At Polly Products, we are incredibly proud of our Donate a Bench Program!
The City of Portland, Michigan serves as an example of the program’s success. Let’s take a look at the program first, and then why it was so successful in Portland!
About the Donate a Bench Program
Polly Products created the Donate a Bench program to help communities create a more welcoming environment by increasing the number of public park benches and other public furnishings.
The process starts with local governments or organizations partnering with us to launch their own Donate a Bench program.  They will often choose a specific style of bench or product or just the color scheme allowed for donations. Then individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations can participate in that program and donate a park bench or other furnishing of their choice. The community may add plaques to the donated benches to commemorate loved ones or accomplishments, etc. as long as they meet the guidelines approved by the program administrators.
The great thing about this program is that the community gets more seating, and the local government doesn’t have to spend any tax dollars since all of the benches and public furnishings are paid for by community members! This enables the local government to focus on upgrading other big ticket items that the community might need.
In addition to saving money, donating Polly Products benches means that community members are donating high-quality, weather-resistant, and environmentally friendly benches!
You can be proud of donating a Polly Products bench!
Who Can Donate a Bench?
Anyone can donate a bench. Each donor has the option to include a plaque or custom engraving, which means that it’s the perfect way for businesses, community organizations, non-profits, and individuals to share something important to them.
It’s a great way to memorialize a lost loved one or commemorate an important event.
Here are some examples of popular bench donations:
- A family donating a bench in memory of a lost loved one, such as a spouse, parent, or child
- An organization donating in honor of their founder
- A school donating in memory of students and teachers who have passed away or retired
- A graduating class from a college or high school donating to commemorate a major milestone
- A community donating in honor of a community member who has passed
- An organization commemorating an important figure from the town’s history
There are endless reasons to donate a bench. Companies can also put up a bench with their name on it to demonstrate their love and support for the community while advertising their business.
You can also donate without including a plaque or engraving, which is a great option for groups or individuals who want to remain anonymous or don’t need to memorialize anyone or advertise anything.
Where Can Benches Be Placed?
The city can decide where benches can be placed, but some of the options include:
- In public parks
- Along walkways or bike trails
- Lining city streets
- At school playgrounds
- On university campuses
- At bus stops
- At churches
- In community gardens
- Any other public spaces
A Success Story in Portland, Michigan
The City of Portland, Michigan is home to beautiful landscapes, public parks, and walking trails along two rivers. Along those trails there were a few seating areas for patrons enjoying a day in nature. Unfortunately, those seating areas had benches constructed of traditional wood and metal which were rotting and rusting and became unusable.
Since Polly Products operates in Michigan, the Portland government knew just who to call to solve their outdoor seating troubles. The high-quality recycled outdoor furniture from Polly Products was perfect for their needs. The only problem was that the city of Portland had a small budget for the project and needed new benches for miles of trails and multiple playgrounds.. But fortunately for them, Polly Products had a solution for that, too: The Donate a Bench program!
The City of Portland reached out to the community and citizens jumped at the opportunity to help provide lasting outdoor seating options while celebrating and memorializing who and what was important to them.
They were able to provide over 200 park benches for several city parks and along an 8-mile river walking trail. All of this was done with no cost to the city! Now everyone can enjoy a view of the river or the jubilant sounds of a concert from the Portland Band Shell, all from the comfort of beautiful Polly Products outdoor furniture.
Portland, Michigan and Other Cities Reap the Benefits of a Donate a Bench Program
- There is NO cost to local governments.
- The program can be used to promote local businesses.
- Donate-a-Bench programs support community outreach.
- Providing benches can honor veterans and public servants.
- Individuals can memorialize their loved ones.
- The program can be used for fundraising.
Contact Polly Products to set up or learn more about the Donate a Bench program for your community. Call us today 877-609-2243. We will provide you with the flier, ordering form templates, and all of the information you would need to get started!
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