Fundraising with Scrap Quilts

Most fundraisers that involve quilts are raffles or auctions. But I believe there is a better way to build a community of supporters for your organization with the power of quilting. In this episode, I explain how you can engage your supporters through the cozy medium of quilting.

You can listen to my podcast episode on this topic from January 2020 in this YouTube video:

My Fundraising Scrap Quilts

1998 – Peace and Environment Resource Center in Ottawa, Canada

Two women hold up a quilt showing a tree with leaves, apples and birds on it made from scrap fabrics — The 15th Anniversary quilt for the Peace and Environment Resource Center held up by long-time supporter Penny Sanger (left) and quilter Carla Brown (right) in February 1998

Two women help quilt a quilt for the Peace and Environment Resource Center — Nancy and Bethany sewing the Peace and Environment Resource Center 15th Anniversary quilt in February 1998

2017 – Taiko Jam Quilt for Nen Daiko

Quilt showing names and messages from supporters of Nen Daiko, 2017 – The fabric was donated by a Nen Daiko member showing Hawaiian-theme prints, her home state.

Members of Nen Daiko hold up a quilt showing the names of our supporters – I am in the front row on the far left of the photo

This quilt was originally made long and narrow so we could hold it up across the group and also because we originally thought the place where it would be displayed was wide and narrow. However, in the end we displayed it on a square wall, so I reorganized the blocks before adding a backing to the quilt.

2019-2020 – Year 16 Scholarship Quilt for Lester B. Pearson College

Quilter holds up small quilt made from hexagon-shaped blocks with messages of encouragement sewn on each block — This quilt was hand-stitched using English paper piecing techniques.

The Year 16 Scholarship Fundraising Quilt

Top 10 Tips for Fundraising with Scrap Quilts

Get all the details in the podcast but here’s the summary:

Design a quilt that will look good with 10 donations or 100.
Make your quilt from recycled fabric or scraps to communicate a culture of frugality and sound money management.
Use social media to keep the quilt popping up to your supporters and they can like other people’s blocks. This builds community, peer pressure and urgency.
Post every time you make a new block and remind people how they can support the project and be represented on the quilt as well.
Have a quilt recipient in mind who represents the organization’s mission.
Tell supporters that they can put their name, a message of encouragement or a simple embroidered image (if you are able to do embroidery).
Don’t set a specific amount that people have to donate in order to be on the quilt. Instead leave it open-ended.
If making a whole quilt seems overwhelming, recruit a team, and keep the blocks very simple.
Wait until you have made all the blocks before sewing the blocks together in a logical layout.
Add a label on the back of the quilt to document who made it, when it was made and for what purpose.

Thank you to all the people who donated to these quilts, and to these organizations for believing this would be a good way to engage our supporters.

Trashmagination