How do you approach major chain stores for donations?

Reader question:

Does anyone have tips for approaching major chain stores (Big W, BFC for example) for donations? I mainly trying to get gift cards to be used as prizes.

Here is some advice from our Facebook community on how to approach major chain stores for donations:

• Go armed with a letterhead request. A lot of stores require it for accounting. Be prepared but POLITE for knockbacks.
• We approached local stores and they all said contact head office.
• Do you have any registered clubs where you are? Our clubs in our area give us Woolies/Coles gift cards, which they get given free by their food supplier as a reward for supporting that company. Our local BWS is given $50 at the beginning of the month to give to a local charity – approach the manager, ask if you could be considered and they might give you wine or something.
• Bunnings have a great community program. We received 3 x $50 vouchers for our Trivia night.
• Movies places, ten pin bowling, ice skating, gymnastic places are great for vouchers. Bunnings or local hardware places are good as well. Good guys.
• Ring to initiate contact, then email with a school letter.

This is a good idea-

• One approach I take is asking local businesses to sponsor a gift card if their business does not sell goods. For instance, our local engineer doesn’t really have anything to offer as a prize but they are willing to pay $100 to sponsor gift cards.
• I think it’s important to make the kids responsible as well!  I explained to my kids that is their school, not mine and there’s only so much mummy can do! They were incredibly keen to help mummy during the school holidays!!
  We went to our local shopping centre- they explained who they were, where they were from and that we were looking for donations for our trivia to help raise money for shade cloths. They got HEAPS of donations– here are some photos:

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