KID PACKS FOR AMERICA
Alison Lee, National Ms. American Women of Service 2019
Funding Your School's Kid Packs
Okay, let’s be honest…Kid Packs can’t happen without money. How can we fund them?
Most schools or districts fund their programs with a combination of the three ways listed below (including my own school):
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Fundraising (and no, I’m not talking bake sales or car washes.) I mean, heavy-duty fundraising, such as concerts, spaghetti dinners, live or silent auctions, or telethons on your local cable network. It’s going to cost you hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars a week to fund your Kid Packs, depending upon how many students you have signed up for the program. The bigger of a fundraiser, the better. You want to rake in as much as possible.
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2. Donations. Our local grocery store has donated thousands of dollars’ worth of food. Convenience stores have donated thousands of dollars’ worth of money for us to help us fund our program. Ask local businesses; the worst they can say is no, and it’s going to be very hard for them to say no with all of this money and food going to a good cause. (Tip: work with your payroll office. In my district, teachers and staff can choose to set aside a portion of their paycheck to fund the Kid Packs!)
3. Grants. For the 2019-2020 school year, our district was lucky enough to have our program funded entirely by a grant. There is literally billions of dollars in grant money out there, just waiting to be donated. You might need help from someone experienced in grant writing; go to your district office and ask. Libraries and other public service organizations offer workshops in grant writing; sign up for a workshop or class!
