About Sutton Spirit

The Sutton Spirit program recognizes Sutton associates across Canada that improve and enhance the lives of the people around them. Sutton Salepeople raise the spirit in their communities by donating their time, expertise and resources to charitable causes and community endeavours - activities that make Canada such a great place to live.

Sutton Spirit stories and resources provide inspiration and awareness about events, good works and worthy causes. www.suttonspirit.com publishes sutton spirit stories and acts as a valuable resource of information relating to all the efforts of Sutton Salespeople coast to coast.

If you have a Sutton Spirit activity or want to start one, take advantage of the suttonspirit.com resource including postings of events, "how to" guides and contact lists. We applaud the sutton spirit of all our associates.

How to Get Involved

Here are some ideas on how you can get involved in your community, network and help a worthy cause.

Volunteer or check out our community partners for causes posted by your fellow Sutton Assoicates
Donate
Plan an Event

The ideas suggested below are not an exhaustive list, nor will they all work for every group; but hopefully you will be able to use 2 or 3 of these ideas to reach your fundraising goal. All of these methods have been successfully used to fundraise in various Sutton offices for a multitude of good causes. This booklet can assist you in coaching your Sutton Spirit team(s) when they are stuck for ideas or when they are unsure of how they should implement their ideas.

Set up a challenge campaign. List all your agents who will want to participate and divide it by the total amount you need to raise. Ask each agent to raise their portion by whatever way they desire. Create prizes for the top fundraiser.
Make your own donations. Pledge $25 a month for 6 months and get other agents, friends and clients to do the same (you need only 14 people to commit $25 for 6 months to raise $2000!) Naturally the number can change according to the size of the office and most importantly, to the number of participants.
Educate your community! Lead a seminar on a topic you know and charge $5 - $25 per person. Donate all proceeds to the charity.
A little bit of pocket change goes a long way! Create a change jar and ask every agent to donate all of their change as they walk in the door. Position this jar in a secure place where people can give donations-but not get stolen!
Sell something more than just houses! Get a committee together and plan a book sale, bake sale or garage sale.
Fill those hungry stomachs! Start a pyramid dinner, or a chain dinner. Invite 12 people and charge $12 each. Get two people of the twelve you invited, to invite 12 people each at $12; then get two people from each of these two dinners to get 12 more people at $12! All proceeds will be donated back to YOUR CHARITY through your office:

Your dinner $12 x 12 guests $144

From your dinner $12 x (12 guests + 12 guests) $288

From these dinners $12 x (12 + 12+ 12+ 12) $576

A nice touch may be to ensure each individual at the dinner receives a Sunny Bear pin so they can remember why they are giving $12 for dinner. It may inspire someone to give more than just the $12 minimum donation!

Do a bottle drive -a bit messy, but effective. Ask all the associates to bring in their bottles for 6 months. Each week a different volunteer will take the bottle to exchange them for money.
Have a garage sale for your whole building. Go around and tell all your neighbourhood offices or businesses that you will take their stuff outside and sit with it all day and sell it if they will donate their proceeds (or at least ½!) to your charity. Three people from the office at a time, can watch and sell the stuff, with 2 or 3 shifts to cover the entire day.
Have a Krispy Kreme Doughnut Day! Have everyone in your office place and take orders for friends and family for boxes of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. You can charge them double the price and say it is for charity fundraising.
Host a pizza lunch sale, not for the office but for the offices around you. With proceeds going to YOUR CHARITY, it will be easy to get support.
Organize a one-day car wash.
Hold 50/50 draws at the office at each of your sales meetings.
Make Sutton Spirit part of every social event in your office. Charge funds to attend the events. These funds will go directly to Sutton Spirit.
Tip your hats off to the Spirit of Sutton and sell Sutton Spirit Hats! Purchase them in bulk for $12 a piece and sell them for $20.
Make it a "beaaarry sunny day" at your office! Sell Sunny Bear Pins at your office. Give everyone 10 sunny bear pins and request minimum donations from everyone.
Bet on a winner! Hold a Hockey Pool for the Stanley Cup Playoffs!
Have "Burger and Beer Nights" along with a silent auction!
Raffle - get some prizes, anything!
For gardening enthusiasts or wannabe gardeners, have a manure/Plant Sale - get to your local nursery to get plants donated.
Get involved! Participate in local community events such as the Chili Cook Off. You'll have fun and meet some great people in your area at the same time.

THE HOW TO'S AND NUTS AND BOLTS OF EVENT FUNDRAISING!

Recipients

Sutton associates are making a difference in communities across Canada through their caring and generous Sutton Spirit.

Through volunteering, organizing fundraising events, giving donations, coaching, and community involvement, the Sutton family is making our communities better for all.