Department stores are already gearing up for their annual back-to-school supplies sales even though most students have just finished their current school year. With the sluggish economy, some families will find it difficult to purchase all the necessary items for their children to start the new school year on a positive note. Organizing a back-to-school backpack drive can be a rewarding experience and here are a few ideas to launch your effort.
Where to Start.
Your first steps are to determine how large of a drive you will conduct and how many kids at each grade level will be the recipients of your efforts. Be realistic about your goals if you live in a town or city with a high population.
Who to Contact. Public school principals and local family service departments can be a valuable resource as you target the number of students in need. You won’t be given names of the potential recipients due to privacy laws, but you should be given an approximate number of students in need for each grade level so your backpacks and supplies will be appropriate.
List of Needs. Once you have an idea as to how many backpacks you will be supplying, you can make a list of your needs (i.e. backpacks, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, three-ring binders, and lined paper). This will help you set a realistic goal of how much fund-raising you will need to conduct.
Set Realistic Deadlines. Depending on the size of your Drive, ensure you give yourself enough time to fully organize the effort and be able to deliver the backpacks to the schools a few weeks before school begins.
Public Awareness
Enlist Help. Churches, youth groups, service organizations, and Moms’ groups are usually willing to help with causes that will directly impact the local community, especially when children are involved. You may need help with distribution of flyers, contacting businesses for support, bakers for a bake sale, or donations for a yard sale. Having a group of volunteers ready is essential.
Community Support. Local businesses may be able to give monetary donations to your Drive, post flyers for their customers or employees to see, or assist with other fund-raising efforts. Individuals also realize that small donations add up and bring you closer to reaching your goal. Neighborhoods can easily get together and have each family donate a pack of pencils and a folder.
Promote the Cause. Setting up a website is an excellent way to have all the information on your Backpack Drive available to people. Submit information for community calendars or notices to local newspapers, cable television and church bulletins. Post flyers at businesses.
Fundraising. There are many creative ways to raise money for a cause. Holding a successful yard sale or bake sale are well proven ways to involve people and bring awareness to your effort quickly.
Acknowledgments
Thank You Letters. Always remember to send thank you notes to all those that have supported your effort. You can also enclose a list of businesses and organizations that have assisted in the success of your Drive in the backpacks, and submit a wrap-up press release to local newspapers.
A project, such as a Backpack Drive, allows you to give back to the area you live as well as to set an example for your children of how important it is to share and take care of one another.
