EDITORIAL: 5 Easy Ways to Help Grow PSGCNJ!

By Frances Chaves
If PSGCNJ has helped you, consider helping PSGCNJ. Now that PSGCNJ is independent from the Department of Labor, we have expenses that we didn’t have before, including insurance, printing, copying, and more. In order to keep PSGCNJ membership and meetings free, we are going to have to raise funds in the form of donations and sponsorships.
Here are some ways you can help PSGCNJ:
1)      Church Community Support Grants
PSGCNJ member Joseph Barnes secured two grants totaling $500 for PSGCNJ from his church, the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. If you want to approach your own parish or community church, contact the church’s office and ask them what kind of community support programs they offer. Then, either apply for the funding yourself or PSGCNJ’s Marketing and Events Committee can provide you with brochures and help with any application that may be required.
2)      Matching Gift Programs
For our working members and retired members, many companies will match your gift to a tax-exempt organization, donating an equal or sometimes larger amount than your gift. PSGCNJ will shortly have its certification as a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization, qualifying it to receive such matching gifts and for you to deduct any gifts you make to PSGCNJ from your taxes.
To find out if your company has a matching gift program, check the company’s website under “community programs” or “corporate philanthropy.” Or follow this link for a list of companies with matching gift programs: http://www.mowsf.org/documents/matchinggiftcompanies.pdf. Again, the Marketing Committee is happy to help you with any applications.
3)      Purchase an Entertainment Book
Follow this link—or send it to your friends and family—to purchase an Entertainment coupon book: http://psgcnj.org/entertainmentbook.html. PSGCNJ will receive 45 percent of the cost of the book. Buying a book means you’re contributing $13.50 to help PSGCNJ survive and thrive. Coupons providing hundreds of dollars’ worth of savings are available in 145 different editions to choose from. . The deadline to order your book is December 1; they make great holiday gifts! Think of your son or daughter, niece or nephew who may be forming a household. They could use a cost saving book.
4)      Make an In-Kind Gift
We all support PSGCNJ with our volunteer work. Here are some other ideas for in-kind support: If you are employed, do you have access to photo-copying? Do you have a relatively new computer, recording or presentation equipment to donate? Consider bringing snacks to the Monday general membership meeting. Contact PSGCNJ’s Marketing Committee with any services and/or items you might like to contribute.
One PSGCNJ member has arranged for a smelter to buy gold, silver and costume jewelry donations to PSGCNJ. Going straight to the smelter takes the middle man out of the equation (usually a jeweler) thus giving more money to PSGCNJ. Contact Audrey (anlewis@optonline.net) about any gold, silver and costume jewelry you would like to donate to PSGCNJ.
5)      Host a Fundraising Event
One idea is to clean out your garage, hold a yard sale and donate the proceeds to PSGCNJ! Another way to help: do you have a connection that could secure PSGCNJ with a discount at a restaurant or entertainment venue that we might be able to use for a fundraiser?
Together we can make PSGCNJ flourish!