Over the past two years, four members of our corporate team – Jason Kapica, Terry Reuer, Logan Standifer, and Mike Donnelly – participated in the 10-mile, 20-obstacle race on behalf of the CBF. Our corporate team set up a donation site to collect donations for their participation.
“In spite of the Tough Mudder’s formidable challenges, our Dryer Vent Wizard/CBF team had a great time participating in the race together – and for a good cause,” said Debbie Picklesimer, Director of Communications at Dryer Vent Wizard. “We try to find new ways each year to get corporate team members and franchisees alike involved.”
With our corporate team efforts, in conjunction with generous donations from franchisees and customers, we’ve been able to raise more than $108,000 over the seven years we’ve been fundraising.
Educating Communities with Local Fire Departments
In addition to fundraising for the CBF, we also continuously work with local fire departments to educate consumers and raise awareness about the dangers of dryer fires. We encourage franchise partners to attend their local fire department open houses, talk to participants about code-compliant dryer venting and provide them with different resources to promote fire safety in their homes.
“Every year, our corporate office attends one of our local fire department open houses. For the past two years, we’ve attended the Farmington Hills Fire Department Open House, which gives us an opportunity to help promote their fire safety and education programs,” Debbie said. “It’s a fantastic way for franchise partners to call attention to a good cause.”
In addition to raising awareness at local fire departments, we encourage franchise partners to nominate their local fire department for a $500 grant. We award these to local fire departments that have exceptional outreach and education programs, and since 2014, we’ve given out more than $15,500 in grants to fire departments across the country.
“Not only do the grants and fire safety education programs allow franchise partners to raise awareness among consumers, it’s also a great opportunity to get involved in their local community,” Debbie said. “That awareness and involvement really go a long way, and local residents appreciate business owners who do their part to stay involved and give back.”
This year, our team awarded grants to Shackle Island Fire Rescue in Tennessee, Whitehouse Fire Company in Ohio, New Lenox Fire Protection District in Illinois and Waterford Fire Department in Michigan. We also gave an in-kind donation to the Farmington Hills Fire Department, which included more than 300 coloring books.
Learn more about franchising opportunities with Dryer Vent Wizard by speaking with a franchise development specialist today!
