Classy is the platform that powers our chapters and individual fundraising. They are our chosen vendor and our systems are synced with theirs to provide a great experience for chapters, our fundraisers, supports and donors- and best of all, it helps us tick to our core priority of efficiency.

Your Chapter Webpage is designed to synch with your Classy Chapter Team page. There you can...

• Raise Chapter funds!
• Edit your Chapter webpage
• Track fundraising
• Organize and streamline your chapter members' fundraising efforts
• Share the link with your chapter network, family, friends, and neighbors

Note that we are only able to allocate donations to your chapter through your chapter's Classy page. If your chapter raises funds through Facebook, or another fundraising webpage, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to allocate your gift to your chapter.

Use the printable Donation Forms provided above to collect any donations that are not made directly online. Information on the form is used to process the donation and, if applicable, provide the appropriate tax acknowledgement letter. Please ensure that forms are complete and that handwriting is legible. 

It is important to mail in the donations you collect as soon as possible so we can get them processed, put the funds to work and receipt donors in a timely manner. Immediately following an event please mail donations to your local regional business office. Include:

• Completed Donation Forms (provided above)
• Confirmation of Chapter Event Reporting Form submission
• Your chapter name
• A chapter/event contact person that we can reach in case we have questions. 

If there is a discrepancy between your Chapter Webpage thermostat and donations this calendar year which you know have come in, please fill out our Chapter Funds Inquiry Form and allow two weeks to see your webpage updated with gifts. If there are any questions on your inquiry a Room to Read staff member will be in touch.

With the right connections, corporate gifts can be an easy way to add big dollars towards your chapter's fundraising goal. Use the resources below to get things rolling with corporate fundraising in your chapter.

1. Make a list of potential leads.

What major companies are based in your geography? Who do you know in your network? And who do your volunteers know? Where do your volunteers work? Check out Room to Read’s Top Donors to get a sense of the types of companies that are already supporting Room to Read. Other resources to help you identify good leads include:

• CF Donor List, which provides a list of Room to Read’s Corporate and Foundation Partners from 2015 or 2016.
• CF Brochure, which provides an overview of corporate partnerships.
• Industry Targets, which shares specific industries and companies with which Room to Read is looking to partner.
  
  

2. Conduct research to verify giving potential and fit with Room to Read.

Do they give internationally? If so, is there overlap between the geographies they are focused on and Room to Read's current countries of operation?

Do they give to education? Will they fund literacy or gender equality in education programs? Do they give to international women's issues?

What is their average grant amount? Is there an application process? If so, is there specific timing that needs to be considered?

Could they be a good fit for an employee fundraising campaign? You can refer to the Employee Engagement two-pager for more information about these campaigns.

Do your research on the company's website or look in the Foundation Center's Foundation Finder. You can find their 990 tax form at www.guidestar.org.

3. Engage directly or submit your lead to the Room to Read team

If you have a lead that is a good fit for local events or is with a local organization and no documentation is needed in the form of an application or signed agreement, you should pursue the partnership directly!

If you have a lead that you think is a good fit for a larger partnership, complete the Partnership Inquiry Form on Room to Read’s website to pass the lead to the Room to Read team. Here are a few tips on when you should fill out a form:

• To inquire about a potential lead if you are not sure if Room to Read has/has had a relationship with the company or foundation
• To pass along a lead at a company or foundation with a national/global reach
• To pass along a lead at a potential publisher who could donate new children’s books (see our Gifts-in-kind two-pager for in-kind guidelines)
• To pass along a lead at a tech company with software that may be useful or hardware, tablets, laptops, etc.

For additional information on when to fill out the Partnership Inquiry Form, and what happens once you submit the form, please refer to the Partnership Inquiry Form Overview slides 12-22.