WITS Summer Books Fundraiser Toolkit

This marks the 11th year that WITS will be building at-home and classroom libraries for Chicago Public Schools’ students and teachers. In that time, we have sent home over 65,000 books and put over 972,000 books in classrooms. This campaign is responsible for nearly 15% of the WITS overall budget needed to build at-home and classroom libraries as well as the programming that supports this initiative.

Fundraising can seem daunting, so please use this WITS Summer Books Toolkit to make your experience a little easier. The resources included in this Toolkit will help you achieve your fundraising goals. The Toolkit includes a to-do list, instructions to personalize your page, email and social media templates, as well as content and pictures to share with your network.
 
If you have any questions about navigating your fundraising page, please contact WITS Development Manager, Jocelyn Tenorio, jocelyn@witschicago.org.

TO-DO LIST

Things To Do ASAP

Join a fundraising team and customize your page.
- Share why you are supporting WITS. If you are a mentor, share your mentor experience. If you are a supporter of our mission, share what reading means to you and why you believe the WITS mission is important.
Compile your contact list.
- Keep in mind that you're not requesting money from your friends, family, and colleagues; instead, you're seeking their support in fostering proficient readers and important learning habits among CPS students at this critical age.
Make a WITS Summer Books fundraising plan.
- Research shows that people need to see a message seven times before it sinks in.
- Make sure to thank donors in a timely fashion.
Reach out to contacts with personalized emails.
- Put time on your calendar every 2-3 weeks to send an email to your contact list. In some cases, a text message may be appropriate as well.
- Ask the person directly. A personal request is more likely to result in donations than mass emails or social media posts. There is an email template below, or you can write your own.
- A lot of companies offer matching gifts, so remind your donors to check in with their employers. Here is a helpful tool to see what companies offer matching gifts.
Spread the word on social media.
- Use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to excite donors about WITS Summer Books and direct them to your personal page. We've included sample language below.
- Thank your supporters by tagging them in social media posts and celebrating their gift.

4-6 Weeks Out

Circle back.
- Send out a reminder or two. We are all inundated with emails, and these requests easily fall to the bottom of a crowded inbox.
Post multiple times on social media.
- Include a new photo. Photos help put a personal face on your campaign.

Final 2 weeks

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- Say thank you every time you receive a donation. If donors feel appreciated, they are more likely to give again.
- Send a wrap-up of the day thanking people for supporting you and reminding others they can still donate.

Personalizing Your Page

We cannot stress enough how important this is!

Every WITS Summer Books fundraiser has access to his or her own fundraising page through Donately. Your supporters will be donating to your page, which will contribute to your overall team goal. You will receive an email from Donately when someone has donated to your individual page. This email will contain the amount the person donated and a link to their email account so you can thank them.Take a few minutes to personalize your page before contacting your network.

Join a team

Joining your team

When you join a team, you will be prompted to enter the below items:

Personal Information
- First name, Last name, and Email.
Fundraiser Information
- Fundraiser Title
  - Make it recognizable by including your name, for example, [your name] for [team name].
Fundraiser Description
- Tell your friends and family more about WITS and why you’re involved
- Here is an example
  - I need your help! I’m raising money to support students and teachers at [XXXX] Elementary School in Chicago. My goal is to raise $[$X,XXX] to provide students with books for their at-home libraries and classrooms, giving them the tools they need to succeed.
    
    Research proves that having books at home and in the classroom increases students' academic success, vocabulary development, and confidence.
    
    By supporting my fundraiser you are playing a positive role in the lives of hundreds of students. Make a donation today!
Fundraising goal
- We recommend $1,000.
Upload an image
- Include a photo of yourself.

Email Template

Copy and paste the below language to write your email.

Subject: Help Chicago Students Build a Brighter Future Through Books

Hi friends and family,

I need your help! I’m raising money to support students and teachers at [XXXX] Elementary School in Chicago. My goal is to raise $1,000 to provide students with year-long literacy based mentorship programming and books for their at-home and classroom libraries, giving them the resources they need to succeed.

The need is important:

Only 31% of CPS students met reading standards in 2024.
61% of low-income families have no age-appropriate books at home.
82% of CPS elementary schools lack a functioning library.

WITS is changing that. As the largest provider of literacy mentorship to CPS schools, WITS puts books directly into students’ hands and provides weekly one-on-one reading support to help them thrive.

With your donation, we can distribute 10,000+ books and keep critical literacy mentorship free for thousands of students.

Every dollar counts. Donate here: [Insert Your Donation Link]
Thank you for supporting this mission. Your support will truly impact the lives of so many Chicago students.

Social Media Templates

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Copy and paste the below language for your post.

Help raise funds to purchase and distribute over 10,000 books to students and teachers. Research proves that children with access to reading materials have better literacy outcomes. Your donation directly impacts the lives of thousands of students in the city of Chicago.