B a n d s o f A m e r i c a H o n o r B a n d

Fundraising Toolkit

Performing in the2013 Rose Parade®

January 1, 2013, Pasadena, CaliforniaDecember 27, 2012 – January 3, 2013

A program of

Welcome to the 2013 Tournament of Roses® Parade..........................Overview of Music for All........................................................................Fundraising Process: Tips for Success.....................................................Top 10 Fundraising Ideas .........................................................................Sample Donation Request Letter ............................................................Contribution Log .......................................................................................Sample Thank You Letter ........................................................................Contribution Form ....................................................................................Pin Order Form .........................................................................................

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

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Greetings!

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff at Music for All, congratulations on your acceptance into the prestigious 2013 Bands of America Honor Band! The 2013 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 and travel to the 2013 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:

•SampleFundraisingLetter •ContributionLogtotrackgifts •SampleThankYouLetter •Aneasywayfordonationstobecollected •Andmuchmore

Enclosedyouwillfindtipsandinformationthatwillhelpyoutobesuccessfulinyourfundraisingefforts.If Icanoffer advice or be of assistance to you in your fundraising efforts, please feel free to contact me at 800-848-2263 or email me at development@musicforall.org. Again, congratulations on being a participant in the Bands of Amer-ica 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,

Misty D. WickDirector of Development & Partnerships

W e l c o m e t o t h e 2 0 1 3 T o u r n a m e n t o f R o s e s ® P a r a d e

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For more than 36 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.A501(c)(3)non-profiteducationalorganization,MFAusesitsnationalprofileprogrammingto recognize, model, showcase and provide individual, teacher and organizational examples of music performance excellence and achievement.

MFA’s programs include 20 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.

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 promoting awareness of music’s impact on student growth and achievement and in taking action in support of scholastic music education.

Core Values: Music for All is committed to creating positively life-changing experiences for everyone within and connected to the organization. Our Strategic Plan honors those core values as expressed below:

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.

Overview of Music for All: Who We Are And What We Do

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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 $2.00 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 will purchase your pins in advance using the Fundraising Pin Order Form. 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, mail the enclosed order form to Music for All or contact Tonya Bullock at (800) 848-2263 or tonya.b@musicforall.org.

Fundraising Process: Tips for Success

1. Get Started EarlyDecember may seem far into the future, but don’t wait until the last minute to startfundraising.Remember,yourfirst payment deadline is only weeks away! The earlier you get started, the easier it will be to meet your goal.

2. Use all of your resourcesYou 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:

•Parents•Grandparents•Godparents•AuntsandUncles(andevenCousins!)•Yourparents’employersand/oremployees.(Some businesses have matching gift programs, which can doubletheircontributiontonon-profitorganizations! Check with your parents’ employers to see if they have a matching gift program.)•Yourneighbors•Yourfamilydoctor•Yourfamilydentist•Yourpet’sveterinarian•Yourchurchortemplecongregation(askforhelp through your minister, rabbi or priest)•Yourlocalbank,neighborhoodgrocerystore,dry cleaner, neighborhood restaurants and pizza place, car wash, hardware store, auto mechanic•YourMomandDad’sbeauticianorbarber(andwho cuts your hair?)•YourMomandDad’sattorney,financialadvisoror accountant•Yourlocalmusicdealeroryourschool’slocalmusic dealer (where you bought your instrument or where you buy your sheet music)•Yourprivatemusicinstructor•Yourband’sboosterorganization•Communityserviceclubsandassociations,suchas: 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 who are active in your community!)

3. Make it personal 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.

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, they will be even more likely to say yes.

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.Youmightfindthatsomesupporterswillmake additional contributions to help you meet your goal.

4. Offer an incentive

Finally, don’t hesitate to be creative! You are only limited by your imagination!

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Top 10 Fundraising Ideas

Friends and Family Letter/Email: This is the single most effective fundraising piece and one of the simplest. See the sample letter in the packet to get started today!

Bake Sale: Ask friends and family to bake some of their favorite goodies, and sell them at the next school event (be sure to get permission in advance).

Car Wash: Get your friends and family to assist you with a car wash in exchange for donations.

Garage Sale: Ask your neighbors to join inforaneighborhoodyard/garagesale,and all of the proceeds could count toward your participation in the Honor Band.

Pancake Breakfast: All participants pay anentrancefee,usuallyaflatfee,foranall-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. This usually includes other breakfast items as well such as eggs and sausage, coffee and juice, etc. Ideally getting the food donated is the best way to earn more with this type of fundraiser.

Penny Drive: No one thinks twice about tossing a penny or two in a wishing well or a bucket labeled Penny Drive Fundraiser! After a while these pennies begin to add up, and before you realize it there will be hundreds of dollars. Most places of business will allow you to place jars or other containers labeled with information in public places.

Concert:Playabenefitconcertwhere proceeds help with funding your Tournament of Roses® Parade experience.

Restaurant Nights: Many restaurants will donate a percentage of sales for a cause on apredetermineddate.Createaflyeranddistribute to your fellow students and enjoy a fun evening that supports your positively life-changing experience.

Facebook/Twitter: Provide a link to the Tournament of Roses® Fundraising Online Gift Form from your personal page. (Make sure to promote your cause!)

March-A-Thon: Students ask people to sponsor them for so much money per mile that they march. For example, $5.00 for every mile marched. If you want to match the length of the Rose Parade®, yourMarch-A-Thonshouldbefiveanda half miles.

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[Insert Date]

[Insert First Name and Last Name of Supporter][Insert Address][Insert City, State 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 2013 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2013. This is not my achievement alone, although I’ve worked hard to have this opportunity by practicing and participating in my school’s marching band program. There are hundreds of others like me from across the nation who have been selected to represent their schools and their communities as members of the Honor Band.

MusicforAllisanon-profitorganizationwhosemissionistocreate,provideandexpandpositivelylife-changingexperiences through music for all. Their 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 Tournament of Roses® Parade gives Music for All participants an opportunity to showcase and model the impact of music education in schools across America by bringing hundreds of students together to create America’s marching band. I am thrilled to be selected as a member of the Bands of America Honor Band! As a member of this elite ensem-ble, I am responsible for raising the money necessary for my participation and travel expenses. My goal is to raise, through the combined generous contributions from you and my other supporters, a total of $[fundraising goal].

Enclosedyouwillfindacontributionformoutliningthevariousgiftoptionsforsupportingmyfundraisingefforts.Please make your check payable to Music for All and send your contribution form and gift to Music for All. You willreceiveanacknowledgementfromMusicforAllforyourgift.Iwillbenotifiedof yourgiftaswellsothatI cankeeptrackof myfundraisingprogress.Youmaycontactmeat[phonenumber/emailaddress]if youhave 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 2013 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena. I have already started training for this positively life-changing experience. 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

P.S. Go to musicforall.org’s BOA Honor Band in the Rose Parade® section, and click on the link to donate!

Sample Donation Request Letter

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Download a Microsoft Word version of this sample letter for personalization at musicforall.org’s BOA Honor Band in the Rose Parade® section.

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Dear [Insert Supporter’s Name],

Thank you for your generous support! Without your [or your company’s] support, my participation in the Bands of America Honor Band and the 2013 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California would not be possible. I am grateful to everyone who gave a contribution and to those who have supported me in this endeavor. I am very excited to be part of the Bands of America Honor Band and will be joining hundreds of others who have ben-efitedfromthekindnessandgenerosityof family,friendsandsupporters–likeyou–whoaremakingthis positively life-changing experience possible for me!

I depart December 27 for Pasadena to begin rehearsal with the other members of the Honor Band in preparation for the event. You have helped to make this dream come true, and I cannot begin to thank you enough for your contribution, your belief in me and your belief in music education! I hope you will tune in on New Year’s Day to watch the 2013 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

Sample Thank You Letter

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Download a Microsoft Word version of this sample letter for personalization at musicforall.org’s BOA Honor Band in the Rose Parade® section.

2013 Tournament of Roses® Parade BOA Honor Band Contribution Form

December 27-January 3, 2013 Pasadena, California

Support Levels:

□ $25.00 □ $50.00 □ $100.00 □ $250.00 □ Other $__________

See payment options below.□ 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 ________________________________________________________________________________

Tofindoutif youremployerparticipatesinamatchinggiftprogram,contactthehumanresourcesdepartmentatyourplaceof employment.

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 Fax: 317.524.6200

Email: development@musicforall.org Questions? Call 800.848.2263

Yes! I want to support ______________________________________________________ (Name of Honor Band Student) as a participant of the Bands of America Honor Band at the 2013 Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2013.

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HONOR BAND MEMBER FUNDRAISING DISCOUNT ORDER ONLY!Please Type or Print Legibly:

Student Name __________________________________________

School Name___________________________________________

Instrument ____________________________________________

Home Address __________________________________________

City, State, Zip __________________________________________

Daytime Phone _________________________________________

Evening Phone _________________________________________

Email _______________________________________________

Total number of pins ordered (minimum 10) ________________________

Total Amount Due $ ______________________________________$2.00 each (Price to the public is $6.00)Orders will be shipped by Music for All to the above address

Method of Payment:

Make checks payable to: Music for AllSend completed form to arrive by December 12, 2012: 39 W. Jackson Place, Suite 150, Indianapolis, IN 46225 or fax to 317.524.6200.

❏ My check is enclosed. ❏ Bill my Mastercard / Visa / Amex / Discover (circle one).

Name as it appears on credit card_________________________________________________________

Card # __________________________________________Exp. Date_________________________

Signature ______________________________________________________________________

National Presenting Sponsor

Fundraising Pin Advance Order FormHonor Band Member Discount (Valid until Dec. 12, 2012)

Stock up at the discount price in order to trade with others in California!

BOA HONOR BAND IN THE 2013 ROSE PARADE ®

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