FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Are there items Trevor will NOT take? Answer: Due to storage limitations we will not be accepting the following: NO wine bottles (but wine certificates are great). No Large art/sculpture. No jewelry or fashion accessories with a value less than $100. No Stuffed Animals. NO used untagged clothing. NO baby equipment. NO Toys. NO books valued under $100. NO gently used flea market items. Q: My family is not in the position to make a financial donation – suggestions? Answer: What are you good at? You can always donate time – which is a “service” in Greater Giving! Time donations showcase the diverse talents of our community. Safety patrol walking is quite popular. If a donor has a hobby such as baking, dancing or crafts - they should be encouraged donate time to coaching someone else through a project. Donors can offer time to teach someone computer skills, or to help organize an event, edit a story, DJ a party. What about foreign languages? Oh, the things we can do! Q: Does Trevor take Clothing? Answer: Generally NO – unless TAGGED and NEW or vintage (and valuable). Q: I don’t have any ideas!!!! Answer: Suggest that they take a look at the Saturday Fair and Auction journals from last year, which are online. Offer to call and brainstorm with them. The Acquisition Chairs are also happy to help as well. Q: Can I donate cash! Answer: Cash is always appreciated, either check or credit card. Families are welcome to make their own online cash donation themselves by credit card via the online link. Q: I would like to donate more than $1000! Answer: First of all, THANK YOU! If you would like to donate $1000 or more please contact Underwriting (underwriting@trevor.org). This will also entitle you to a listing in our Auction Catalog. Q: My family has connections to….. Answer: Your family has an IN? Great!! Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities generate the highest interest and bids! Do they have a walk-on part or a behind-the-scenes peek or once-in-a-lifetime chance? You may want to discuss this type of donation with an Auction representative before logging it into Greater Giving. Q: Which is preferred? A cash donation or a tangible item for the same value or a gift certificate of the same value? Answer: There is no clear answer. Cash is used for financing events and supplementing donations. Tangible items (especially ones unique to the Auction and Fair) can be sold alone or packaged together with other donations which create excitement. If you are really on the fence – email your Rep or Acquisitions group who might have a better feel for the array of donations that are already in the system. Q: I can not donate this year! What should I do? Answer: This is OK. We thank you for your time and encourage you to attend the Auction Evening and Saturday Fair. Q:Is corporate matching available for my donation! Answer: Corporate Matching is a wonderful concept. However, Trevor Development Office highly recommends that parents reserve their option for corporate matching for their donations to the Annual Appeal. The donation path is easier and less complicated to administer. Q: I would like to split my donation (dinner party, trip/airfare, etc) with another Trevor family. Answer: Some of our most popular auction items every year are themed dinner parties and events thrown by groups of Trevor parents. Sometimes a few families will get together and they will either split the expense equally or instead one family will pay for the food and another the wine. Whatever your idea we ask that rather than entering your donation into Greater Giving, instead you send an email to our Acquisition group. Please include the following information:
Q: What should I bring to Drop-Off Day to identify the item? Answer: Please print out a copy of your confirmation email that was sent to you following your donation. If that is not available, please be sure that your name is on the item and that it is visible. Q: Where is the donation to be dropped off? Answer: At this time, Drop Off days take place on the West Campus only. Gift Certificates can be mailed any time to: Trevor Parents Association, 1 West 88th Street NY, NY 10024 Q: Does Trevor pick up large donated items from donors’ homes? Answer: No, Trevor does not have resources for this service. If you wish to donate something large, please contact your Parent rep to make sure it is something we can auction before entering it into Greater Giving.. Q: Can I mail/FedEx/UPS/Messenger a donation to school? Answer: Yes, please enter your donation into Greater Giving and let us know in the comments section that it will be shipped. Ship to: Trevor Parents Association - 1 West 88th Street NY, NY 10024 Q: Can valuable (non-flea market) items be dropped off on Drop off Days without having it entered into Greater Giving first? Answer: We strongly suggest that donations are entered in Greater Giving prior to Drop off Day. It is significantly easier for planning purposes, time, and logistics if the Auction/Fair team knows what’s being donated. Q: Who reads this stuff I’m typing in anyway? Answer: Auction Volunteers will review your entry to decide the best way to position your donation so that it can be auctioned for it’s maximum value. Please write all of your text as COMPLETELY, ACCURATELY, CONCISELY and KINDLY as you can. Very often we will take what is written for the Auction journal. To see what kind of information we need, please see our What To Donate list. Q: I would like to donate the SAME item as last year? Answer: There is NO system in place which allows for reproduction of ALL the specifics of a prior-year’s donation. Therefore we ask that you enter as much information as possible as if it were a new donation. Q: Can I find out the sale price of what I donated last year? Answer: The PA does not provide sale price information. If you feels that they can’t donate without knowing how well an item did please contact parent rep or Acquisition group. Q: Can I request a minimum bid on the item I am donating? Answer: NO. We do not handle minimum bids. The only alternative is for you to make the minimum bid yourself at the auction. Q: Can a you guarantee where, when and how my donation will be sold? Answer: No. Under no circumstances can ANYONE during any time guarantee the placement of a donation – not the venue, not the event, not the location. We promise that there is a seasoned team of auction volunteers who place all donations with the goal of maximizing our return at the Auction and Saturday Fair. Q: I would like to solicit a donation from my local merchant/place of business. Where do they get the paperwork? How do they know if a merchant has already been solicited? Answer: If you or a family on your list feel comfortable asking for a donation from a local merchant - There is a form we ask that you/merchant fill out and a cover letter which explains who we are. These forms are in your folder and will be available on the portal. Q: What is Trevor’s Tax ID number? Answer: 13-1635261 Q: I didn’t see my donation in the printed and/or online Auction Journal! Answer: If something terrible had happened to a donation or if a donation was deemed inappropriate for auction – you are always notified well in advance. If you don’t see your donation in the evening journal it is most likely that we are saving it for our smaller auction held at the Saturday Fair in May or it may have been packaged with another donation, or given over as a prize to compliment another donation such as a Group Party. |