Back 2 Tap Fundraising Coordinator Kit

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1 Back 2 Tap Fundraising Coordinator Kit Thank you for your interest in coordinating a Back 2Tap Fundraiser! We would be delighted to partner with you to raise money for your organization and to make a positive impact on the environment. This kit explains our fundraising program. We offer two options for your fundraiser: on-line and bulk purchases. An on-line sale relieves you of numerous tedious tasks because your supporters order and pay for their bottles and bags on-line. If you prefer to handle sales off-line, you may purchase these items in bulk. Both options are outlined below. Following this, you will find our step-by-step instructions for running a successful fundraiser. On-line Fundraising Our Back 2Tap on-line fundraiser is easy to run, and you can earn 20-30% of sales for your organization. Your administrative duties are dramatically reduced by choosing to run the fundraiser on-line. Your supporters will place and pay for their orders directly on our website. You don t have to collect order forms and checks! Plus, you don t run the risk of unsold inventory. Back 2Tap sells custom-logoed stainless steel bottles in 12, 18, and 27-ounce sizes with two cap styles - loop and sport. You can choose to sell any combination of bottles or even a single size bottle. For 1-color logos, there is a 65 bottle minimum per size. For 2-color logos, there is a 100 bottle minimum. Shipping is included! All of the bottles in your order will be sent to one specified address approximately 3 weeks after the fundraiser ends. Follow the 9 steps below to run a successful on-line fundraising campaign. To request pricing information and further details about our on-line fundraising program, please us at customerservice@back2tap.com or call 866-B2T Bulk Purchasing We also offer customized bottles and Back 2Tap logoed bottles for bulk purchase. This is a good option if you are planning to sell bottles at a special event, or if you think your sale would be more successful being run off-line. Please refer to Steps 2-7 and 9 below for valuable information on running your fundraiser. To request further details about our bulk purchase program, please us at customerservice@back2tap.com or call 866-B2T Fair-Trade Organic Cotton Bags Your fundraiser can also include selling custom-logoed reusable organic cotton shopping bags and produce bags. These eco-friendly bags are the best alternative to disposable plastic bags because they are made from 100% Fair-Trade Certified Organic Cotton. Shopping bags cost $12.00 each and return $2.00 to your organization, and produce bags cost $6.00 each and return $1.50. We custom silk screen shopping bags with your 1 or 2-color logo for orders of at least 50 bags. Please call for pricing information on 3-color logos and discounts for large orders. Produce bags are mesh and cannot be silk screened with a logo. Shipping is included

2 Fundraising Steps Step 1 - Register Your Organization Complete the registration form found at under the Schools and Groups tab and the Back2Tap Campaign sub-tab. If your school or non-profit group is located in New Jersey, you must provide us with the nonprofit tax identification number found on your organization s Form SS4 in order to be exempt from sales tax. Step 2 Determine the Products you want to Offer Back 2 Tap can accommodate any combination of sizes of bottles and organic cotton shopping and produce bags. Step 3 Provide Art Work Information your logo or other art to customerservice@back2tap.com in the following format: Adobe Illustrator file in either.eps or.pdf format. File must be original artwork where adjustments can be made as necessary (i.e. no lock on file). Ideally, we would like both a black/white and color file. We'll prepare a digital image that matches your color requirements and send it back for your approval. Step 4 - Establish Fundraising Timeframe us at customerservice@back2tap.com to let us know the exact dates for your fundraiser. Include the following information: Name of Fundraising Coordinator with contact information (e.g. phone or ) Non-Profit organization s name Start date and end date of sale Please plan on a minimum of two weeks to organize publicity, followed by three to four weeks for the sales period. Your account will be set up on Back 2Tap.com, and you will be provided with a code for your supporters to use for their purchases. A look-up menu will be available in the shopping cart so that supporters will not have to remember the code. Step 5 Distribute Fundraising Flyer Back 2Tap will provide a customized Fundraising Flyer for you to distribute to each member of your community. The flyer will feature your sale information and persuasive facts about the wastefulness of bottled water. A generic example is shown in the Appendix. Sending the flyer by is the most eco-friendly method, but we have found that a hard copy to each supporter results in a more successful campaign. If you use hard copies, be sure to use double-sided copies to reduce the amount of paper needed. We recommend that you also attach a copy of the flyer to your organization s newsletter or any other communication vehicle that is appropriate.

3 Step 6 Prepare Publicity Materials Tailor our sample publicity pieces to suit your organization s needs. They are found in the Appendix of this Kit. Visit our Get the Facts web page to find more information if you wish to develop your own materials. Submit an article to your local newspaper. See publicity samples 1 and 2. Place frequent small blurbs in your newsletter to inform supporters about the fundraiser. See publicity samples 3 7 in the Appendix. The Back 2Tap website includes a video about the wastefulness of disposable plastic water bottles. This downloadable video is a great educational tool. To generate enthusiasm for the campaign, show it at one of your organization s regularly scheduled meetings and/or encourage your school to show it in classrooms. Encourage your supporters to view the Back 2Tap video on our website. Step 7 Send out Deadline Reminder Because orders will be placed directly on-line, your only responsibility during the sale will be to send out a reminder about the sales deadline. and newsletters are good way to accomplish this. Here are two suggestions: Sample A: The ordering deadline for Back 2Tap stainless steel bottles is. Please remember that these bottles will pay for themselves in a short period of time and are much better for the earth than disposable plastic water bottles. Did you know that each day Americans throw in the garbage enough water bottles to make a chain of bottles to China and back? Sample B: The Back 2Tap order deadline is. Remember to go to.back2tap.com and place your order online. The greater our sales, the greater our school s profits 20 to 30%! These bottles will be an easy way for your family to live more sustainably. They make great gifts, too! Step 8 - Review Sales Report At the end of the fundraising period, we will send you a sales report. This report contains: Each purchaser s name address Address and phone number School s name, if applicable Homeroom teacher, if applicable Personalization information, if applicable (Name/Phone Number) Bottles and caps ordered by individual and in total Sales dollars by individual and in total Step 9 Distribute and Personalize Bottles After you authorize the final order totals, the bottles will be printed and sent to your one specified address. You will use a final sales report for distributing the bottles and bags to your supporters. As a courtesy, you may choose to personalize the bottles with names and phone numbers. We have tested many permanent markers and recommend the Dykem Brite Mark marker with the fine tip. It is a quick drying, oil-based

4 paint pen that withstands vigorous washing with minimal fading. Errors can be removed easily with rubbing alcohol. Markers are available online at Durablesupply.com, Supplyhero.com and Markingpendepot.com. Ideas to Build Excitement about Your Fundraiser In schools, discuss the fundraiser s underlying messages with the principal. Ask the principal to check out the video and other educational resources available on-line and to encourage teachers to promote classroom discussion by showing our Back 2Tap video. If you plan a fall fundraiser, take advantage of the large audience of parents at Back-to-School night. Couple the fundraiser with your Earth Day celebration, field day or other special event. Hold a poster contest to announce the fundraiser. Hold a contest to design a logo for the bottle and/or bag. Enlist the support of your school s environmental club or science teachers. Enlist the help of students to make announcements over the public address system. Conduct an audit of the number of disposable plastic bottles thrown in the trash and in the recycling bins every day. Use this benchmark as a motivator to improve your organization s efforts. Be sure to publicize your results at the end of the campaign. Build a display out of empty, plastic water bottles that represents the number of plastic water bottles used in one day. Final Considerations Since Back 2Tap offers a customized product, we suggest that you order extra bottles in each size. Once people see their custom logoed products, there are many requests for more. You may also want to tentatively schedule your next Back 2Tap fundraiser as your current fundraiser concludes. By announcing your next offering, your supporters will be more likely to wait until your next campaign to buy additional reusable bottles and bags. Congratulations! As a result of your efforts, you have raised money to support the important work of your organization and made a positive impact on the environment.

5 Appendix Sample Publicity for Newspapers Sample 1 Newspaper Article Let your entire community know about the Back 2 Tap message and increase your sales 100 Million. This is the number of plastic water bottles Americans send to landfills each day. It doesn t take environmental expertise to know that this staggering amount of waste and is an extremely inefficient use of our earth s limited resources. [Your organization s name] new Back 2Tap campaign is providing us with a way of reducing this mountain of bottle trash. The Back 2Tap campaign encourages everyone to drink tap water from reusable bottles rather than buying bottled water. Recently, the Recreation Department joined the campaign by requesting that players bring drinks in reusable containers instead of throw away plastic bottles. The schools are also spreading this important message to students. A stainless steel bottle fundraiser is being conducted this month through [your organization s name]. The bottles will come in 12, 18 and 27-ounce sizes and will have the logo. They cost, respectively. Proceeds will go to to be used for the improvement of tap water dispensers or other environmental projects. In the past, fundraising has been all about wrapping paper, unhealthy foods and other stuff. [Your organization s name] has decided to take a new approach this year. While still raising the funds needed, we can do something good for our town, for the earth, and for our children s health. As for health concerns, tap water is strictly regulated and frequently tested under EPA rules. Unlike bottled water that is regulated by the FDA, test results for tap water are required to be made public. Tap water is easy to filter at home for improved taste (go to for more information). There are also numerous flavoring powders available at the grocery store to mix with tap water to make your favorite drink. Preparing your own drinks in a reusable bottle will save you a significant amount of money. Recently, there has been a lot of information in the media about the over-abundant use of disposable bottles. Did you know that only 23% of disposable bottles are recycled in the U.S.? Or, that it takes 17 million barrels of oil per year to produce and distribute the disposable water bottles that Americans purchase - enough to fuel one million cars. Likewise, to make one disposable plastic water bottle it takes close to a ½ cup of oil and the equivalent of 3 bottles of water. At the same time, 120 grams (picture 12 balloons) of CO 2 are generated. It s time to take action. Join [name of your organization] to get Back 2Tap! For information on ordering bottles, please contact or go to Back2tap.com. Sample 2 Wrap Up Back 2 Tap Raises Awareness and Funds to Save the Environment Almost gallons of water, barrels of oil and tons of CO 2 -- that's the amount of resources that will be saved in one year by [name of your organization] using their new stainless steel reusable bottles instead of disposable plastic bottles. [Use the following multiples to find out the total resources saved by your fundraiser: # bottles sold X 44 gallons/bottle = gallons of water saved per year, # bottles sold X 0.13 barrels of oil/bottle = barrels of oil saved/year, # bottles sold X tons of CO 2/bottle = tons of CO 2 saved/year.] "This shows how a simple step can make a big difference for the environment," said, fundraising chair of the Back 2Tap campaign. "And it helps that the stainless steel bottles with the [name type of logo] logo are a real hit with the kids!" More than bottles were delivered to [name of your organization] during the first week of. [Add another quote from a leader in your organization.] The success of the program was due to the contribution of many volunteers. Last fall, the Back 2Tap committee presented the environmental benefits of using reusable bottles to the recreation department. The recreation department, concerned with the volume of waste found on the fields, then notified the coaches to encourage players to switch from disposable to reusable bottles for all sports events. The rollout of the Back 2Tap campaign continued as [name other activities that took place]. When the bottles arrived, many volunteers helped to organize them and to personalize each one with the recipient's name and phone number. "We knew these were more expensive than typical plastic water bottles and wanted to be sure

6 all the bottles were personalized in case they got lost," said [fundraising chairperson]. Changes in water drinking habits are already evident. Give examples. Add a quote from one of the fundraiser s supporters. Since the Back 2Tap program was set up as a fundraiser, almost $ has been raised to fund or to fund water coolers dispensers that will provide cool, filtered tap water. For more information on Back 2Tap, contact at, or visit Sample 3 Sample Publicity Blurbs for Newsletters or Websites We re Going "Back 2Tap" - Tap Water, That is! To reduce the wasteful use of disposable plastic water bottles, the Back 2Tap campaign has prepared an informational flyer with staggering facts about bottled water and information about ordering stainless steel reusable bottles by [date]. Profits will benefit. Please look for the flyer that was sent to your home and place your order at Back2Tap.com. There is also a video on the Back2Tap.com website for you to watch with your children to learn how disposable plastic bottles impact our planet. Sample 4 We re working to reduce the use of bottled water by encouraging everyone to use reusable bottles and to drink tap water. Educational materials are being circulated to raise awareness about this issue. There is also a fun and informative video that you can view at Back2Tap.com. We re selling high quality reusable bottles made of durable, but lightweight stainless steel to raise money and to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles. All profits from the sale will be used toward improving our water dispensers and other environmental projects. Bottle orders can be placed at Back2Tap.com. The deadline is. Thank you for your support! Sample 5 FEELING GREEN? Join the efforts of Back 2Tap. Information about our reusable water bottle fundraiser was sent out last week. Bottles will be personalized free of charge. This sale is running now through. Go to Back2Tap.com to place your order. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact. Sample 6 In 2006, Americans consumed an average of 167 bottles of water - a total of 50 billion bottles in one year. Only 23% of these bottles were recycled! 100 million bottles PER DAY wound up in U.S. landfills - 38 billion in total per year. Stainless Steel bottles are one of the safest, most durable and most stylish reusable containers. Please support our school by purchasing these special bottles with our logo on them. Sample 7 STOP spending money on something that is practically free! Send reusable bottles to class with your children & use our new filtered water coolers at school. We will receive 20% of all sales. To purchase these great Stainless Steel bottles Visit Go to the School &Groups section & enter our code:

7 Sample Fundraising Flyer Side 1- Sale Details (Your School) is going Back2Tap Tap Water, That is! Stainless Steel Bottle Fundraiser Our new green fundraising campaign: - Helps the environment by reducing the waste of natural resources associated with the production and distribution of plastic water bottles. - Educates our school community about plastic pollution, sustainability and the global water crisis. - Contributes at least 20% of total sales to our school Stainless Steel bottles are one of the safest, most durable and best looking reusable containers. Sports and loop caps are available. 12-ounce bottle - $ 18-ounce bottle - $ 27-ounce bottle - $ Order deadline: (TBD) For easy on-line ordering, go to Enter our school code: XX######XXX Questions? Please contact (FC name) at (FC address) or (FC phone ) Going Back2Tap is a simple way to make a BIG difference.

8 Sample Fundraising Flyer Side 2 - Bottled Water Facts Why Is Going Back 2 Tap Important? The sheer numbers are staggering In 2006, Americans consumed an average of 167 bottles of water a total of 50 billion bottles in one year. Only 23% of these bottles were recycled! 100 million bottles PER DAY wound up in U.S. landfills 38 billion in total per year! The problems with plastic It takes 700 years for plastic to decompose. Much of plastic waste winds up in our oceans, negatively impacting ecosystems and wildlife. Plastic is made out of oil, a finite, increasingly more costly natural resource. The production and distribution of water bottles uses 17 million barrels of oil annually enough to fuel 1 million cars! The environmental impact of ONE disposable bottle Picture a disposable water bottle ¼ full. From oil field to consumer, that is how much petroleum it takes to make and ship a single bottle of water to you. It takes THREE bottles of water to make and distribute ONE disposable bottle of water. 120 grams of greenhouse gases are generated by the production of a single disposable plastic bottle of water. Your tap water Tap water is strictly regulated by the EPA using guidelines which are more stringent than those of the FDA which regulates bottled water. Reporting test results is mandatory under EPA rules unlike FDA guidelines. Home filters are available from a variety of sources. Even with an in-home filtration system, the cost of tap water is considerably less than bottled water. Information on recommended home water filters is available at People prefer tap water over bottled water 4 out of 5 times in blind taste tests. Tap water can be 1000 times cheaper than bottled water (2 vs. $1 - $20 per gallon). Over 25% of bottled water is actually filtered tap water. Going Back2Tap is a simple way to make a BIG difference!