Environmental Learning for Kids

The Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) organization is all about "potential" - from helping urban youths in the Colorado area reach their potential, to maximizing the potential of their online auction fundraiser.

Denver based ELK sought the help of BiddingForGood (cMarket)'s services to raise more money for their programs. For over a decade, they have been providing classroom and experiential field activities to more than 40,000 at-risk youths and their families. ELK does more than teach young children about science, nature and the environment, they also teach them about themselves. They recognize that all young people need strong educational support, good role models and positive community action in order to become productive and successful members of society. In acknowledging this, they've developed programs that serve as stepping stones for all young people, future leaders and engaged citizens of tomorrow.

Known for their emphasis on each individual's ability to make a difference, ELK applied this same way of thinking to their BiddingForGood (cMarket) online auction fundraiser. The organization benefited not only from bidders' participation, but also from the opportunity to solicit sponsorships on their auction pages. They took advantage of nearly all of the sponsorship placement options available on the site - raising a substantial amount of revenue apart from their auction items.

ELK continued to profit from their online auction by featuring a number of travel related items in their catalog. Travel resulted in being the most popular and successful category for the organization - with items that included a Galapagos Islands Adventure and a Guided Fly Fishing Trip to Alaska. The category raised over $4,000 alone for the organization, but ELK didn't stop there. They furthered their fundraising initiatives by attracting bidders to their catalog through simple promotional efforts. They placed a link to their online auction site from the organization's homepage, and drew attention to their fundraiser and to featured items in their catalog.

The Environmental Learning for Kids fundraiser earned close to $7,000 for the organization. ELK effectively used the online auction programs and services, and benefited by making the most of their online fundraising opportunity with BiddingForGood (cMarket).