Create-A-Book

Give-A-Book Programs

Create-A-Book developed and carried out the first Give-A-Book program in 1983. This program has benefits for everyone involved. Local school children receive the benefit of their very own books with their names, their classmate’s names and their school's name printed throughout the story. The sponsors benefit from the goodwill created with the children and their families.  In addition, the sponsor may also benefit from any media coverage. The dealer (you) will benefit from the sale of the books.

You can use any Create-A-Book book for a Give-A-Book program, but there are four that have been especially designed for this purpose. The My School Fun Book was designed for kindergarten children. McGruff and Me, Be Smart Be Safe is designed for 1st through 4th graders. Homer and Me has been designed for "healthy and drug free lifestyle" programs for 2nd and 3rd graders.  "My Trip to the Fire Station" was designed for fire safety using local fire departments to provide guest speakers (firemen and women).

There is a non profit organization you can work with with respect to the Give-A-Book program. Check out Young Readers Council at www.YoungReadersCouncil.org. The Young Readers Council is a new organization and has no paid employees.  All volunteers. 

Programs are paid for by sponsors.  Sponsor will get both direct advertising and indirect good will from this program.  Schools are beginning to allow some forms of advertising in these give-away promotions just to get the benefits of the program (the free book).  We will explain later in this chapter just how to get your sponsor.  

Because illiteracy is a major concern today, it should be very important to all parents and teachers to promote literacy. One great way to start getting children "hooked on books" is to give them a book with their name in it. Imagine the thrill youngsters experience when they see and recognize their names in print. They will be proud of the book and the story in which they star. They will experience a sense of accomplishment at being able to eventually read their own book. Reading is exciting when the story is about you.

Studies have shown that good reading practices develop at an early age, so it is imperative to introduce books as soon as possible to young readers. If the books capture and hold their attention, they will spend more time reading them. The more they practice, the more skilled in comprehension and vocabulary use they will become.

If there is a University or Junior College in your area that has a degree course in education, contact the Dean and ask if a study of local elementary reading levels has been done. If it has not, suggest a study using the personalized books as a thesis for graduate students. This is a good way to get community response on record.

Reasons to conduct a Give-A-Book Program

• Give-A-Book generates profits at times other than Christmas.
• It provides excellent exposure opportunities for you and your business.
• Reading benefits the children
• This program can be renewed, it can be annual with the schools and sponsors
• It is not hard, once you understand the process
• It only lasts for a few days per school.  It does not take a lot of your time per year.
• You control the schedule, if you want summers off, do the program in the Spring, Fall or Winter.
• The McGruff program is nationally known.  McGruff uniforms are available at the Create-A-Book home office.
• There are no up front expenses to risk, no mall rent to pay and no ads to run.
• You don't have to wait for a sale like you do when you are on location.  Leave your equipment at home.
• The program works, and it is profitable.
• You will get residual business from the exposure.  Put your name and address in the back cover of each book.
• Everybody wins!

Give-A-Book using My School Fun Book

This book was designed for early readers and is great for preschools, day care centers and kindergartens. The book lets new readers practice their reading skills while learning about shapes, colors and numbers. There is a sponsor page available for this book that allows space for multiple sponsors in each book. If five sponsors pay several dollars per book, a tidy profit can be realized.

The My School Fun Book is dedicated to the new young reader. It has a limited age and skill range. But it does have great potential as a literary sponsor program. This book would tie in great with headstart schools and the Literary Volunteers of America. If successful in getting a sponsor program started with this book it may help open the door for subsequent Give-a-book programs with some of the other books.

McGruff, Take a Bite out of Crime ^TM
Programs

The McGruff book is truly community minded. McGruff (take a bite out of crime ^tm), was developed and is maintained by the National Crime Prevention Council in Washington, DC.. Create-A-Book is proud to have the licensing rights to McGruff.

Local businesses recognize the need for child safety in their community. Most companies have budgets specifically targeted for community relation projects. Nothing makes a business more respectable than to give something back to the community. Companies who sponsor are also investing in the future by making the children aware of their company's presence in the neighborhood.

Schools benefit by receiving free books and local attention by the press. The children benefit by receiving a personal gift that allows them to practice and develop their reading skills. Children love to be the center of attention. The story line in McGruff and Me, Be Smart Be Safe empowers young children with the knowledge they need help protect themselves in today's troubled times.

McGruff and Me, Be Smart Be Safe teaches young children to be aware of their surroundings and avoid dangerous situations. There are also many tips on dealing with the Police Department and other authority figures. The positive way the book defines questionable situations helps children realize their own power in any given situation. This book also gives them several options for finding reliable help should the need ever arise.

The McGruff book is in the conventional or handmade format. This allows for several versions of the same book so a specific area can be blanketed. However, be prepared to gather all the information and spend some time putting the books together before presentation.

Open a discussion on the program and then offer them a chance to sponsor some local children. Take time to discover who will be at the meeting and produce a sample book using their name. Arm yourself with statistics about crimes against children nationally and in your specific area.

Talk to your local police department about the McGruff programs. Chances are they are looking for someone to help them get the word out. They will probably have a list of community participants that they will share or provide an officer in uniform for accompaniment. Your potential sponsors will be impressed to know your program has the local police involvement.

Create-A-Book owns two McGruff costumes that our dealers can rent for their McGruff promotions. Request a costume, in writing and check the schedule by phone, at least a month before needed. Scheduling is subject to availability. The rental cost is $25.00 and round trip shipping costs. The costumes must be insured. At the end of the promotion the costumes must be shipped back to Create-A-Book so they can be inspected before they are shipped back out.

**Note** See the forms sent with your dealership for the necessary paperwork related to the care and handling of the McGruff costumes. (we can fax you a new one if you need it). The National Crime Prevention Council always has first choice to use the costumes for national events..

When ready to start a Give-A-Book program, your first step will be to find a sponsor or sponsors.

Getting the Sponsor

There are certain steps that should be taken when approaching sponsors for preschools or elementary schools.

1. Find out how many schools there are in your county, district or specific area where this program will be carried out.
2. Find out the total number of students there are in the grade targeted.
3. Plan to get one major sponsor for the event. Go to the merchant in your area that would most likely donate books to kids in the schools.

These businesses include banks, car dealers, or any other businesses that have good sized ad budgets. (Watch local TV stations and see who is advertising during prime times). Some car dealers spend over $20,000 per month on advertising. One sponsor is easier to manage and will receive all the benefits of this program for themselves alone. It is hard to get full retail price from one sponsor so a discount up to 40% may be necessary to get them to pick up an entire school. With multiple sponsors,it is possible to get more dollars per book. One way to get sponsors, if you can't get just one or two for the entire project, would be so sell sponsorships per student on a dollar or two dollar per student basis.  You could say "How many children would you like to sponsor for one dollar each?" Therefore, for five hundred dollars, they will help sponsor five hundred children and will have their name appear in five hundred Create-A-Books.  (Notice how we said sponsor children.  This sounds better than buying books.  Try it.  It works.  Keep the focus on the children.)

For two major sponsors, try a major soft drink company and a major restaurant tie in.  The restaurant (like Subway Sandwiches) can put a coupon in the back of the book for a free soft drink (like Coke).  This one-two punch may work in your town.  Coupons need to be approved by Create-A-Book. (send a fax).  Sponsors who cannot advertise with McGruff are Tobacco, alcohol and firearm companies.  Other companies may be barred from the program by the NCPC on a case by case basis for any reason (usually for unacceptable content, product or business practices).  If you have any questions about your sponsor, please contact us at Create-A-Book@hefty.com

When a sponsor is selected, call for an appointment. Tell the sponsor about the exciting promotion for a school advertising program that will provide them with positive press for promoting literacy, and increase traffic to their business. Only a few minutes of their time will be needed. Don't go into too much detail on the phone, because they can decide quickly not to see you.  The less said, the better, because our program has great visuals (the promotional piece and the book itself) and everybody under the sun calls the sponsors and pitches them on the phone.  I prefer the cold call, live walk in, to the phone.

Set up the appointment. Be on time. Take the product and all the company background information to the meeting. Be prepared to answer all their questions with the benefits to the sponsor and the community. If they ask if you are commercial and making a profit, you can answer yes, but you do a great job and a great service by putting this all together.  That's why we were sought out by the National Crime Prevention Council to promote their personalized books.  Don't forget to say that a portion of each dollar goes to the NCPC directly.

You are building the sponsors' recognition in the community. They become the "good guys". Your business and Create-A-Book will take a back seat in this event, since you are not the sponsor.  Do everything you can to make the sponsor the hero, as they are.  If the press comes up to you, keep the story focused on the sponsor and the books they are giving away.

Sponsor Page

When developing the sponsor page, there are several options.

1. Use the software to print the page on your laser printer every time a book is printed. The sponsor page normally replaces the dedication page.
2. Or, produce a master with the software and have it duplicated at a nearby quick print shop.
3. Or have a page developed specifically for this project at the printers. This allows for unlimited sponsor capability. Use both sides of the page and print logos and sponsors' trademarks. This idea is suggested for major sponsors.

Prospective Sponsors

Clubs:

• American Legion
• American Legion Auxiliary
• AmVets
• BPOE Lodge
• Chamber of Commerce
• Your Congressman or Representative
• Downtown Business Assoc.
• Fire Fighters
• Fraternal Order of Police
• Elk Lodges
• Jaycees, Jaycettes
• Jaycee Auxiliary
• Junior Women's Club
• Key, Keyette Clubs
• Kiwanis
• Knights of Columbus
• Loyal Order of Moose
• Lions & Lioness Clubs
• Optimist Club
• PTA/PTO
• Rotary Club
• U.A.W. Locals
• VFW and VFW Auxiliary
• YMCA and YWCA

Businesses:

• Banks
• Soft Drink Companies: Coke, Pepsi. .
• Bridal Shops
• Car Dealers
• Construction Companies
• Credit Unions
• Dairy Queen
• Department Stores
• Dentists
• Food Markets
• Furniture Companies
• Hair stylists
• Industrial Manufacturers
• Insurance Companies
• Law Firms
• Mechanical Contractors
• Merrill Lynch
• McDonald's, Burger King . . .
• Pharmacies
• Photographers
• Realty Companies
• Restaurants
• Savings and Loans
• Tourist Attractions
• Travel Agencies
• The Crime Prevention Coalition

National Members of the National Crime Prevention Council

• The Advertising Council, Inc.
• American Federation of Labor
• Congress of Industrial Organizations
• American Association of Retired Persons
• American Probation and Parole Association
• American Society for Industrial Security Associations of American Railroads
• The Association of Junior Leagues
• Boy Scouts of America
• Boys and Girls Clubs of America
• Crime Stoppers International, Inc.
• Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice
• Future Homemakers of America
• General Federation of Women's Clubs
• General Services Administration
• Institute of Criminal Justice Studies
• Insurance Information Institute
• International Association for Hospital Security
• International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
• International Association of Chiefs of Police
• International Association of Credit Card Investigators
• International Association of State Directors of Law Enforcement Training
• International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners
• International Union of Police Associations
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• National Associations of Attorneys General
• National Association of Counties
• National Association of Criminal Justice Planners
• National Association of Elementary
• School Principals
• National Association of Police Athletic Leagues, Inc.
• National Association of Social Workers
• National Association of Town Watch
• National Conference of Christians and Jews
• National Congress of Parents and Teachers
• National Council of La Raza
• National Council of Senior Citizens
• National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• National Crime Prevention Council
• National Crime Prevention Institute
• National Criminal Justice Association
• National District Attorney's Association
• National Education Association
• National Exchange Club
• National Federation of Parents for Drug- Free Youth
• National Governors Association
• National Institute of Justice
• National League of Cities
• National Network of Runaway and Youth Services
• National Organizations for Victims Assistance
• National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives
• National Retail Merchants' Association
• National Rural Crime Prevention Center
• National Sheriffs' Association
• National Urban League
• Neighborhoods, USA
• Office of Justice Programs,
• U.S. Department of Justice
• Bureau of Justice Assistance
• Bureau of Justice Statistics
• National Institute of Justice
• Office for Victims of Crime
• Office of Juvenile Justice and
• Delinquency Prevention
• Optimist International
• Police Executive Research Forum
• Service Corps of Retired Executives
• U.S. Conference of Mayors
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Department of Air Force
• U.S. Department of Army
• U.S. Department of Navy
• Department of Treasury
• Jaycees
• Marines Corps
• Park Police
• Postal Inspection Service

State Members of the National Crime Prevention Council

• Arizona Crime Prevention Association
• Arizona Department of Public Safety
• California Crime Prevention Center, Office of Attorney General
• California Crime Prevention Officers' Association.
• California Office of Criminal Justice Planning
• Colorado Crime Prevention Association
• Colorado Crime Prevention Resource Center
• Connecticut Law Enforcement Crime Prevention Association
• Florida Crime Prevention Association
• Florida Office of Crime Prevention and Training, Office of the Attorney General
• Georgia Department of Community Affairs
• Hawaii Crime Prevention Division, Department of the Attorney General
• Idaho Crime Prevention Association
• Idaho Department of Law Enforcement, Office of Crime Prevention
• Illinois Attorney General's Crime Prevention Bureau
• Illinois Crime Prevention Officers' Association
• Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
• Iowa Crime Prevention Association
• Iowa Department of Public Safety
• Kansas Bureau of Investigation
• Kansas Crime Prevention Association
• Kentucky Crime Prevention Association
• Louisiana Crime Prevention Association
• Maryland Crime Prevention Association
• Maryland Crime Prevention Institute
• Massachusetts Crime Prevention Officers' Association
• Massachusetts Crime Watch
• Crime Prevention Association of Michigan
• Michigan Office of Criminal Justice
• Minnesota Crime Prevention Association
• Mississippi Gulf Coast Crime Prevention Association
• Missouri Crime Prevention Association
• Montana Board of Crime Control
• Nebraska Committee on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
• Nebraska Crime Prevention Association
• Nevada Crime Prevention Association
• New Jersey Crime Prevention Officers' Association
• New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
• New Mexico Crime Prevention Association
• New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
• North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
• North Dakota Criminal Justice Committee
• Ohio Crime Prevention Association
• Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services
• Oregon Crime Prevention Association
• Oregon Crime Watch, Board on Standards and Training
• Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
• Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Officers' Association
• South Carolina Governor's Crime Watch
• South Dakota Police Chiefs' Association
• Texas Crime Prevention Association
• Texas Office of Criminal Justice
• Utah Council for Crime Prevention
• Department of Criminal Justice Services, Commonwealth of Virginia
• Virginia Crime Prevention Association
• Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission
• Washington Crime Prevention Association
• Washington Crime Watch
• Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice
• Wisconsin Crime Prevention Association
• Wisconsin Department of Justice
• Wyoming Crime Prevention Coalition

Contacting the Potential Sponsor

A list should now exist with a good idea of which sponsors might be interested in a Give-A-Book program for your area.

1. Before contacting a potential sponsor, obtain the number of children in the grades and/or schools to be covered. (Find out if the program will be limited to one or two schools in the county or if the program must provide the books to every school in the district.) Check with the school superintendent.
2. Decide how much you will charge the sponsor(s) for each book.
3. Stop by business and ask to make an appointment to speak with someone in Public Relations or Personnel. If someone that works at the business is familiar with the program, contact them first. Take this opportunity to find out the personal information needed to make a sample book. Use your contact's name or the names of their children for the sample taken to the future meeting.
4. Be on time for you appointment to explain the program. Take the sample made, with the appropriate information, into the presentation. Make sure to include the company's name on the sponsor page. Design a page that explains the personalization process to be added to the front of the book. The company may want to add a page in the back of the book, with a coupon or incentive to use that company's services. Extra pages can be added quite easily to the hand made books.
5. Be sure to bring any sales information, including the Give-A-Book brochures and letters of recommendation (from the school superintendent or from previous programs). When using the McGruff book, use the marketing tools designed to go with them. Prepare a "fact sheet" that outlines the number of targeted students per school, the cost to the sponsor, and any volume discount prices.

**Note** It is important to try "cold-calling". This means showing up unexpectedly at the place of business and explaining the program on the spot to the appropriate person if available, or at least setting up the appointment. This works better because they do not have the chance to say "no" as easily as they do over the phone.  They end up loving the books once they've seen them. Try some "cold calls". You will get turned down from time to time, but out of hundreds of potential sponsors, you only need a few "yes" answers.  Good luck and keep your chin up.  People don't like confrontation, but if you want their money for your books, then you must go out there and confront the business with your offer.  It won't happen any other way, and it does work.  Remember, you can't make someone become a sponsor if they don't want to be, but you can't give up after hearing "no" five times in a row because the right person who will say "yes" could be the very next contact.  People in sales understand this.  Don't quit.  You will be successful!

Making an Effective Presentation

1. Practice Makes Perfect. Deliver your presentation aloud several times. Use family and friends as an audience and listen to their ideas. Do not memorize your speech or read it word for word in the meeting. This will sound stilted.

2. Dress Conservatively. Focus on the program and the product, not on your attire.

3. Choose Your Spot. Try to remove any physical barrier, such as a desk or table, between you and the potential sponsor. Gesture openly but not over dramatically. Peak their interest and draw them to benefits of the program.

4. Watch Your Language. Avoid jargon, clichés and off color remarks. Slogans and phrases that amplify your product's attractiveness are fine, but do not overuse them.

5. Be Concise. Make your most effective remarks early in the presentation. The sponsor will want to know how it will benefit their business and the community, not the history of the personalized book business, although a limited amount of background is necessary.

6. Downplay the Visuals. Elaborate charts and slide shows interrupt your eye contact with the client. Use your time to sell and stay focused on the product. Leave backup materials to be studied later.

7. Stay Center Stage. If your listener's attention drifts, do something different. Change the speed, pitch or volume of your voice to recapture their attention. Switch the presentation to the audience and entertain their questions.

8. Answer Directly. Give straight answers without qualifying them first. Hesitation usually means the answer is not known. If it is not known, say so. Then promise to find out the answer and follow through.

9. Relax, Be Confident, Be Yourself. What makes you uniquely you will come across and help you be a successful entrepreneur. Don't copy someone else's style or you won't be taken seriously. Make your presentation personable and memorable and remember, the more presentations done, the easier it becomes.

**Note**   There are many good books written about the art of making effective presentations. Go to your local public or college library and check some of them out. Talk to the business department of the college or university for some personal pointers.

Working with the Schools

You must have approval from each individual school to go ahead with the Give-A-Book program. You should take this step after you have your sponsors lined up.  Start with the superintendent of schools.

1. Make an appointment with the school superintendent. Personal contacts within the school system should be addressed first. Also, if active in the PTA/PTO, take in a sample book and get the teachers excited about the program.
2. Make a sample book using the superintendent's name (or whoever's name the meeting is with). Get the names of their co-workers or other board members to be used as friends. Type, "Compliments of 'your company name'" on the dedication page. Any information that will drive the idea of personalization home may help get their approval.
3. Take the sample book and any promotional material concerning the Give-A-Book program to the meeting. When specifically using the McGruff book, invite a police officer from the district to explain the rest of the NCPC's McGruff program to the board as well.
4. Explain that the books will not cost the school any money and will enable each student in the targeted grade to receive this valuable book. Also, emphasize that the information gathered from the students will not be used or sold as a mailing list.
5. Ask for a letter of recommendation or permission from the superintendent or board so the program can go on in the school district.

Now go to the individual schools, if necessary.

1. Set up a meeting with the school principal to explain the program. Be sure to take a sample book (with actual sponsors printed in the book), brochures and any letters of recommendation or approval from the superintendent or school board. Since you already have sponsor(s) tell the principal who they are and explain that the sponsor has or will pay for the books not the school.
2. If the principal is interested in the program, ask if you need to meet with all the teachers in the grade level targeted to explain the program to them.
3. When you meet with the teachers, ask for their help in collecting the information about each child in their classroom. Give them a cover letter that explains the program and what you would like them to do.
4. Give your order forms to the teachers to pass out to each child in their class. An order form must be completed by each child. The parents fill this form out and return it the next day to the teacher.
5. You will want to arrange a time with the principal, secretary or a person designated by the principal when you can pick up all the completed order forms. Ask the teachers to groups the forms by class so you can distribute the books easily when they are delivered.

Making the Books

Once you have gathered all the order forms, you can begin producing the books.

• Select School Fun Book (Sponsored), from the Create-A-Books menu.
• Type in the sponsor information and print out the dedication page to see how it looks before printing the entire book. If you are working with multiple sponsors and a very large school program, you may want to have this page mass produced by a local printing shop. Get final approval for the sponsor page from the sponsors themselves.
• Make the books. You may want to include re-order information also.
• Keep the books in separate stacks, by room, for easy distribution.

Distributing the Books

1. Set a date for distribution. Make sure you can meet the deadline regardless of the size of your program. You may have to enlist help to make the books in order to be on time.
2. Send out press releases to the local newspapers, TV and radio stations. You may want to send an invitation to the school superintendent and other local officials. Don't forget to invite the police chief if working with the McGruff book.
3. Inform the teachers and the sponsors of the place and time. Typically the books are handed out in the school; however, some books have been distributed at the sponsors place of business. In any case, the sponsors will probably want to help hand out the books so that their businesses can benefit from any media coverage there is.
4. Call the sponsors in time to remind them about the presentation.
5. Distribute the books. Make sure you have extra order forms and plenty of balloons on hand. Some children may have been absent or just moved to the school and missed the initial order form. It is extremely heartbreaking for a child who does not receive his or her own book. If you are using the My School Fun Book, you may want to have a clown on hand to help entertain the children and pass out the books.
6. If using the McGruff or Scruff books, arrange to have a police officer in the McGruff costume at the presentation. Call Create-A-Book customer support to find out how to schedule the costumes.
7. You may want to prepare thank you letters for the parents, principals and teachers. You may pass these out at the same time you are distributing the books, or mail them later after the news articles are out (put copies in the letters).

The Sponsor's Special Promotions

Sponsors may want to take the opportunity the Give-A-Book program provides them to get additional publicity or increase the floor traffic in their store or place of business. The following promotions can be done for single or multiple sponsors. However, be aware that the coordination required for these additional promotions is very labor intensive.

• If the school permits, the sponsors can hand out flyers or coupons with the books at the time of distribution. The flyers may offer a free photograph of the child (to put into the free books) taken in the sponsors place of business the next day or the following weekend.
• The sponsors may want to have a photographer available during the distribution to provide a picture with the clown or McGruff depending on the book being given. The sponsor may want the company sign in the back of the picture (as in ABC Chevrolet)
• The sponsors may offer an incentive for every parent bringing the donated book into their place of business. A free photo and/or photo sticker for the book is always an extra treat and a way to entice the parents into the business
• If working with a restaurant or tourist attraction, they may want to offer a coupon. Give a percentage off a meal or the entrance fee to every child who brings his or her book with them, or the coupon out of the book.

Correspondence

Don't forget to keep everyone working on the project well informed. It is your responsibility to coordinate the event and make sure everything runs smoothly. Here are some reminders:

• Keep your sponsors apprised of the progress of the project. Write them a letter or give them a call when you get approval from the schools and when you have received all the completed order forms.
• Send a letter to the sponsors and let them know when and where the distribution of the books will take place. Inform them of what type of media coverage they can expect.
• Coordinate with the schools on when and where the distribution will be carried out.
• Invite the superintendent and other local officials to the event.
• Send a press release to all local newspapers, TV and radio stations.
• Send thank you notes to all the principals, teachers and parents who participated in the program. You may be able to hand these out the day of the event.
• Let the parents know who the sponsors are and where they are located so that they can thank them by frequenting their businesses.
• Send a thank you and follow up letter on the project to all the sponsors. Include copies of any article that appears in the local papers. Your sponsors should feel that the project is getting a lot of attention to help boost their sales and encourage them to repeat the project next year.
• Ask the teachers to have the children write thank you notes to the sponsors.  They will do this, and the sponsors will be "blown away."  Nothing beats a warm fuzzy thank you letter from a child.  We have piles of them in our office from our past give-a-ways, and we still enjoy looking at them.

Determining Sponsor Cost

When a sponsor signs a Sponsor Agreement, he is agreeing to pay a fixed amount for a specific number of books. This amount is determined by you and the sponsor. We suggest that you try to get at least twice what the book costs you, or if possible, the entire retail price.

If you are working with multiple sponsors you may be able to get more than the retail price. For example, if you charge each sponsor $3.00 per book and you have five sponsors then you will be receiving $15.00 per book. If the sponsors can only afford $2.00 a book, simply find one more sponsor.

If you as working with a single sponsor you will probably not be able to get the full retail price. However, if the sponsor has the budget, you may get a larger program going. One sponsor will want as much individual recognition as he can get. The new Internet sticker Scuff book will be a more attractive program for single sponsors. You will be able to offer these books at a much reduced price because the labor involved will be minimal.

Billing the Sponsor

Once you reach an agreement with the sponsors on the price of the books and the number of children they will sponsor, you can bill the sponsors in several ways.

Ask them to pay a percentage of the total up front. Remember that you must pay for the books when you order them. Getting 50% from the sponsors in the beginning assures that you can place the order in plenty of time to have the books made by the distribution date.

Or, ask if they will pay by installments. This would break the payments up into three or more. For example, they could pay 30% initially, 30% when the order forms have been collected and 40% when the books have been delivered. This may allow them to use budget money from two different fiscal years, thus allowing them to sponsor a bigger group.

Your last choice should be billing the sponsor for the entire amount upon completion of the project. This means you will have to purchase the books yourself and wait to be paid at the end.  It might be the only way some sponsors will participate.  This will be up to you, of course.  If the company has good credit, it should be like money in the bank.  Sometimes this is just the cost of doing business, and you should go ahead and complete the project if you have evaluated the risk.  

Make sure you put everything in writing. You will want to type up a bill for the amount you are charging the sponsor. For instance, if the sponsor agrees to pay a percentage up front, you will need an invoice for each payment. Check with your accountant about state and sales taxes in your area.  Sponsors might have to pay tax on the books.

Perpetuating the Give-A-Book Program

Stay in touch with the sponsors you have worked with in the past. Use them as a reference when talking to other potential sponsors for other programs. Keep a portfolio of articles that have been written about your business, the books or the programs. If you get TV and/ or radio coverage, ask the stations for a copy for your files.

Please send Create-A-Book copies of your articles so we can share your success throughout our network of dealers. Even though some dealers never seek to do large sponsored projects, everyone who carries the books will benefit from any coverage the books receive. Getting the names Create-A-Book on TV, radio or in print helps increase the public awareness of the products.  We will be glad to cover your expenses for the clip or video.

Work closely with your local police departments when using the McGruff or Scruff books. You can start this program anytime, even summertime.

Use the My School Fun Book for day care and/or headstart schools throughout the year.  Explain to the sponsor(s) that this book helps get the children ready for the public school system.

Use the Grace Christian line as a Give-A-Book project for Catholic or parochial schools. There may be some area churches looking for community projects to do. These books would suit that kind of project well.

Watch the papers for articles about special reading projects and approach those responsible with a Create-A-Book that will tie into their program. You may be able to have several small Give-A-Book Programs throughout the year. After several successful small programs, you can get geared up for a larger one.

Subscribe to an educational periodical. This will keep you up to date with what is happening in the public school system. Use the dates noted as a timely reminder for sponsors who want national recognition for their participation in a Give-A-Book program.

Good luck with your Give-A-Book program with Create-A-Book!

(Comments from a dealer)

I have a prepared speech, but I am prepared to ad lib as necessary.
Expect that your sponsors may not show up. They may be too busy to attend
the presentation. So, you must be prepared to fill time. I give the
principal a slot to introduce me, and I then introduce the main sponsor, our
local hospital foundation. For those of us starting this, if you can get a
non-profit to be your "front", ie main sponsor, that makes the donation tax
deductible, which makes your sales job easier to the other sponsors. The
main sponsor just lends their support, no money. Have them give you a
letter of introduction as the Program Coordinator. Use that to get other
sponsors.
Anyway, back to the program. I give the main sponsor a chance to plug their
programs for families, and then on with the rest. I name the sponsors, read
the dedication page, which has an inspirational message about reading, and
then address the children directly. I usually have them seated on the floor
in front of me, by class. I tell them how important they are to the town
and how important it is to be able to read. I tell them the people of the
town want to help and have provided them this book, in which they are the
star. Depending on which book you use, you can elaborate. Then, I address
the parents and tell them how important it is for them to read to their
children nightly.
Then, I call them up class by class to present the books. Usually, I hand
out the books and if a sponsor is there, or the principal or teacher, they
help by handing them to me. If not many kids show up, the teachers can
identify who is in line, and hand me the proper book. I have all the books
in alphabetical order to speed this up.
I call each child's name and we clap. I think this is important.

We conclude with punch and cookies. I make sure someone is taking pictures
and I get copies. I give the copies to the newspaper, who rarely shows up,
with a press release. I also use the pix to do a display board, or copy
them onto letterhead, or promotional material.

Usually, the kids and parents are already reading right there. Make sure
you appreciate this! Take a moment to talk to the parents and kids, and
enjoy their comments, and happy faces. Otherwise, it gets to be just work.
Also, when you talk to potential sponsors, you can articulate what the
parents and kids's reactions were. This adds to your sales pitch and makes
it easier to sell the program.

One final note. If you don't think this is important and you aren't enthusiastic
about it, you will have a harder time selling the concept. So, use the
happy faces and comments you get. Enjoy the experience.

Lois Kobayashi

And, another dealer posted this message on the CAB message board:

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