O.K. everyone (especially to those who feel like they keep getting the cold shoulder from those that are jealous) her is proof that hard work pays off & you need to keep pushing forward.

We started in October & our event was this past week. In previous years the auction had approximately 100 baskets of which many contained 1 item ( a gift certificate) and made significantly under $4,000. This year with some creative ideas & soliciting many locals, some not so local, various corporate offices & suggestions from this site, we made just slightly under $10,000. Not bad. 95% of our baskets 3 or more items in them. We are in a suburb of NYC.

So here is a list of our YES's & method of contact:

AMC theatres- local theater with copy of tax form.
Applebee's- local rest. manager
Baseball Hall of Fame- website
Best Buy- local mgr.
BJ's wholesale- local store mgr.
Blue Man Group (NYC) -website
Broadway COmedy Club- mail
Brooklyn Cyclones- e-mail
Battleship NJ- e-mail or website
Build-A-Bear- website
Canvas on Demand- website
Cheesecake Facotry- local mgr.
Chelsea Piers
Children's Museum of the Arts (NYC)
Christmas Tree Shops
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery (LI)
Cracker Barrel- website
Cradle of Aviation Museum (LI)
DIck's Sporting Goods- website
Disney Hopper passes- website
Elite Island Resorts-website
European Wax Center- local mgr.
Grand Lux Cafe- local mgr.
Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum (NYC)-walk-in local
Long Island Children's Museum (LI)-walk-in local
Long Island Ducks baseball team (LI)-e-mail
Lia Sophia (local rep)
Liberty State Park (NJ)-e-mail
Mabel's Labels-e-mail
Martha Clara Vineyards(LI)
Massage Envy-local spa
MetropolitanOpera- e-mail
Moe's Southwest Grill- local mgr.
NY Police Museum- ? I don't know who got this one
Newman's own- website
NY Giants & NY Jets- website
NY Skyride-website
NY Sports CLub- local club mgr.
Old Westbury Gardens (LI)
Outback- local mgr.
Pandora- local store mgr.
Paner Bread- ? I don't know who got this one
Pindar Vineyards- e-mail (LI)
PinkCalyx.com- website
Pro Football Hall of Fame-website
Red Door Spa (ElizabethArden)- local mgr.
Stampin' Up-website
Stop & Shop-? I don't know who got this one
Texas Roadhouse- local restaurant mgr.
Vanderbilt Museum & Planetarium (LI)- e-mail
WholeFoods- application online must be taken to local store
Starbucks- local store

Good Luck to all! We are already analyzing this year & planning on what we can incorporate new for next year.

ooh. I just sent my request to Best Buy today. Hope we're as lucky as you!

today's no: Airtran

I've been reading this forum religiously and have gotten some great ideas. Our auction is April 28th but we began procurement in November. We have sent out, emailed and or personally contacted hundreds of companies. I'd say to date we've gotten a response from about 50%. A lot came from companies I read about on this board such as: Cabot, Disneyland, Keurig, Stampin Up, Pink Calyx
etc

A lot are from local companies!

We just learned today that we will be getting a Kindle Fire from Best Buy. They don't donate at the corporate level but may at the store level. You can go online and print out the in store donation request application. You must bring you 501c3 documentation, the app and a formal letter in to the store. It was well worth it!
Best of luck everyone and thanks!

Thank you for all of the help. I was wondering if anyone had conact information for JCPenny Portraits? Or the Sear's Porait Studio?

Thank you for the Portrait Innovations information. We received a $100 gift certificate as well.

HHgregg doesn't seem to donate items but they sent us a certificate that we could buy up to two items from them at their cost.

3 weeks and counting for our event ... and we wait to see what else will come in

I'm envious of those of you who get great local donations. We're not quite as lucky. I live in a largely populated small town, with many schools & organizations clamoring for donations. No one (including me) is committed to going door to door to door, which doesn't help things much. But, when I am greeted by a restaurant manager who's "pretty sure" he's already donated ... then doesn't think he's ever heard of our school before .. it's just left a bad taste. I always have letters with me, and I'll ask businesses I have a relationship with, but cold calling? no thanks.

We have some good donations, but nothing like years past. we moved to a spring event, so that took out all our college sports tickets, which are big money makers for us. It's making me edgy :/

PS. I realize that going door to door is part of the process. I've done it. And I still do it to a certain extent. (by going to places where I do have that relationship) But going door to door takes a lot of time & gas, and the return on our investment didn't match up. It was a well thought out decision from out committee.