Soliciting Summer Reading Money/Prizes/Supplies in your Community

Ways to solicit materials

1. Put up signs in your library and ask patrons to donate craft supplies or specific items you need.
2. Go to art supply/framing stores and ask for scraps of matting materials. Children's craft projects look much better with some framing or use the scraps for other crafts.
3. Think about all the local businesses that want to attract kids/families and solicit gift certificates: sporting goods stores, video rentals, theaters, music stores, recreation sites (like miniature golf, fun lands, water parks, batting cages, go carts, fast food places, ice cream shops, comic/trading card stores, malls in general.)
4. Great suggestions from youth librarians, compiled from pubyac listserv

Templates (Modify by cutting and pasting into a Word document and edit as needed.)

--Corporate sponsorship (outlines what specific business will receive in return for donating to summer reading program)
--Generic solicitation of donations from businesses in general
--Specific donations from targeted business
-Donations specifically for teen summer program
--Letter for businesses outlining the benefit of supporting their local library.

Potential Funders/Prize Givers

--Amusement & skate board parks, miniature golf ranges, water fun parks
--Banks (especially ones that are still locally owned)
--Barnes & Noble (ask for community relations person locally)
--Beauty salons/barber shops (manicure/hair cut certificates)
--Bike shops
--Borders Books (See general manager locally)
--Fast food places
--Movie theaters
--Stewart's Shops
--Video/music/comic/gaming/collectible stores

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