Mortar Board Virtual Book Drive

Mortar Board Virtual Book Drive underway
www.firstbook.org/mortarboard

About illiteracy
Illiteracy is linked to nearly every major socioeconomic crisis today. Children who cannot read are statistically more likely as adults to suffer poor health, struggle in the job market, rely on government assistance, and find themselves in the criminal justice system. Since 2002, Mortar Board has made a national commitment to combat illiteracy with the Reading is Leading national project.

The Virtual Book Drive challenge (July 24 - November 16)
Mortar Board's third annual Virtual Book Drive challenge, held in conjunction with First Book, runs through November 16.

This initiative, held as a part of the Reading is Leading national project, is a great way for chapters, alumni and supporters to unite nationally while working toward a common goal - to give children across the country access to books.

Whether you represent a collegiate chapter, an alumni chapter or are simply a generous member, you can help Mortar Board unite nationally to raise $30,000 so that children can be provided with their very own first books.

How you can help
With a donation of just $2.00, a child from a low-income family can be provided with their very first brand-new book. Nationally, Mortar Board hopes to raise $30,000 to give children across the country access to books. Detailed fundraising information for chapters can be found in the Virtual Book Drive packet.

WIn prizes!
At the end of each month of the Virtual Book Drive, we will have a random drawing of chapters that have made donations. The winning chapter will receive bonus credits for the First Book Market Place -- which means more books for your recipient group! Prizes will also be awarded to the chapters that raise the most overall.

Fundraising ideas from experienced advisors

Tip one: Work with your campus
Kellie Briggs, Washington University in St. Louis
Mortar Board teamed up with the campus food service provider, Bon Appetite, so that on one specific day, all of the outlets on campus that sold coffee would donate 10 cents per cup to Mortar Board. At each location, chapter members posted a flier to explain that a donation would be made for each cup sold that day, including some information about Mortar Board, literacy and the Virtual Book Drive. The chapter received almost $1,000, and all of the sales tracking was completed by the campus food service provider.

Tip two: Incorporate holiday activities
Candi Hironaka, Kansas State University
At K-State, the XIX chapter made a last-minute decision to use the holiday of Halloween to raise funds for First Book. Here’s how the group trick-or-treated for First Book:

Each member went to the public library and checked out some of their favorite childhood books from “back in the day,” from Dr. Suess to the ever-popular Goosebumps series.
Members dressed up in costume and set up a table in the K-State Student Union during the busy hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Books were displayed with a “trick-or-treat” bucket in front of each book. Students passing through the busy union could make a donation to vote for their favorite childhood book.
Mortar Board members then handed out candy treats to anyone who donated to the cause.
During their shift, members were able to reminisce and chat with students passing by about their favorite childhood reading memories and books.

The chapter also held a “Tailgate for First Book.” Mortar Board invited all four of the class honor societies and Mortar Board alumni to a tailgate at one of the home football games. Visitors were informed about First Book and encouraged to make a donation when they attended the tailgate, which included a complimentary breakfast cooked by Mortar Board members.

Tip three: Utilize alumni
Dr. Dianne Portfleet, Hope College
Donations to the First Book Virtual Book Drive pour into the Alcor chapter following a mailing to the chapter’s alumni and recent Hope graduates. Checks, cash gifts and online donations from Mortar Board members and friends have made the chapter a regular top donor for the national fundraising event. Their efforts culminate with an annual Homecoming Book Drive event. The chapter maintains a strong relationship with donors by providing recognition and thank-you letters, which they hope will begin to result in regular giving.

Tip four: Piggyback on existing events
Meg McNatt, former chapter vice president, Western New England College
The Pynchon chapter incorporated the Virtual Book Drive with one of the largest events held on campus, the “Midnight Madness” winter sports pep rally. The large-scale event incorporates a community service element, which was exclusively made the Virtual Book Drive in 2009. In exchange for a “Midnight Madness” T-shirt, students were required to donate either five books or $5, which supported the local Boys and Girls Club. Faculty, staff, family and friends were also emailed the link (www.firstbook.org/mortarboard) to donate online, and thank-you cards were sent to all who donated online.

Third Annual Virtual Book Drive a success

The third annual Virtual Book Drive Challenge came to a victorious end on November 12 with dozens of chapters working together to provide books to children in need in their communities as a part of the national Reading is Leading initiative.

The Virtual Book Drive Challenge, held in conjunction with national nonprofit First Book, is a fundraising challenge in which chapters compete to raise funds to bring new books to local programs serving children from low-income families, such as after-school programs, Head Start, tutoring and mentoring programs, community centers, and housing and shelter programs.

Each chapter selects a worthy local organization to receive 90 percent of the funds it raises. The organization chosen receives an added benefit of purchasing books through the First Book Marketplace, a deeply-discounted store where it costs as little as $2 to provide a brand-new, high-quality book to a child in need. The remaining 10 percent of donations support First Book’s mission at the national level.

Altogether 52 chapters raised an average of $600 each for a total of nearly $32,000, exceeding the national goal of $30,000. Three chapters rose to the top as the highest donors for the drive. These top chapters received bonus Marketplace bookstore credits from First Book for their chosen organizations. These chapters are:

Hope College ($500 bonus) - $10,899.61 raised
Kansas State University ($350 bonus) - $5,179.11
University of California, Los Angeles ($250 bonus) - $1,310.00

Bonus prizes were also given to chapters who raised more than $500, as well as chapters drawn in a random prize drawing each month of the drive, contributing to a total of $2,860 in bonus credits awarded by First Book.

Bonus prizes ($100 each)