Starting a Charity Crafting Group

Scarf for Homeless

I thought I'd share what I did to start our little charity crafting group, but it is only one of many ways.

Before you even begin, you need to know what you want, and what you do not want, for this group.

I like to do things simply and easily. I also prefer a very small group. If our group ever gets to be over 6 to 8 people at any one time at a session, I think I would need to quit and let someone else take over.

I wanted small and cozy and manageable. I wanted to be able to hear everyone and therefore be able to answer their questions quickly. I wanted it close to me with next-to-no travel. And above all, I wanted it to be enjoyable and stress-free.

I also did NOT want to be a registered non-profit group. This means no one in our group would be allowed by IRS to deduct any costs, regarding their charity crafting for this group, on their tax returns. Any deductions claimed for supplies, travel or shipping, would be disallowed.

The whole idea, for me, was to be small and simple.

Little did I know how much our little group would become addicted to charity crafting and produce as much as we have produced in close to 5 years.

Back to square one. I was lucky. I'm in a senior mobile home community. I placed a notice in our monthly newsletter, saying I'd like to start the group. I knew from experience that most people in our 400+ households were not inclined to respond, but I gave it a shot. I put both my email and my land-line number in the notice, and held my breath.

I got two email replies the first week. We three then went back and forth finding the most agreeable day of the week for all, plus a time, and a time-frame. We went with Friday mornings, weekly, from 10 to Noon. I then posted the start date in the next newsletter.

Even then, I wasn't sure anyone would show up. The first two weeks, one of my email signups showed up with her sister. I already knew the other email contact was extremely busy and had explained she'd work "invisibly" at home and would bring a bag of finished projects every so often. The 4th meeting, another lady and her sister-in-law showed up. And so it began.

Of course, not everyone has easy access to both a clubhouse and a newsletter. So, here are some other ideas that my method might work for you.

If you belong to a church, a parenting group, an exercise group, or any other group which includes a large number of women, this is a starting place for recruitment. Churches have bulletins and might let you post a notice and might even let you use a room in the complex.With other groups, you can always make a flyer and hand out copies to the ladies.

If you, like me, want a small group, your own home or apartment might be just fine for meetings.

Most important, don't expect big results immediately. Plant that little seed, and watch it grow...and grow...and grow...into a bountiful, fruitful charity crafting tree.

I hope to post again, soon, about the very few records I keep and why I keep each one. I also hope to post about how our sessions run and exactly what we do each week at these gatherings.

Hopefully, some of these posts might help some of you in your own efforts and desires.