‘Armed forces’ display donor pride, support
Jennifer Moeller
Christian Science Monitor
Sept. 24, 2005 12:00 AM
When Americans shop for today’s most popular bracelets, they don’t go to Tiffany’s. They head online or to a mall for colored wristbands - more like rubber bands than tennis bracelets.
Unlike most jewelry, these bands often are associated with a charitable cause.
This month, online jewelry and gift store Shanrene Inc. introduced three blue-and-white bands to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. At the U.S. Open, tennis star Andy Roddick modeled his blue charity band that generates funds for underprivileged children.
Although the wristbands-with-a-message concept is not new - Vietnam POW/MIA bracelets were popular in the early 1970s - the latest craze started when Nike debuted the Livestrong band in May 2004.
Designed to celebrate Lance Armstrong’s attempt at a sixth Tour de France cycling victory, the yellow silicone rubber bands have raised more than $41 million for cancer research. (Armstrong retired last July after securing his seventh title.)
These wristbands sell for $1, with about 77 cents from each sale going to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, spokeswoman Michelle Milford said. The foundation’s Web site continues to sell 50,000 to 100,000 bands a day. To date, she said, 54 million bands have been sold in more than 60 countries.
That success has inspired dozens of charities to jump on the “wristband wagon.”
“It’s not unusual in the fund-raising world to have charities take ideas from other organizations and have that help them as well,” said Bennett Weiner, chief operating officer of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.
Not all wristbands benefit charities and, unfortunately, some wristbands have been sold under false pretenses.
People also buy wristbands purely for fashion. Several NFL teams, sportswear companies like Adidas, even a few stores have created their own wristbands.
The rubber bracelets come in almost every color and have wide appeal. Ten-year-olds wear them; so do corporate executives. Whether for profit or for charity, they sell for $5 or less.
“The beauty of wristbands is that they seem to almost market themselves,” said Ilona Bray, author of Effective Fund-raising for Non-profits: Real-World Strategies That Work. “Everyone who studies donors’ motives comes away saying, ‘Yes, they want to do good, but they also want to feel a sense of belonging.’ ”
Non-profits have found that when people wear the bands, they feel good about increasing awareness for a cause.
“Being visible is an important key to change,” said Don Kiser, who oversees retail operations at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C.
Purchasing merchandise (like wristbands) does not necessarily bring in large donations initially, but “it’s the first step on the giving ladder,” he said.
Charities also have found that when people become familiar with an organization through merchandise, they become more likely to donate.
“Every organization that relies at all on individual donations is looking for more names to add to their mailing list,” said Bray, the author. “No entry donation is too small, if the organization can cultivate some people for major donations later.”
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