Organizing a Successful
MAP
Furniture Drive
OVERVIEW
A.
Select Your Drive Leader
and Weekend
B.
Begin Making Preparations
C.
Get the Word Out
D.
Make Final Preparations
E.
Here comes the Furniture
F.
Wrapping Up Afterwards
A. Select Your Drive Leader
and Weekend
1. Choose your Drive Leader(s)
a. Good Leader
b. Well Organized
c. Someone ready and able to make the time
commitment.
2. In choosing your Weekend, Be Sure to
Coordinate with MAP !

Avoid conflict with another Furniture Drive …
3. Four Options to Choose From :
a.
b.
c.
d.
Fri - Sat - Sun
Fri - Sat
Sat
Sat - Sun
4. Allow 4 Weeks for Planning and
Preparation
B. Begin Making Preparations
1. Sign Up Volunteers
You will need 15 – 25
(Record names and phone numbers for confirmation calls)
a. They will help with publicity and getting the word
out, trailer loading, inventory tracking, drivers,
pickup crew, etc.
 Middle and High school age kids are great for passing out
flyers in neighborhoods
 Choose someone to schedule pickups for those who do not
have adequate transportation for hauling
 Choose a pick up crew (restrictions may apply)
 Choose a person to advertise the event – sample flyers and
press releases are included in this packet
 On the day of the drive, choose a person for each shift to
write out each receipt
 Choose a couple of strong people for each shift to lift the
heavy items on to the trailer
b. Organize your Volunteers in Shifts, 2-4 hour
shifts, 6-10 people per shift
2. Arrange a Pick-Up or Box Truck (or 2) and
Drivers to be Available for Local, Pick-Up
Requests.
If Pick-Up Truck is not Available, MAP will
Provide MAP-logo Box Truck to Licensed Driver
of at least 25 Years of Age.


Who will field and route calls for pick-up?
Who will make call backs to donors for
confirmation?
3. Prepare your Publicity Flyers
a. Make sure the phone number of the router is
listed on all flyers.
b. Copy flyers with pertinent information about drive
4. Arrange for Dumpster On-Site (if feasible)
5. Get Your Supplies Ready
MAP will provide:
 Green Container (may be received prior to event)
including:
Volunteer name badges,
Tax receipt booklet,
MAP brochures,
Statistics,
Inventory forms,
Steno pads,
Pens and markers,
Tape,
Pick- up forms,
Street map book,
Acceptable items poster,
Lock for trailer doors
 48’ Semi Trailer and/or Box Truck(s) (16’ or 24’)
 Stairs for getting in and out of Trailer
 An A-frame curb sign for Furniture Drive
Exposure
 Table and Chairs for Volunteers
 Phone numbers for other organizations to refer people to
if they have unacceptable furniture donation, clothing
donations, medical supplies or other miscellaneous items.
You will need to provide:
 Boxes and old newspapers for packing fragile items
 Cooler with plenty snacks and drinks
 Plastic Garbage Bags for refuse
C. Get the Word Out
1. Call on your Volunteers




Who have connections with newspapers,
radio stations, ect.
Who will call churches and schools
Who can make copies of MAP flyers
Who will walk the neighborhoods
2. If possible, schedule a time that Jeff can
speak to your parish, congregation,
employees, coworkers, school assembly,
civic organization, or community group


To raise the awareness of who MAP assists
To stress the importance of providing furniture
3. Publicize within your Community

Local Newspapers

Radio Stations

Church Bulletins and School Newsletters and
Announcements ( see customizable Flyers Provided on CD, in
see customizable Press Releases provided on
CD, in Microsoft WORD ( .doc) , Word Perfect ( .doc ), and Rich text ( .rtf )
formats)
( see customizable Press Releases Provided on CD,
in Microsoft WORD ( .doc) , Word Perfect ( .doc ), and Rich Text ( .rtf ) formats
Microsoft WORD ( .doc) , Word Perfect ( .doc ), and Rich Text ( .rtf ) formats

Major Neighborhoods ( see customizable Flyers Provided on CD, in
Microsoft WORD ( .doc) , Word Perfect ( .doc ), and Rich Text ( .rtf ) formats
Do NOT put flyers in Mailboxes (federal law!)
4. Stress How Large the Need Is
In your promotional posters, announcements,
bulletins, broadcasts, flyers and newsletters, tell the
public…

MAP is providing the essentials for survival; with
the help of the community’s participation, we are
providing necessary provisions for human growth.

MAP serves families and individuals who are
facing unfortunate circumstances, fire, domestic
violence situations, working poor

MAP relies on donations of furniture and
household goods from our community to fill the
needs of the families who come to us for help.

Refer to separate fact sheet for statistics
5. Stress the Recycling Advantage
(Environment-friendly – no trip to landfill)
6.
Distribute Flyers 1-2 weeks in advance

Do NOT put in Mailboxes (federal law!)

Distribute 1,000 - 1,500 to be effective

Make use of neighborhood kids

Recruit family members and friends

Keep it Friendly!

Do it systematically, covering major
neighborhoods thoroughly

Be sure to plan enough time, and distribute the
workload as evenly as you can.
7. Talk It Up – Generate Enthusiasm!

Schedule a MAP tour for your volunteers

Have your volunteers check out the MAP website

Ask each of your volunteers to be an
ambassadors for MAP to increase the awareness
and the need for the event
8. Be Clear about the items MAP collects to
serve the families ( & unwanted items)
 MAP needs :
- Beds
- Lamps
- Mattresses
- Microwaves
- Dressers
- TVs
- Tables
- Washers & Dryers
- Sofas
- Stoves
- Kitchen Chairs
- Refrigerators
- Loveseats
- Sets of Dishes
- Living room chairs - Linens

Items not wanted :
- Clothing
- Knick-Knacks
- Sinks, Toilets, Cabinets
- Desks, and Office Furniture
- Exercise Equipment
- Toys
- Food
- Broken Furniture/Appliances
D. Make Final Preparations
1. Determine your Traffic Flow for
Positioning of the Trailer
a. Where will the MAP Trailer be parked?
(Make
sure there is adequate room to pull the trailer in, park it, and
remove it)
b. Allow ample room to Load at the rear of the MAP
Trailer ( including room for steps )
c. The exit should be separate from the entrance, to
keep traffic flow straight thru.
d. Coordinate the delivery of the MAP Trailer with
the MAP office
e. Plan to have someone meet the Driver and assist
with positioning the Trailer in your chosen
location.
f.
Be sure you know how to securely close and lock
the Trailer doors before the Driver leaves. (retrieve
green container from trailer, lock and key enclosed)
2. Organize Your Pick–Up Crew
a. If using MAP logo truck, coordinate to have
someone pick it up at MAP office.
b. Make confirmation calls to donors
(Ask if donor can have the item put outside, for liabilities issues)
c. Make maps for scheduled pickups
Sites for maps: maps.yahoo.com, and mapquest.com
3. Line up an Amateur Photographer
a. Take lots of pictures to celebrate your success
and thank your Volunteers afterwards
b. If digital camera is used please make a CD for
MAP, we would like to post these pictures on our
website.
4. Purchase Snacks and Beverages for your
Volunteers
a. Snack bars, chips, donuts, etc.
b. Keep beverages cold in a cooler, if possible
E. Here Comes the Furniture
1. Have your Volunteers
Organized
(All volunteers should wear Name Badges)
a. Coordinator (Volunteer management, may also include
Approval / Rejection of furniture, refer unacceptable donations to
listed organizations)
b. Pick up crew (scheduled maps, phone numbers, and
pertinent information/items for pickups)
c. Greeters
(Tax Receipt Book, Distribute MAP brochure with
each receipt given )
d. Loaders
(Unload Donor Vehicles & Load the Trailer, Keep
inventory, may also involve repacking of household items )
e. Photographer (Take pictures, of each activity, be sure to
capture name of each participant)
2. Set the Volunteer Table to greet donors
as they arrive
(Keep in mind the weather; you may need an umbrella for shade)
3. Put Up Signs and Posters
a. Be sure to put a Sign at the Street Entrance
b. Post the “MAP Items Accepted” sign at the
entrance, near the Greeters’ station
4. Trailer Loading Tips
a. Put Large and Heavy Items on the Trailer Floor
b. Stack Smaller Items in spaces around or on top
of larger items
c. Be careful not to crush items
d. Fill the trailer as high vertically as you can, before
taking up additional floor space
5. How to Politely Reject Items
a. Reiterate the Needs, and refer to your distributed
flyers and press releases
b. Refer to the “MAP Items Accepted” Sign at the
Greeters’ station
c. In difficult cases, suggest how the Donor can
dispose of the unwanted items.
d. If you were able to arrange for a Dumpster, that
is an easy answer.
6. Provide every Donor a Tax Receipt

Duplicate copies of receipts MUST be returned to
MAP
7. Thank each person for stopping and
donating, encourage their involvement, ask
them to check out the website to see what
they could do to help MAP and the people
who need a helping hand.
F. Wrapping Up Afterwards
1. Clean-Up
 Remove all Signs and Banners.
 Clean up any trash (snacks, packing materials,
etc.)
2. Lock the Truck / Trailer Overnight
 MAP will provide a Padlock to secure the Trailer
doors at night. (Be sure to use it ! )
 Return any unused material, i.e., name badges,
inventory list, receipt book, brochure, pens, and
posters, to green bin.
 Any other MAP belongings are to be loaded in
the trailer.
 Return key to green bin before locking the trailer
door. MAP office retains duplicate key.
3. Trailer Pick-Up
 MAP will coordinate trailer pick up prior to
Furniture Drive, we will schedule for same day
pick up, if possible, if not the following Monday.
4. Trucks MUST be returned to MAP office
before Sunday night.
 Trucks will be needed first thing Monday morning
for residential pick – ups.
5. Celebrate Your Success !
 Have a wrap-up Party with your Volunteers, (ask
if they would help out next year and/or recruit
others)
 Post Pictures and Results (how much collected,
MAP will have inventory of truck within the
following week.)
 Issue Post-Furniture-Drive press releases,
thanking all Donors and describing your success
and satisfaction.