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Penny Harvest Seattle
When it comes to partnerships with schools, you get out what you put in. When you reach out to schools, students are likely to invite you to visit them. And when you visit you have the opportunity to educate students (and receive grants!). With these mutual rewards, you can look forward to a lasting partnership. These tips will help you R.E.A.P. the benefits of the Penny Harvest. REACH OUT
EDUCATE
APPRECIATE
PRESERVE
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REACH OUT Put a friendly face on your organization: select a staff member to respond to student inquiries. An ideal staff member is someone who is attracted to the Penny Harvest as an opportunity to educate young people about your cause. Staff contacts range from program staff, executive directors to outreach coordinators. It’s important that staff contacts are interested in working with students and have some flexibility to travel outside of the office or speak with students on the phone. If schools do not contact you, contact them. Contact your Penny Harvest Office to learn more. Be persistent. Students start thinking about which organizations will receive grants February – April. If a school hasn’t contacted you, contact your Penny Harvest Office. When you reach out to a school, keep in mind that they are very busy places, and you might have to be persistent. Penny Harvest Coaches are grateful to organizations who reach out to them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDUCATE Be willing to present your organization at a school. Think about youth-friendly language. Face-to-face contact with children is the best way to assure a grant and educate about your cause. Present to Penny Harvest student leaders or at a school assembly. Presentations should be short and make your work come to life. Visual materials, like short videos or appropriate photographs, as well as the power of storytelling, can make a huge difference. Capture the students’ compassion and commitment: educate about your issue and don’t just focus on the grant. Appeal to the natural sense of justice and fairness of children. We’ve all heard a child say, “That’s not fair!” Try to stimulate that response in your presentation. Share with them how their grant money will help your issue or how they can use their hands to get involved. Remember that the decision-making process is a key aspect of the Penny Harvest, so be sure not to interfere with this by offering bribes or incentives. If you cannot visit a school, offer to speak on the phone, e-mail, or send students information in the mail. Because of time and distance constraints, you may not be able to visit a school. Don’t give up. Many organizations have held conference calls with students. Others have responded to questions from students over e-mail and provided them links to follow online. Regular mail can also be useful to send students newsletters and brochures. Invite students to your organization to learn from you first hand. Site visits are tough to coordinate but are eye-opening experiences for students to learn more about the issue and how your organization creatively addresses it. It will really make your work come to life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPRECIATE Attend a check presentation at the school to thank students for their contribution. After students have made their grant decisions, many schools host check presentation assemblies where they present their grantee(s) with checks. Use this as an opportunity to educate the entire school and show your appreciation; for example, you can present each student with a certificate. Bring a camera to the event, so you can put pictures in a newsletter or in your office. Send schools a “Thank You” note. Address it to the Penny Harvest Coach and the Penny Harvest student leaders. Include information about how the grant money will be used. A “Thank You” note can be a great way to spark a lasting relationship with the school. Students and teachers share these notes with the school principal as well as other classes. It can be a great jumping off point for forming a deeper partnership. Tell the entire community about your partnership. A Penny Harvest grant is a great story for your donors and local media. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESERVE Engage students in direct service opportunities which will enrich their educational experience – and provide you with needed help. Service opportunities allow students to learn by doing. Students can engage in projects as interactive as visiting a shelter or nursing home and as simple as making cards for sick children in the hospital. Students are also in excellent positions to organize collection drives in their schools and neighborhoods. If you are having trouble inventing a service project, contact your local Penny Harvest Office for advice. Make a note to follow up with the schools when their Philanthropy Roundtables meet the following year. If your partnership with schools was positive, they will likely select you as a grantee the following year. Mark your calendar to remember to reach out to students between February – April when the Philanthropy Roundtable meets to make grants and do service. |
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