In this blog, you’ll learn more about:

• What a School Can Provide in a Partnership 
• Who to Look For in a Sponsor
• Acquiring Your Sponsors

Spirit wear has always been an incredible way to generate pride within a school community. It’s also an incredible tool for raising funds (without asking your parents!), while providing immense value to local businesses. This kind of win-win-win is what true partnership is all about!

Booster is so excited to introduce the Community Partner shirt! These 7 steps will help simplify the process of collecting sponsors, so let’s get started!

STEP 1: DETERMINE YOUR FUNDRAISING GOALS

After you get a quote for your order, the first step is setting a fundraising goal. Set Your Goal high enough to cover your order cost and any additional funds you would like to raise. Remember, your school gets to keep all additional funds earned through your Community Partnerships!

STEP 2: CREATE PARTNERSHIP PACKAGES

Now that you’ve set your fundraising goal, it’s time to create sponsorship pricing levels. Lasting partnerships are all about thinking of others.  The best way to interest businesses in your school is by first thinking about what you can give them! Here are some ways many schools recognize their Community Partners outside of shirt sponsorships:

• Shout outs at annual school events (Festival, fun run, etc.)
• Logos on PTA/PTO website
• Logos on social media channels
• Invitation to host an interest table at PTA/PTO event
• Logos PTA/PTO newsletter
• Logos on a banner in carline*
• Logos on student homework folders*
• 15% Custom Apparel discount with Booster Spirit Wear*

*Talk with your Spirit Wear Consultant about these options! We can make them easy for you!

We know that every community is unique, and price sensitivity can fluctuate. Therefore, some schools find it best to customize their sponsorship levels, while others choose to use our standard sponsorship levels. Check out our Partnership Package Resource to see a few examples based off of our recommended pricing. You might be surprised to see that it only takes a few sponsorships to reach your fundraising goals.

STEP 3: BRAINSTORM POTENTIAL SPONSORS

Now you’re ready to brainstorm potential partners. Grab a few members of your PTA/PTO to help you. Below are three suggestions for the most common types of partners.

EXISTING PARTNERS: Your school may already have long-standing relationships with local organizations. They will probably be interested in any new opportunities for them to partner with you!

BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY: Think of businesses your PTA/PTO members have relationships with, as well as ones that are close to your school. Below is a list of the most common types of businesses that partner with schools.

• Construction / Engineering / Home Improvement
• Doctor / Hospital / Dentist / Orthodontist
• Restaurants
• Fitness / Sports
• Real Estate
• Automotive
• Child Services / Education / Tutoring / Summer Camps

PARENTS OF STUDENTS: Many parents own, work for, or know of a business that would love to partner with your school. Many schools find their Community Partners just by sending home our “Letter to Parents” Resource (found in Step 4).

As you grow your list of potential Community Partners, we’ve created a shareable Google sheet to assist you in tracking your outreach to these businesses and sharing information across your team.

STEP 4: GO GET COMMUNITY PARTNERS!

Schools tend to be more successful at creating partnerships when they use a variety of communication channels. Use the three editable resources below to help you communicate your desire for partnerships within your community. In order to reach the most potential partners, we recommend using all of these resources. And don’t forget to follow-up!

Download Sponsorship Form for Businesses

Download Social Media Posts

Download Letter/ Email to Parents

1. Ask for help. Recruit a team of your fellow PTA/PTO members. This will take the full responsibility off of your shoulders and leverage your team members’ unique relationships in the community.

2. Divide and conquer. If each person on your team reaches out to two or three businesses, the success rate will be higher, more ground will be covered, and it will take a lot of pressure off you!

3. Be personal & specific.  Add a hand-written note to your flyer, or a personal line in an email – “We’d be thrilled if you would consider a Premium Ad this year.”  This may feel forward, but the power of suggestion is huge, and it can help you fill out all your sponsorship packages!

4. Follow up. Regardless of the communication channel, make sure to follow up with potential Community Partners. People require multiple touch points before they respond.

STEP 5: COLLECT PARTNER LOGOS

You have a committed Community Partner! Now what? We recommend asking for their payment to secure their placement (all money is given directly to your school/PTA/PTO). Then, ask for the business logo they would like on the shirt (and any other promotional items you might offer). We need high resolution vector art files for printing, as described in our Art File Guide.

STEP 6: EMAIL COMMUNITY PARTNER LOGOS TO SPIRIT WEAR CONSULTANT

Once you have your Community Partner logos, email all of them to your Spirit Wear Consultant, including your name-only partners. Please make sure your school name, partner name, logo size, and desired logo placement are in the email. Then we’ll send all of your logos to our graphic designer to add to your t-shirt mock-up after your order is placed.

STEP 7: THANK YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

It’s a BIG deal when Community Partners commit to your school and sponsoring your shirts. We want them to know their support is appreciated, so we’ve created an editable Thank You Letter Resource for you to use. We also suggest ordering an extra shirt for each Community Partner!

In this blog:

• The perfect group gifts for your teacher.
• Gift cards that your teacher will love.
• Personal gifts that show your appreciation.
• Enter for your chance to win $1500 to thank the teachers at your school!

Gifts to Give as Class or Group

These teacher gift ideas work well as group gifts, where each student can contribute something small to create a big, heartfelt gesture for your teachers.

1. Create a Memory Book from students. Gather notes, drawings, or photos from each student and compile them into a memory book. Include special moments, inside jokes, or things they appreciate about their teacher. This is a gift they’ll treasure for years to come!

Pro Tip: Use an online company like Shutterfly or Canva to design and organize your book and give it a professional look.

2. Give your teachers the gift of a much-needed break! Ask parents to volunteer to come into the classroom and do a fun activity with students so your teacher can have a quick break to catch up on responsibilities or just have a moment to relax.

Pro Tip: Use a shared Google doc or SignupGenius to organize your efforts. You can ask parents to give their time or donate supplies for the activities you plan to do.

3. Offer massages in your teacher lounge. The holiday season is a stressful time for teachers! Gather donations from the entire school to bring in a masseuse for the day to offer your teachers a well deserved moment of zen!

Pro Tip: Because this requires involvement from your whole school, it may be helpful to reach out to your PTA/PTO leaders to help coordinate.

4. Organize a holiday breakfast or lunch. You can never go wrong bringing in a delicious meal for hardworking teachers. You can do this for your entire school or keep it smaller and bring in coffee and bagels or sandwiches for the teachers and aides that work in your students’ classroom.

Pro Tip: Ask your students if their teachers have any favorite foods, drinks, or snacks that you can include.

5. Sweeten up the holidays with a cookie swap. Ask parents to each bake a certain amount of cookies and then invite teachers to “shop” your swap and fill up a box with their favorites.

Pro Tip: Using a shared signup sheet will ensure you get a good variety of cookies and don’t end up with lots of repeats!

6. Host a gift wrapping service. Take a big holiday stresser off your teachers’ plates and set up a time where they can bring in gifts they have purchased and get them wrapped by volunteers.

Pro Tip: Collect donations and hit up a big box store to buy your supplies in bulk.

Gift Cards Teachers Love!

Gift cards are practical and flexible, making them a popular choice among teachers. From shopping to meals to experiences, there are many ways you can give your teachers a gift card that feels thoughtful and personal.

7. Purchase a gift card to a popular retailer. Target, Amazon, or Walmart are all great choices that allow teachers to pick up whatever they need for themselves or their classrooms.

Pro Tip: Take into consideration what stores are accessible to shop in person and online so your teacher can easily enjoy your gift.

8.  Give the gift of an experience. The upcoming holiday break means your teachers will have some extra time to spend with friends and family. That’s why a gift card to a local space like a bowling alley or movie theater is the perfect teacher gift!

Pro Tip: Not everyone enjoys the same activities, so it is important to get to know your teacher in order to purchase the right type of experience.

9. Arrange a “bouquet” of local gift cards. Think of local places your teacher may frequently visit during the work week and create a fun arrangement.

Pro Tip: These gift cards can be smaller denominations so you can have a bunch without breaking the bank. Think $5 to a local coffee shop, $10 to a sandwich shop, etc.

10. Make dinner on you! Buy gift cards to a food delivery service like Uber Eats or DoorDash to give your teachers a break from the kitchen during an extra busy time of year.

Pro Tip: Do a little research around where your teacher lives to make sure the delivery service you choose has a good variety of restaurant options in their area.

Thoughtful Gifts

From practical to personal, these gifts are the perfect way to show your teachers how much you appreciate all that they have done.

11. Restock classroom supplies. Pick up always needed essentials like dry-erase markers, colorful pens, sticky notes, and hand sanitizer. Many times teachers end up purchasing supplies like this out of their own pockets, so this is much appreciated teacher gift.

Pro Tip: Some teachers keep a running wishlist so you can see what they are currently in need of. There are also sometimes more unique items on their list that can be a perfect holiday gift.

12. Create a personalized water bottle or travel mug. A custom water bottle or travel mug featuring their name or a teaching-related quote is a great way to keep them hydrated (or caffeinated) during the day.

Pro Tip: Pair the bottle or mug with a small gift card to a coffee shop or cafe, so your teacher can fill it up with their favorite drink!

13. Write a personal note. Never underestimate just how powerful taking the time to simply write a note that expresses your gratitude for all that your teacher does is.

Pro Tip: Encourage your student to add their own note or drawing to make it even more special.

14. Make a self-care basket. You can include items like cozy socks, a calming candle, a face mask, and more. Your teacher will appreciate the chance to relax over the break.

Pro Tip: Consider adding an “unplug” element, like a small journal, a novel, or a favorite playlist suggestion, to help them take a true break from work.

15. Order spirit wear. Teachers love to represent the school they work for with fun swag! And not only will you be scoring a great gift, but your purchase will also support your school.

Pro Tip:  Check with your school store or parent association to see if they are offering any exclusive designs or limited-edition items that will guarantee your teacher does not   already have the item.

16. Brighten their space with a small plant.  A small indoor plant, like a succulent or peace lily, can add a touch of nature to your teacher’s classroom or home.

Pro Tip:  Let your student decorate the pot with paints, markers, or stickers to add a personal touch to this gift. It’s a creative and fun project that also makes the plant extra special!

17. Give your teacher a stylish tote bag. Teachers are always carrying things back and forth, so a fun and sturdy bag is the perfect teacher gift! Look for one with plenty of pockets to help them stay organized and on-trend.

Pro Tip: Personalize the bag with a monogram of their initials or name. It adds a thoughtful touch and makes the bag truly theirs.