COLLECTION SITE - SAMPLE EMAILS & COMMUNICATION
We hope these sample communications can help you when reaching out to your employees or organization members to promote your School Tools drive. Remember to customize the items in turquoise to your drive. Also, if you’d like the links to remain in-tact, please don’t re-format!
Email 1 – Announcing The Drive
When school bells ring this August, one in two students will arrive empty-handed and ill-equipped to learn; putting them behind from the very first day of school. [Insert Organization Name] is partnering with Classroom Central to make sure these students are prepared to learn.
Materials provided by Classroom Central not only tangibly equip students to effectively learn, but they also improve their self-confidence and self-esteem; increasing their attachment to school and their excitement for learning. However, we’re not just making a difference in the lives of our students; Classroom Central is also boosting classroom efficiency and teacher morale. Colleen Rogers, a teacher at Greenway Park Elementary says it best, “My job is hard, but definitely worth it. You not only help make my job logistically easier, you make me feel valued for choosing this difficult profession. You make my students feel like valued members of society.”
Our goal this year is to equip all of our local students in need with all of the basic tools they need to succeed. Doing so requires more than 1.8 million items!!
[Insert Organization Name] will be collecting [insert focus supply / school supplies] for Classroom Central. Our goal is [insert your goal].
Our campaign will run [insert dates] and [insert logistics such as where barrels are located, any contests, etc. See the Tool Kit for more information & ideas].
More details will follow next week. In the meantime, you may want to learn more about the need in our region, watch Classroom Central’s video or follow them on their social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram and LinkedIn.
We’re grateful for partners like you who value education! Together we can equip students across our city to learn and succeed.
We appreciate your partnership,
[Your name]
Email 2 – Kick-off Day
(could be helpful to forward the last email so they have that information for reference)
We are excited that the [Insert Organization Name] School Tools Campaign has kicked off! [insert reminder about goal, logistics about where to drop off their items, campaign timeline, or things you want them to know about your specific campaign. See the Tool Kit for more information & ideas.]
Click here find the best school supply deals (will be updated by Classroom Central starting mid-July):
If you don’t have time to shop, there are two other ways that you can help:
Classroom Central’s Amazon Wishlist – This list includes the top items and if you order on your Amazon.com account, they will be sent directly to Classroom Central. To make sure you receive acknowledgement from Classroom Central and that [insert Organization Name] drive gets credited (there is a competition!), be sure to put your name, email and [insert Organization Name] on the gift receipt, otherwise it will be anonymous. See Classroom Central’s website for screen shots of how to do this.
An online donation or a check to Classroom Central - . For each dollar raised by [insert Organization Name], it counts as one point in the competition. Make sure that you designate your donation to School Tools and that [insert Organization Name] is in the Company/Organization box within the donation form. See Classroom Central’s website for screen shots of how to do this.
To put the community need in perspective, Classroom Central shared with me the story of Ben, a bright 9th grader who dreams of being a pilot.
Although, he has never actually been inside an airplane, Ben is passionate about flying. He lived near the airport and watched the planes fly overhead while he waited for the school bus.
Ms. Avila, Ben’s teacher realized that Ben had gone 3 days without turning in his homework. Not only was he falling behind, but she noticed that he was no longer sitting at the front of the class.
Something was wrong. She pulled him aside and asked “What’s going on?” Ben replied, “My notebook is full and my Grandmother can’t get me another one.” As they talked, she noticed the smudges on his hand and realized that he had resorted to taking notes on his hand.
He was so terrified that the other kids in class would catch him that he decided to sit in the back of the class.
Ms. Avila reached into her desk, and pulled out a brand new 3-subject notebook that she had received from Classroom Central.
He took that notebook and turned in his work and was seated at the front of class the next day. Ms. Avila was overcome when she saw that Ben had drawn an airplane on the front cover of his new notebook.
Children like Ben don’t lack the motivation or desire to achieve, they simply lack the tools.
Thank you for your support,
Email 3 –
It is [insert week #] of the [insert Organization Name] School Tools Drive!
In addition to helping students be prepared and motivated to learn, Classroom Central helps teachers. Not only do free school supplies relieve their own wallets, access to these tools boost classroom effectiveness, increase time spent on instruction and decrease behavioral issues.
My scholars say it best: you are real; you have our back. It is because of Classroom Central that my scholars don't have to worry about a book bag, notebooks, pencils, crayons, etc. they know if they need anything I will go to the ends of the Earth for them. Classroom Central simply put: makes it all possible. Thank you for believing in our scholars. Thank you for giving them hope. Thank you for being there when no one else old. Thank you for making tomorrow a little brighter for our scholars. – Monica Heyliger, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Read our Teacher Survey Infographic to learn more about these factors.
Click here find the best school supply deals. Insert any reminders or information about your particular drive. And don’t forget that you can participate virtually by making a Classroom Central’s Amazon Wishlist or making an online donation.
Make sure your donations are in by [insert deadline]! If you’d like to volunteer to help us count, please [insert contact information].
Email 4 – Wrap Up
Thank you for your support of the [insert Organization Name] School Tools Drive! We were able to collect [insert final counts] to help local students.
If you enjoyed this campaign and would like to learn more about Classroom Central, you can attend a Show & Tell event or sign up to volunteer at Classroom Central in the future.