Fundraising Proposal

Presented By Green Schools Montana

YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: Cheryl Neithercott (406) 449-6332 [email protected] www.GSFundraising.org OVERVIEW

Green Schools Montana is an Earth Day fundraising campaign that will benefit K-8 schools throughout the state of Montana and provide promotional and community outreach opportunities for partnering businesses.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 Raise monies through a statewide, student-based, CandleHeart fundraising campaign, thereby addressing budget cuts and associated school program cuts through sales of a popular, eco-friendly product.  Promote Earth Day awareness among school children in Montana.  Enlist local businesses to participate by fundraising for or donating to a Matching Fund for participating schools.

BENEFITS TO YOUR BUSINESS

 Green Schools Montana is a terrific cause-related marketing campaign that teaches children about green living and raises money to help address their school budget and program cuts. Refer to the cause-related marketing section at the end of this proposal for related benefits to your company.  Tie-in with our PR campaign means positive branding and advertising for the campaign’s businesses partners.  Recognition as a partner in all materials distributed to the students, PTAs and parents in your community, as well as a beautiful framed certificate for your business commemorating your participation.  Increased business: people would rather do business with companies that are giving back to and supporting their communities.  Employee morale: when a company participates in great cause-related marketing campaigns, employees take pride in supporting a worthy cause.

Green Schools Montana Fundraising Proposal, Earth Day, 2009 Page 1 CAMPAIGN DETAILS

Our Team  The Greens Schools Montana team is headed by Michael Wiedder from CandleHeart.org ([email protected].), Cheryl Neithercott ([email protected]) and Donna Peterson ([email protected]).  This team includes a dynamic group of Green Schools Montana Representatives responsible for enlisting and coordinating with schools and businesses throughout the state. Your Representative’s contact information appears on the cover page of this proposal.  The Green Schools Montana campaign is supported by a talented Public Relations team supporting our efforts with a comprehensive PR campaign that will benefit our business partners.  Our Sponsor, Green Directory Montana is preparing Earth Day-related educational materials for students and their families.  Partnering businesses will be recognized in our publicity and educational materials.  Each participating school will receive, in addition to the funds their students raise, a portion of the statewide Matching Fund. Schools are encouraged to incorporate their students’ ideas for use of funds from this campaign. “How can my school provide a sustainable environment?”

Distribution of Funds Each participating school will receive all funds raised from their students’ sales of CandleHeart products. The statewide Matching Fund, comprised entirely of funds raised or contributed by businesses like yours, will be distributed as follows, with per capita numbers based on the number of students enrolled in each participating school on March 1, 2009. 100% of the money in the Matching Fund will be distributed to schools, with NO administrative overhead going to Green Schools Montana, CandleHeart.org, or any other organization.  20% of the Matching Fund will be distributed to contest winners as detailed below.

Green Schools Montana Fundraising Proposal, Earth Day, 2009 Page 2  Contest Winner #1, the top five participating schools which raised the largest amount of money per capita, will share 10% of the total Matching Fund.  Contest Winner #2, the top five participating schools with the largest Candle of the Month sales per capita, will share 10% of the total Matching Fund.  The remaining 80% balance of the Matching Fund will be distributed per capita among all participating schools, including the contest winners.

Schedule of Events  March 1 – May 1: execute your fundraising campaign anytime during this time frame.  April 7 – April 20: Green Schools Montana will compile data from participating schools.  April 22, Earth Day: Green Schools Montana will announce contest winners, recognize participating schools and reward the campaign’s business partners. Businesses are encouraged to participate in any Earth Day activities organized by schools in their community.  May5th: Business partners will submit their final Matching Fund contribution to CandleHeart.org via check or PayPal.  May 22: Matching Fund distribution checks will be mailed.

IDEAS FOR PARTICIPATION

Raise Funds Using CandleHeart: Conduct your own CandleHeart fundraising campaign among employees, customers and/or personal and professional contacts. CandleHeart.org offers a lovely selection of soy candles, including a Candle of the Month Club that provides an ongoing monthly donation for one year after the initial sale. CandleHeart can drop-ship the candles for you so you don’t have to worry about distribution of product. In addition, up to 40% of each candle’s sales price will automatically be placed in the Green Schools Montana Matching Fund, eliminating the need for your company to manage a Matching Fund account.

Green Schools Montana Fundraising Proposal, Earth Day, 2009 Page 3 CandleHeart.org will provide you with a website for your company’s campaign, viral marketing tools, and information for each individual in your business who participates as a fundraiser. Your employees can simply buy candles for Easter or Mothers Day as a gift and 35% to 40% of all sales will go to the Matching Fund pool. It’s the gift that gives twice.

Market Heart Tins From Your Place of Business: As a very simple promotion, each of these lovely heart- shaped covered tins holds a long-burning soy candle, an environmentally sound alternative to the toxins in petroleum-based paraffin candles. You can purchase these tins from CandleHeart for $2 apiece with a minimum order of 150 candles and sell them for $3; each candle thus raises $1 for the Matching Fund. Imagine what a lovely display they will make next to your desk or your cash register when combined with a modestly sized, attractive marketing piece created by Green Schools Montana. Just about everyone can come up with $3 to support their local schools, even in these tough economic times, and your business will receive immediate recognition for a cause-related marketing effort.

Create Your Own Fundraising Campaign: Be creative. What works best for your business and with your products and services? Here is one company’s solution: Published in the Pasadena Star-News, January 8, 2009

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has launched a school fundraising program throughout the San Gabriel Valley called ‘Shop for Schools.’ Schools that have registered for the program will be eligible to receive a $1 cash donation for every $20 spent at a local Fresh & Easy store. All eligible schools with students in kindergarten through 8th grade within a three- mile radius of a Fresh & Easy store can participate in the program. Shop for Schools will run from Feb 1 through March 31.

Green Schools Montana Fundraising Proposal, Earth Day, 2009 Page 4 Eligible schools have been sent a registration form to participate in the program and must register by Jan. 23. Registered schools will mobilize parents and students to shop at Fresh & Easy and then collect and submit receipts for verification. Fresh & Easy will cut a check to the school for the amount raised. For more information and rules and regulations, visit FreshAndEasy.com/ShopForSchools.

Make A Contribution to the Matching Fund: Simply send a check or PayPal distribution to CandleHeart and earmark it for the Green Schools Montana Matching Fund. Your business will receive the same recognition as one that actively conducts a fundraising campaign.

SUMMARY

Green Schools Montana provides an excellent opportunity to benefit children and businesses throughout the state. This campaign will be a major annual event for Montana’s schools. As a ground floor partner, your business stands to gain unparalleled recognition and branding.

CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING

The following information is extracted from the Cone Corporate Citizenship Study.

Cause-Related Marketing is Good Business  91% of consumers have a more positive image of companies that support a good cause.  86% of consumers believe companies should tell them how they are supporting a social cause.  89% of consumers are likely to switch brands when a product is associated with a good cause.  79% of consumers are more likely to buy a product that is associated with a cause they care about.  77% of consumers believe cause marketing should be a standard part of a company's activities.

Green Schools Montana Fundraising Proposal, Earth Day, 2009 Page 5 Cause-related marketing is a powerful marketing tool that business and nonprofit organizations are increasingly leveraging. According to the Cone Millennial Cause Study in 2006, 89% of Americans would switch from one brand to another brand of a comparable product (and price) if the latter brand was associated with "good cause". The same study also indicated that a significant percentage surveyed would prefer to work for a company that was considered socially responsible. This can be linked to the increase in workplace giving programs. Earlier studies by Cone indicate an upward trend in the number of Americans who associate their own buying habits with cause marketing as well as an expectation that those companies to be "good corporate citizens." Numerous other studies have also been conducted to show that cause-related marketing has helped to increase a company's profits. For example, in the cause marketing campaign by American Express (to which the term "cause marketing" is attributed), the company saw a 17% increase in new users and a 28% increase in card usage.

We look forward to working with you to help benefit the kids by teaching them to be environmentally friendly and raising money for our schools.

Green Schools Montana Fundraising Proposal, Earth Day, 2009 Page 6