How To Do A Backpack Project

 

1. Gather a team of 3 ~ 5 people who are enthusiastic about the idea. Their enthusiasm will be your best tool for success.

~ As you talk to people, tell them what you see as benefits for yourself, your congregation or organization, the school children receiving backpacks, their parents, their teachers, your town or city, your larger geographic area, and the world we want to create.

2. Agree on a project name, a stand, vision, and mission statement, your goal, and a set of working principles. You are welcome to use the ones on the Backpack Project website.

~ Having an inspiring name, vision, and mission is important because we are about stimulating people’s imaginations about the world we want to create for ourselves and our children and grandchildren, not just have them do something.

~ Clearly stating the connection between this project and your congregation’s or organization’s vision and mission is a good way to keep the focus on inspiring
your people.

3. Decide which school district and/or school you will give your backpacks to and create a partnership with a contact person there.

4. Get a list of needed supplies for the backpacks and a requested number of backpacks from your contact person.

~ Our website has some suggested school districts and lists of their needed supplies and backpack numbers to assist you;

~ However, needs exist in many school districts; these are just suggestions.

5. Decide on the period of time you will accept backpacks and a time line for the whole project. Decide where you will store backpacks until you take them to the school(s).

~ We found that announcing it one week and accepting backpacks for the next three weeks worked well.

~ End the acceptance period a week before you promise the backpacks to schools because you will need time to go through each backpack for completeness of supplies and add what may be missing.

6. Create an attractive flyer that includes inspiring words & images, the supplies list, a final date for receiving backpacks and supplies, and a name and contact information of someone on your team. Make lots of copies, preferably on colored paper so they stand out a little.

~ Below you will find a prototype of a flyer that you can use as a starting point;

~ Offer people the option of giving you money. Be sure to check with your treasurer on the proper procedure for this. The total cost for a backpack filled with all needed supplies is approximately $40;
 

~ On your flyer encourage people to
 

-- bring fully supplied backpacks, if at all possible;
 

-- include their supplies list in their backpack with any missing items circled. This will help you greatly later on – see #9 below;

~ If possible, use recycled paper for your flyers.

7. Start announcing the opportunity of this project at services or meetings, in newsletters, and by talking to people. Some ideas of ways to capture people’s attention and help them remember are:

~ Have school children with backpacks stand with you as you make your announcement;

~ Tell people how important and enjoyable your backpack & supplies were when you were a child and invite them to remember about their childhood backpacks;

~ Make your flyer easily available in quantity whenever your congregation or organization gathers; put it on bulletin boards; have it in staff offices.

~ Pass out a small reminder for people to put in their pockets or purses, such as a cut-out of a backpack with a string attached and a smiley face on it;

~ Think of appropriate ways to have backpacks visible at services or meetings
 

-- we put a vase of flowers inside an open backpack at one service
 

-- greeters or meeting leaders could wear backpacks one time

8. Prepare a place to receive backpacks and money donations, preferably in view at services or meetings. Have a few backpacks already there as a display. Have someone there with envelopes for money donations. Have flyers handy.

~ We also had a handout of some of the better weekly special sales on backpacks and supplies by store each week of our acceptance period.

9. During the weeks of backpack acceptance, have team members purchase supplies on sale for use in filling in missing items – see #10 below

10. During the week after the acceptance period has ended, go through each backpack and add any missing items such that each set of supplies is complete.

~ Having lists with circled missing items is an enormous time-saver here.

~ Take back any unused supplies for refunds

11. Take the backpacks to the school(s) and, at your next opportunity, celebrate with your congregation or organization the difference everyone has made in the world.

NOTE #1: Taking photos of your team, the backpacks, and the school staff receiving the backpacks gives you some great images for next year’s backpack project

NOTE #2: Please share via the website your ideas of successful “How To” steps, flyers, and ways of engaging people in your project. Assisting each other to be more successful is a part of this project.