How to Run a Book Drive
One of the best ways to increase your book donations and fundraising money is running a book drive. Not only does a well publicized event such as this bring in additional books and media items, it also raises awareness about your Got Books container and your fundraising initiatives. Having a focused goal and time period creates a sense of urgency for donors, and engaging them with your organization on this level creates a sense of involvement that will likely continue beyond the book drive. Here are some tips to get you started:
Things to Keep in Mind
- First, make sure to tell everyone WHY you’re having a book drive and how your fundraising container helps you.
- Spread the word to everyone in your school, church, business, or other organization as well as throughout the community
- Use the tools and resources in your Digital Marketing Kit to help you promote your book drive
- Set a time for your book drive (1 week is recommended)
- Make sure to contact Got Books when your container is full or nearly full
_
3 Book Drive Models for Schools
Option 1: Ticket Collection (Recommend 1 Week)
Station a parent volunteer at the Got Books container with tickets before school.
The volunteer gives a ticket to every student who brings in a bag of books (1 ticket per bag)
Students give their teachers the tickets they’ve earned each day
At the end of the drive calculate the number of tickets earned
The classroom with the most tickets wins!
Option 2: Bag of Books (Recommend 1 Month)
Each classroom should get their own reusable bag or tote
Each student takes the bag or tote home with him or her day by day and fills it with books
Weigh or count the books each student brings in and deposit them into the container
Pass the bag or tote to the next student each day
Continue this until each student has had a chance to participate
Calculate the total number or weight of books from each classroom
The classroom with the most books or weight wins!
Option 3: Book Tower (Recommend 1 Week)
Each classroom encourages students to bring in books from home to donate
Each day stack and measure the books collected in each classroom
Deposit the books into the container
Add the height totals from each day to calculate their total. Have fun with it – would it be as tall as a house? The school? A giraffe?
Calculate the school totals for the week and see how tall your books would be!
