FAQs
FAQs
One-of-kind bracelet
WHAT DOES BEADING DIVAS TO THE RESCUE DO?
A group of caring and creative women raise money for 501 c3 animal charities by selling one of a kind, handmade bracelets made with donated beads. Every month we choose a different animal charity to fund-raise money for.
HOW DO I DONATE BEADS?
You can drop off beads at:
— Silver Sea Jewelry, 330 N. 4th Avenue, 520-624-9954 (always call first)
—CataVinos Wine Shoppe, 3063 N. Alvernon Way (1 block south of Ft. Lowell), 520-323-3063 (closed Sun/Mon)
To arrange pickup:
–Leave a voice message here – 520-955-9061 — for a quick response
–Email karynzoldan@yahoo.com – put: “Beading Divas” in the subject line/don’t use all caps
Beads can also be mailed to Silver Sea Jewelry (see address above).
We also accept old jewelry that can be taken apart, jewelry tools, and skinny ribbons (to tie business cards to bracelets). No bags of 99cent plastic beads, please. Anything that we cannot use is donated elsewhere.
HOW MUCH DO THE BRACELETS COST?
Bracelets cost $20/each. You can view a representation of bracelets on Etsy. Every bracelet comes with a paw charm and is a coil for easy on and off, one size fits most.
People can pay with cash or a check made out to the designated charity. If you buy the bracelets online via Etsy.com, there is a $5.50 S&H charge (U.S.).
One-of-a-kind
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE CHARITIES TO RAISE MONEY FOR?
Here’s a list of charities which we have sold bracelets for. Some have been chosen more than once. There are five Beading Divas and each Diva is allowed to choose a charity on her birthday month or another designated month. For the other months there needs to be a consensus by us. We go dark in July for R&R, regroup. During the months of the 4th Avenue Street Fair, local to Tucson/So. Ariz. charities are always chosen.
Most charities are local to Tucson or Arizona but not all. We have raised money for charities in Florida, Ill., Mass., Kansas, California/Guam and the galgos in Spain but they have US 501c3 status.
If you want your charity benefiting animals to be added to our consideration pool, view the requirements below and then send an email to karynzoldan@yahoo.com and in the subject line put “Beading Divas.” Tell us about your charity and add a link to your website. There is no implied guarantee that your charity will be chosen.
WHAT REQUIREMENTS DO YOU HAVE FOR CHARITIES THAT YOU CHOOSE?
SEE BELOW:
–Proof of your charity’s 501 c3 in hard copy or online document – Most supply the latter. You can deliver the print copy to Silver Sea Jewelry, 330 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705. (required within 3 days of your group responding to be a recipient) or email a PDF to your contact person.
–If you have applied for your 501 c3 but have not received it yet, please let us know when you receive it and we’ll put you back on the consideration list.
–6 (of the same) 8 ½ x 11-inch laminated posters – includes your logo, photos, descriptive paragraph about your charity. (Beading Divas will NOT laminate for you/Kinkos can laminate.) Posters are used for in-store bracelet display, store window, and other locations selling bracelets. To be posted throughout the month. Deliver or send to Silver Sea Jewelry – see above. NEEDED PRIOR TO YOUR MONTH OF FUNDRAISING.
–HOW YOU ARE PROMOTED: Email photos with stories (jpg photos + Word document or cut & paste to the email for the stories, NO PDFs) for our blog so that we can update it 2x a month inviting people to buy bracelets or send donations directly to your group. – Provide by 26th of month before. Your contact will advise where to email info. WHAT KIND OF STORIES? Stories that had a good outcome, stories of a particular tough rescues or expensive vet bills. Also what is your monthly expense for vet bills? How many dogs, cats, animals have you helped last year? How can people help you if they don’t want to buy a bracelet? What’s on your Wish List?
Please note: Beading Divas Bracelet blog will write 1 or 2 blog posts introducing your charity and the services you provide. Your audience wants to know WHY you need funds. Your audience wants to know how you acquire the animals you help; how many animals you helped last year; what your expenses are; what you need in the way of volunteers, wishlist, etc. Not everyone wants to buy a bracelet but perhaps they will donate directly; that is encouraged. We also need a story or two about a sad luck/happy ending/great rescue + 1 good photo per story. One story + 1 photo per blog post. The more details the better. Whatever you submit may be edited for clarity. Our goal is to promote bracelet sales & give your organization exposure NOT promote your individual animals.
—YOUR GROUP MUST HELP PUBLICIZE THE BRACELETS to your adopters, volunteers, Facebook page, Twitter, etc. Add a link from your website to our blog and Etsy site during the month you are chosen. Send out emails. If you need visuals of bracelets, ask. Visuals help sell bracelets. You CANNOT sell the bracelets online but you can direct them to our Etsy site where they can buy bracelets online where we have done the photography, uploading and do the fulfillment. The more you get involved promoting the bracelet sales, the more $$$ you make.
–Provide business cards or brochures – If you want people to walk away with more info about your charity, especially if they don’t buy a bracelet – To be available throughout the month.
–SELL BRACELETS AT YOUR EVENTS (this option is available for Southern Arizona only). If you have any events/meet-and-greets or fundraisers, you can pick up some bracelets at Silver Sea Jewelry and sell them for $20/each; no exceptions. All unsold bracelets must be returned by the end of the month. Do not remove the attached cards or write anything on them.
Please note: We are all volunteers and if you need more bracelets to sell, give Silver Sea 48 hours notice (Mon-Fri) because bracelets a)may not be in stock, b)may not have paw charms attached, and c)maybe not be carded and read to go.
—Provide Beading Divas with a receipt (for tax purposes) after you receive your online bracelet sales from Etsy via Paypal.
–You can make even raise more money if: Board members, adopters, and/or volunteers take the bracelets to work or to a party to sell; you ask a donor to match the bracelet money raised or the online sales raised. (The actual bracelets are available in So. AZ charities only)
—You can ask a special donor to match online bracelet sales or total sales or up to any amount.
—If you help us spread the word that we always need beads to continue our mission, it is greatly appreciated.
WHEN DOES MY CHARITY RECEIVE THE MONEY?
Updated: Any checks that were written directly to your group to pay for bracelets will be mailed to you. All cash sales and online sales will be deposited in our bank account and you will receive a check by the 15th of the following month. You keep the money for the bracelets you have sold. We just need to know the amount.
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN MY CHARITY RAISE?
Update: As of November 2015, charities will receive 90% of cash and online sales, so that is $18 for you and $2 for the Divas. For bracelets that your group sells or checks made payable to your group, you receive 100%.
How much your charity raises depends on different factors – time of year and amount of promotion. We don’t guarantee a minimum. Charities have raised from $600 to $4,300 so far. The average lately seems to be between $1,300-1,800.
While we try to keep as much stock as possible, all bracelets are handmade. Since we are not a business and are all volunteers, there could be a rare chance that we run out. We try our best for that not to happen.
one-of-a-kind
HOW CAN YOU AFFORD TO DO THIS?
We could not afford to do this if we had to buy beads. We are fortunate that people far and wide have given beads to us, plus our Bead Drives help keep the supply ample. We buy in bulk – wire, findings, shipping supplies. We also charge $5.50 for S&H (if you buy online) which covers postage and supplies. On occasion the Divas may chip in for emergencies. We are also blessed to have some generous and talented bracelet makers who buy their own beads and make bracelets for us.
We have an ONGOING NEED for donated beads! Without that there would be no Beading Divas. (We cannot say that enough.)
WHAT WEBSITES PROMOTE THE BRACELETS?
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Bracelet blog
http://beadingdivasbracelets.com
Buy bracelets online-Etsy store – PROMOTE THIS SITE FOR PEOPLE TO BUY BRACELETS ONLINE
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lizziestardust
HOW DID THE BEADING DIVAS BEGIN?
We started fundraising for Lizzie Mead’s greyhounds who suffered $14,300 in veterinarian bills after being in a hit-and-run accident. Rider’s spleen was removed and he had 300 stitches and Opal’s paws were destroyed and her eye almost popped out. The dogs survived and thrived. We decided to keep giving back to the animal community that helped us and later dubbed ourselves Beading Divas to the Rescue.
WHO ARE BEADING DIVAS TO THE RESCUE?
• Lizzie Mead – owner of Silver Sea Jewelry, adopter of 3 greyhounds (Rider/now at the Rainbow Bridge, Opal, Bird) and 1 cat, animal rescuer extraordinaire
• Michelle Caillet – owner of the Greyt Escape, adopter of 2 greyhounds (Riley & Opa/both now at the Rainbow Bridge)
• Karyn Zoldan – web content writer/PR/activist, blogger/Tucson Tails adopter of 2 greyhounds (Jett & Girlfriend)
• Cynthia David – scientist, adopter of Mimzy from Tucson Cold Wet Noses; Harmony greyhound/ now at the Rainbow Bridge.
• Loren Dawn – artist, adopter of 1 greyhound/Saffron – now at the Rainbow Bridge
Original Beading Divas Founders who have resigned
–Angy Shearer – development, adopter of 1 greyhound Misty
–Glenda Taylor – retired investigator, adopter of 2 greyhounds Beamer & Anabel
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE YOU ACCOMPLISHED ALL THIS?
Our successes are doable because hundreds of women (and a few men) have helped us by donating beads, making bracelets at our bracelet making bees, donated beautiful bracelets for us to sell, taken bracelets to work or parties and sold them on behalf of the charity, and more.
We have been very fortunate to have so many people in our corner to help promote our efforts and work side by side us to raise money for animal charities. We also have many repeat customers.
Thank you one and all.
HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU?
Call our message line – 520-955-9061 — for a quick response
Call Lizzie at Silver Sea Jewelry – 520-624-9954
Email us at karynzoldan@yahoo.com – Put “Beading Divas” in the subject line
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If you have a question not answered here, email it to karynzoldan@yahoo.com and put “Beading Divas” in the subject line.
Thank you for reading — you can never have too much bling in your life.
Beading Divas Bracelets 
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