This is how it feels when we write a donation to your organization.
I love writing checks to schools and libraries. The “To” line is my favorite part. When I hand-write the recipient’s name, I know the money is going to a friend who has trusted my company to help raise needed funds.
In 2006, I became involved with a local group that had the goal to advance literacy in a small town in western Idaho. The educators and community members on the board had wonderful goals and expertise. But, they had almost no money to accomplish their efforts.
I quickly decided that my best contribution for this group, and others like them, was helping to raise funds. Children’s Bookstore was conceived with the specific purpose to help literacy advocates raise fund for their important work.
We’ve gone through much change and struggle to build a platform that raises funds through book sales. While our tactics and technology have changed, our purpose remains constant: We help schools and libraries raise funds for their vital work.
The stories I hear from parents, teachers, and administrators are very similar— a literacy program is underfunded, the books in a classroom or library are badly worn or out-of-date. A school needs a part-time reading specialist to help at-risk students, and more. No matter the need, we can help.
#Donations with a Personal Touch
We’re excited about the work our clients do and we love being involved as much as possible. It means a lot to our online bookstore when we can write a check to the school or library that held a fundraiser with us, we know we’ve had an opportunity to meet and work alongside some great people putting these funds to excellent use.
Making Raising Funds Simple
I know this first-hand that raising funds for literacy work is difficult. It’s our mission to make raising funds simple and efficient for teachers, students, administrators, parents, and entire communities. All the tools for a successful book fair are clearly outlined and readily available on our website to make the entire process and smooth for everyone involved.
Our online book fairs combine the best e-commerce functions with an unmatched selection of books for babies to young adults. We offer more than 260,000 titles that are ready to ship. Schools and libraries of all kinds successfully use our platform every day.
We help make shopping simple for parents with suggested book lists for every reding level and interest. From STEM books, new fantasy, all time classics and everything in between.
Parents can email the link to friends, family, and co-workers. The school or organization can post the link to their website and direct parents to it in emails and social media posts, as well as newsletter updates.
Hand Writing the Checks
I personally write and sign every fundraising check. And I love and phone calls from recipients wondering if it’s for real. Yes, it is and, yes, I’ll keep writing personal checks no matter how big our company gets.
We at the Children’s Book Store will not send an electronic payment for the funds we’re donating to the organizations participating in one of our fundraisers. You’ll receive a hand-written check via snail mail. It’s essential for us to hold the check and have a conversation with them about their experience before they cash it for their impending education or literacy projects.
Despite the growing number of companies that deliver payments electronically, we believe that there’s nothing that beats the feeling of holding the check that is about to be given to its recipient. It doesn’t matter if those funds are going to be used for supplies, additional books, or a renovation. By doing this, we are showing all who are involved with the fundraiser how much we care about the project and how the funds are being used. Often, a fundraiser is being run by a faceless entity that knows very little about the people involved or the cause. This isn’t the case for us—we love seeing these funds being put into action and are excited to hear from the recipients first-hand.
What Can We Learn from Book Fairs Online?
Raising funds for schools and other educational organizations goes far beyond raising money. Online book fairs inspire children to explore new ideas, challenge their current scholastic abilities, and think beyond what they believe is their current limitations. Because we’re living in a time of continually being infiltrated with technological devices, placing children in front of other educational materials is essential.
Online book fairs (www.childrensbookstore.com) are a good step toward achieving many of those goals, as well as providing funds for programs that would otherwise fall through the cracks. For example, if there’s a school or other organization that is having difficulty receiving grants or budget increases, the use of these fundraising efforts could help bridge the gap toward achieving goals they’ve set during that fiscal year. When parents come together as part of those efforts, a greater sense of community develops when the projects receive the funding necessary to move forward.
Final Thoughts
Children’s Bookstore has created a system that not only makes it simple for organizations to develop online book fairs but also to spread the word about it through multiple channels. These book fairs are also simple for parents to use and share with their friends, co-workers, and family. Because we love to donate personally, it makes the fundraisers that much more exciting and inspiring for all of those who are involved. Not only do they know they’re part of something that will have a positive impact on many young lives, but we’re showing them that they are working with a company that cares deeply about what they’re doing and their goals.
What is your organization’s dream project? Give us a call and let’s talk about how we can help you fund it.