BANDS OF AMERICA HONOR BAND

FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT

in the

2017 Rose Parade® January 2, 2017, Pasadena, California December 28, 2016 – January 4, 2017

A program of

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T

Welcome to the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade ......................... 3 Overview of Music for All........................................................................ 4 Fundraising Process: Tips for Success..................................................... 5 Sample Donation Request Letter ............................................................ 6 Contribution Log ....................................................................................... 7 Sample Thank You Letter ........................................................................ 8 Contribution Form .................................................................................... 9

W E L C O M E T O T H E 2 017 T O U R N A M E N T O F R O S E S ® PA R A D E

Greetings! On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff at Music for All, congratulations, on your acceptance into the prestigious 2017 Bands of America Honor Band! The 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade is sure to be a positively life-changing experience. Music for All’s mission is to create, provide and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all. Our vision is to be a catalyst to ensure that every child across America has access and opportunity to participate in active music making in his or her scholastic environment. The Honor Band will be a model and a showcase for the impact music education has on America! In order to assist you with having a great experience, the following Fundraising Toolkit will provide you with valuable tools and resources designed for your use in raising the necessary funds to support your experience at the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade. Any dollars raised beyond your participation fees will support the “I Believe” Annual Fund Campaign. If you do not chose to make a gift to Music for All, simply raise only the dollars needed to cover your participation costs. I’ve included the following materials in the Fundraising Toolkit that can easily be downloaded and personalized, from the Music for All website, www.musicforall.org, to send to your family, friends and fans who will help support your experience: • Sample Fundraising Letter • Contribution Log to track gifts • Sample Thank You Letter • An easy way for donations to be collected • And much more Enclosed you will find tips and information that will help you to be successful in your fundraising efforts. If we can offer advice or be of assistance to you in your fundraising efforts, please feel free to contact us at 800.848.2263 or email us at [email protected]. Again, congratulations on being a participant in the Bands of America Honor Band. It is truly an honor to be in America’s marching band-thank you for representing your family, school and community! Kindest Regards,

Haley Sparks Jessica Skogh Participant Relations Coordinator Participant Relations Coordinator

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OVERVI E W O F M U S IC FO R ALL: WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

For 40 years, Music for All (MFA), through its Bands of America and Orchestra America programs, has been a destination and set the standard for scholastic music ensemble performance and music education advocacy. A 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, MFA uses its national profile programming to recognize, model, showcase and provide individual, teacher and organizational examples of music performance excellence and achievement. MFA’s programs include more than 25 annual events, such as the Bands of America Grand National Championships and Regional Championships for marching band; the Music for All Summer Symposium camp for students and teachers; and the Music for All National Festival for concert bands, orchestras, and percussion ensembles. Music for All’s programmatic model is designed to mirror and supplement the classroom and performance model adopted in most American scholastic settings. Each year, MFA’s world-class performance opportunities reach more than 400,000 individuals across the United States and around the globe. Mission: Music for All’s mission is to create, provide and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all. We believe that music and arts education is a core to students’ education and must be available to all students. Music for All is an advocate for music and arts education. Our educational programs support the efforts of instrumental music teachers on the high school and middle school levels, as well as provide positively life-changing experiences for students. Vision: Music for All will be a catalyst to ensure that every child across America has access and opportunity to participate in active music making in his or her scholastic environment. We will use our resources to provide national programs that recognize and support music students’ performance and success, offer music educator training and professional development, and deliver tools and resources to participants and their communities that will assist them in supporting music education by promoting awareness of music’s impact on student growth and achievement. Core Values: Music for All is committed to creating positively life-changing experiences for everyone within and connected to the organization. We therefore adopt the following values: People - We are only as good as our people. We embrace loyalty and will recruit, recognize and reward talented, performing and committed people. We are committed to the growth of the team that serves Music for All as well as those we serve. Passion - People want to be inspired by something they can believe in, something that confers meaning in their lives and in their work. Fueled by our passion we are committed to achieve excellence. Innovation - Music for All operates with an entrepreneurial spirit, values creativity and celebrates courageous innovation. Integrity - We are committed to a high standard of integrity, a strong ethical framework, and a deep and abiding sense of respect for employees and others with whom we interact. We keep our promises and we deliver on what is promised. We are fair in all our actions and are committed to open and honest communication. Diversity - At Music for All, equality is afforded everyone regardless of his or her unique place in the diversity spectrum. Gender, national origin, race, color, creed, religion and socio-economic class diversity offer opportunities to broaden our cultural experience. Leadership - We lead through positive action. We are committed to serving others for the greater good of society. Lifelong Learning - Music for All is committed to lifelong learning and nurtures the pursuit of music making by creating and providing quality opportunities and experiences for everyone.

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FUNDR AI SI NG PRO C E S S : T I P S FO R S U C CE SS

1. Get Started Early

3. Make It Personal

December may seem far into the future, but don’t wait until the last minute to start fundraising. Remember, your first payment deadline is only weeks away! The earlier you get started, the easier it will be to meet your goal.

Face-to-face solicitation is best, in other words ask for a gift in person! You can also send emails and letters asking for contributions, but always try to follow-up with a phone call or see if you can meet with the person you’ve contacted in person to provide them with more information and to personalize your reason for asking for help.

2. Maximize Your Resources

It’s always best to ask people whom you know (or whom your parents know) to help support you. You already have a relationship with them, so it’s easier to ask for their help. And, if you share why their support is important and why it is important to you, it can be very difficult for them to say no.

You might be surprised at how many people you know who are willing to support your cause. Here are suggestions for several types of prospects (donors) you might consider asking for contributions:

Also, don’t forget to keep your supporters informed. Try sending monthly emails to your supporters letting them know how close you are to reaching your goal and thanking them again for their support. You might find that some supporters will make additional contributions to help you meet your goal.

• Parents • Grandparents • God Parents • Aunts and Uncles (and even Cousins!) • Your parents’ employers and/or employees • Your neighbors • Your family doctor • Your family dentist • Your pet’s veterinarian • Your church or temple congregation (ask for help through your clergy) • Your local bank, neighborhood grocery store, dry cleaner, neighborhood restaurants and pizza place, car wash, hardware store, auto mechanic • Your Mom and Dad’s beautician or barber (and who cuts your hair?) • Your Mom and Dad’s attorney, financial advisor or accountant • Your local music dealer or your school’s local music dealer (where you bought your instrument or where you buy your sheet music) • Your private music instructor • Your band’s booster organization • Community service clubs and associations, such as: Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Optimists, the local Chamber of Commerce, etc. (Check in your local yellow pages under “Association” for a detailed listing of associations or clubs that are active in your community!)

4. Offer An Incentive

Offering an incentive for donations can be an asset to your fundraising efforts. Some supporters like to receive a gift or recognition for giving to a cause. Music for All is pleased to provide an incentive program for your use. (Please note that you are not required to participate.) Incentive: Band Cloisonné Pins – like the one you will receive as a gift – are available in quantities of 10 for $3.00 per pin. These exclusive pins are a beautiful commemorative souvenir for you and your supporters. If you decide to participate in the pin incentive program, you should purchase your pins in advance. Music for All will send you the pins you’ve ordered and then you can distribute a pin to each of your supporters as you choose. (We suggest pins be given to those supporters who give a minimum gift of $25.) To order pins, go to www.musicforall.org/bandpins or contact Sarah McKinley at 800.848.2263 or [email protected]. Finally, don’t hesitate to be creative! You are only limited by your imagination!

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Sample Donation Request Letter Download a Microsoft Word version of this sample letter for personalization at www.musicforall.org

[Insert Date] [Insert First and Last Name of Supporter] [Insert Address] [Insert City, State, and Zip] Dear [Insert Supporter’s Name], I have been given an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate as a member of the Bands of America Honor Band at the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California on January 2, 2017. This is not my achievement alone, as there are hundreds of others like me from across the country who have been selected to represent their schools and communities as members of the Honor Band. I have, however, worked hard for this opportunity by actively practicing and participating in my school’s band program…committing thousands of hours to making myself a stronger player, leader, and person. This incredible opportunity has been provided to me by Music for All, one of the largest and most influential national music education organizations in the United States. Their mission is to create, provide and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all. Their vision is to be a catalyst to ensure that every child across America has access and opportunity to engage in active music making in his or scholastic environment. The Tournament of Roses® Parade gives Music for All participants an opportunity to showcase and model the impact of music education in schools across the country by bringing hundreds of students together to create America’s marching band. As a member of this elite ensemble, I am responsible for raising the money necessary for my participation. My goal is to raise, through the combined generous contributions from you and my other supporters, a total of $[fundraising goal]. Enclosed you will find a contribution form outlining the various gift options for supporting my fundraising efforts. Please make your check payable to Music for All and send your contribution form and gift to Music for All. I will be notified of your gift as well, so that I can keep track of my fundraising progress. You may contact me at [phone number/email address] if you have any questions. I want you to know that I am completely committed to working hard to raise the necessary funds for my participation in the Bands of America Honor Band at the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena. Thank you in advance for your generous support and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely,

[Name of Honor Band Student] Enclosure: Contribution Form

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Fundraising Goal: [insert amount] Total Raised to Date:

Name of Supporter

In Person Request Request Letter Sent

[Name]



Amount Requested

Date to make Follow-up Calls

Contribution Log

Bands of America Honor Band 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade

Amount Received

Thank you Letter Sent

Sample Thank You Letter

Download a Microsoft Word version of this sample letter for personalization at musicforall.org

[Insert Date] Dear [Insert Supporter’s Name] Thank you for your generous support! Without your [or your company’s] assistance, my participation in the Bands of America Honor Band and the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California would not be possible. I am sincerely grateful for your generosity, and incredibly excited to join hundreds of others from across the country to engage in a positively life-changing experience! You have truly helped make this dream come true and I cannot thank you enough for your contribution, your belief in my success, and your support of music education. I hope you will tune in on January 2, 2017 to watch the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade and see the Bands of America Honor Band! Thank you again for your support! Sincerely,

[Name of Honor Band Student] Bands of America Honor Band

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2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade BOA Honor Band Contribution Form Yes! I want to support ______________________________________________________ (Name of Honor Band Student) as a participant of the Bands of America Honor Band at the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California on January 2, 2017 Support Levels: □ $25.00 □ $50.00 □ $100.00 □ $250.00 □ Other $____________ □ My check, payable to Music for All is enclosed. □ I would like to make an additional gift to Music for All’s “I Believe” Annual Fund Campaign $_____________ Please provide your information for proper donation processing and acknowledgement Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./Other: ___________________________________________________________________ Name: __________________________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________State: _______________________ Zip: _____________________ Preferred Phone Number: ________________________________________________ □ Home □ Work □ Cell Email: __________________________________________________________________________________ Payment Options: □ Check Enclosed

□ Visa

□ Mastercard

□ Discover

□ American Express

Credit Card Number: _____________________________________________ Exp._____________________ Name on Card (please print) _________________________________________________________________ Signature ________________________________________________________________________________

Please list my/our name(s) for recognition purposes as: ________________________________________________________________________________________ □ I would like my gift to remain anonymous. My name will not be listed in MFA publications for recognition purposes.

Please mail this form and payments to Music for All, 39 W. Jackson Place, Suite 150, Indianapolis, IN 46225

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