Connecting Schools With Great Fundraising Ideas.

I’m pleased to announce that the first recipient of the Top School Fundraisers grant program is Fuller GT Magnet Elementary in Raleigh, NC. The fifth grade class is planning their first school trip to Washington, D.C. They have been doing fundraising all year in order go on this trip. They’ve had a movie night, sold donuts, sold coupon books and even Jim’s favorite, the bake sale.

Parent volunteer Julie Henry, who also works for the local NBC station, helped students create this video:

This Top School Fundraisers grant in the amount of $2000 will provide scholarships to students, so that every child in the class will be able to go on this trip. Congratulations fifth graders and have a wonderful time in DC!

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This morning I’d like to give you a quick update on our Top School Fundraisers grant program.  From September to the deadline on December 31st last year we received over 300 applications.

While it has been a daunting task to read each application, giving each due consideration, it has also been very interesting.  I have been truly amazed at the creativity of educators all over the country who create special ways for students to learn.  Here are just a few of the projects that schools applied for:

• Dance program for inner city school
• Organic gardening
• Art supplies and equipment
• Field trips to the zoo, Washington DC, even Alcatraz
• Technology needs including laptops and projectors
• Books and library materials
• Special learning units on subjects like the Holocaust and Martin Luther King Jr.
• Vocational and college preparatory experiences

All of the schools that applied demonstrated genuine needs.  Many came from Title I (below poverty level) schools.  Deciding on winners has been really tough!  We will announce the grant winners later this week, first telephoning the winners and then announcing here on Top School Fundraisers.

Thank you for all you do to help our children learn, grow and succeed!

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During the election season last fall students from Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy made a splash with the song they wrote “Vote for whoever you like.” I first saw this video on CNN sometime before election day. It also caught the eye of many admirers.  A major donation from Oprah Winfrey was made to the school.

School founder Ron Clark told reporters “I was just excited to have the letter. But then a sheet of paper fell out on the floor and I picked it up and looked it was a check for $365,000 and I was just overwhelmed.”

They followed up their first hit with another, “Dear Obama” which surprisingly hits on some heavy issues.  This time the effort earned the students a trip to Washington DC for the inauguration.

Take home lessons in short… focus on great education for your students, be creative and innovative.  As Jim mentioned recently, great teaching can often be free.  Then don’t hide your great kids.  The Ron Clark Academy students sang their song at Atlanta events, got their videos on local TV and YouTube, which helped them go national.  This kind of publicity can be great for your school — for the students themselves and for getting funding!

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Have you heard the news? We here at Top School Fundraisers are putting our money where our mouth is. (Mouths are?) Last month, we announced that we would be giving up to $5,000 in grant money away to any pre-K to 12th grade program in the United States or Canada. We may hand out five $1,000 grants or we may give the entire $5,000 to one school. It really depends on the quality and quantity of the applications we receive. The deadline for submission is December 31,2008, and we’ll announce the winner(s) early in 2009.

We are very pleased to report that already, we’ve been receiving stacks of exciting applications coming into our office. Just from an initial review, we know it’s going to be a tall order for us to decide which are the best of the best.

When you announce that you’re giving away free money, of course, you’ll generate a lot of interest. However, since we can’t respond favorably to all the grants that pour in, we have to make difficult choices. But that’s ok, we’re up to that job!

In applying for this grant, we have asked you to tell us about a program that you’d like to implement at your school, but you just haven’t had the room in your budget to make it happen. Maybe it’s some computer equipment or software that you need, or perhaps you’d like to bring in an amazing guest speaker for your students. You could even have a very cool field trip in mind. If it’s got anything to do with providing a first-rate educational experience for children, we’d be excited about it. (We have decided, however, not to support any kid of bricks & mortar projects, as $5,000 probably wouldn’t be enough anyway.)

So, it’s now up to you to make your case. We have an application form that you must fill out and we ask you to make a brief presentation to us. This presentation can be in the form of a video, a Power Point display, or even something as simple as a written document.

Regardless of which method you choose, I urge you to make it sparkle. As I mentioned, there’s already plenty of competition, so you’ve got your work cut out for you. Show us how unique your idea is, tell us how many people it will impact, give us an idea of your projected outcomes. Make sure you understand the project’s budget, as well, so that we know the money will be sufficient and ultimately well-spent.

Please check out the webpage we have set up specifically for the grant information. If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call.

We can’t’ wait to read your application! Get going!

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2008 Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grant Program

Here is a great opportunity that came to my attention recently for a $1,000 grant. There is an application deadline of May 1, 2008, so if you are interested in pursuing this possibility, keep that in mind.

This grant originates from the national offices of the Parent-Teacher Association- The PTA. The program is designed to help local PTAs develop student-centered programs focused on arts education. Schools that have large populations and a significant number of “at-risk” students are given special consideration. Areas of study could include: visual arts, photography, music, dance, literature, and theater.

The award may not be used to cover overhead expenses or capital improvements. The funds must be spent on the actual development and implementation of the proposed program.

For more information, including a printable application form, please visit the PTA website.

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