Donations In Kind [D.I.K.]
About Donations In Kind:
What is Donations In Kind?
How Do We find these items?
What does the Club DIK Representative do?
Who co-ordinates the transport of these items?
What process occurs here?
Where do these containers go?
What happens when the containers get to their destinations?
What costs are accured?Recommended procedure:
How to encourage donors?
A sample circular letter to all Doctors, Pharmacists and Hospitals.
Download the sample letter in Word97 (doc) formatA note from the District 9640 DIK Chairman, Kevin Geaghan
What is Donations In Kind?
Donations In Kind is a project forming part of the activities of RAWC. In simple terms it amounts to giving things of value instead of money. Rotarians procure items that will benefit our neighbours in developing countries.
Such things as:
Drugs whose use-by date is current or has passed byjust one year. All nature of medical supplies - Catheters, Splints, Dressing Basins, Bandages, Instruments, etc.
Hospital Equipment such as Beds, Tables, Crutches, Walkers, Lights, Bedding, and anything that may be considered useful. School Books of all types. Spectacles. And a multitude of other useful items
Always remembering that we would not want to give them things that we wouldn't use ourselves
How Do We find these items?
Work with your local Chemists, Doctors, Dentists, Optometrists, Hospitals, Schools and any other source that you might establish. Community nurses sometimes are aware of equipment that their patients no longer have need for. Deceased estates often provide items.
What does the Club DIK Representative do?
Who coordinates the transport of these items?
Find the stock. Collect and hold.
Arrange to have these items transported to Tennyson. Communicate with District Chairman who may be able to help with transport (depending on location, chairman operates out of Ballina).
Rotary's Northern Region comprising Districts 9550, 9570, 9600, 9630, 9640 and 9650, coordinates RAWCS activities in our area and is responsible for the depot from which our various goods are sorted, appraised and packed in containers. Transportation is then organised.
Presently this facility is located at Softstone Crescent, Tennyson, and in the near future will be relocated to Wolston Park.
What process occurs here?The facility manager is Rotarian Bill Waterfield.
The transport manager is Rotarian John Paskin.Rotarians and Partners from Brisbane Rotary Clubs attend each Thursday morning to perform many tasks including the sorting and packaging of the medical supplies, some minor repairs, storage of equipment, sorting of books, receive items and pack containers.
Drug are sorted firstly by date, and then by categories. Containers are packed on Saturday mornings when appropriate.
Where do these Containers go?
Northern Region has run this project for many years and from experience has found the most acceptable destinations in view of need, cooperation with receiving Rotary Clubs, goodwill of governments and practicality and have settled on Papua-New Guinea, The Solomon Islands and Fiji. Of course other Regions and or Districts operate in these and other areas. What happens when the containers get to their destination?
All activities are earned out in conjunction with a receiving Rotary Club. That Club arranges the unpacking and distribution of the contents. Some are distributed locally and some transported to inland areas. Transport is always difficult.
It is important that our goods arrive in a ready to use or workable condition as there is very little that locals can do by way of maintenance.
What Costs are occurred?________________Each container cost $2000 to transportTransport of goods to Tennyson is the responsibility of the individual clubs.
Transport costs of the containers are met by Northern Regions RAWCS Committee.
Funds for their projects are contributed by the six districts. There is constant pressure of RAWCS to continually finance these costs.
It would be most helpful if International Service Directors could help by running a function etc., to raise funds to assist. Perhaps sponsors or such.
Recommended procedure
Give each Chemist, Doctor, Hospital etc, a letter of introduction from your club outlining purpose, using this letter as identification.
Call personally once a month. It is very important to call regularly, keep calling even if they don't have enything at the time. They will eventually look forward to your call.
The advantages for them is that we -
Clear their shelves of redundant stock
Relieve them of medications returned by clients
Dispose of the chemicals in a proper environmental manner
Help many people with things that we no longer need
Show them letters of appreciation received from other countries
Consider
giving them a container in which to storage these items in their store room.
And in case of Chemist, consider offering them a container with a label shown on the right to put in the shop for the public to use for returned chemicals, occasioned by new prescription, deceased estate, cupboard clean-outs etc.
How to encourage donors.
Most clubs have someone who has the necessary contacts. Personal and regular contact with prospective donors is most important.
Acquaint the donor of the humane value of our project. Provide a letter of authority from your President and Secretary / International Director proving your credibility and the worthiness of this project, again stressing the humane aspects of what we are doing.
Offer to call once a month to collect.
Make sure the donor has a telephone contact within your club (DIK Rep.).
You may emphassise the very useful service that we provide to the donor.
Collection of the redundant supplies saves problems of disposal Frees up shelf space.
Disposal is done in an environmentally safe manner. And again emphassise the supportive and caring work that we carry out. It doesn't hurt to talk about the other RAWCS activities, FAIM, Polio Plus, RAM etc.
Supply a container for chemist to place in their shops for the return of unused or expired medical supplies.
RAWCS programmes (and in particular our medical supply project) are regarded as some of the most valued things that we do in Rotary. As I am speaking to my peers I know that many of you already appreciate the DIK programme and give it support.
DIK is an extremely worthwhile project. It ranks highly on the scale of humanitarian. Collecting materials instead of asking for money! However, Do please think about helping financially. Each container now costs about A$ 2,000.-
As your DIK Chairman would you please assist me in my efforts to further develop this great project.
I would very much appreciate your appointment of a DIK contact within your club to help promote enthusiasm within your membership and so that I may have a point of contact.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Kevin Geaghan
