10 Ways to Afford Inviting a Guest Author to Your School:

1. Check with your PTA/PTO association to see if they will fund these and other cultural arts programs.


2. Ask local businesses that you frequent for a nominal donation. (Bank, grocery, dry cleaning, restaurants, orthodontists, retail stores, etc.) Be sure to give them a copy of the program flyer and remind them it is good advertising and school donations are tax deductible.


3. www.DonorsChoose.org  The website, DonorsChoose.org, is a charity that allows complete strangers to donate money on-line to fulfill teachers’ specific requests. Teachers can post a project that involves a classroom visitor, such as a guest author. (Classroom visitor request option.) Donors who visit the site see requests and donate money to fulfill an individual teacher’s wish. [See Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama endorsement: http://youtu.be/PUSdjfh2YjM]


4. Request a nominal parent donation. Set up a “Donation Jar” at Open House with a copy of the flyer so parents can see what their donation is for. (Throw in a $5 bill to get them started!) You may be surprised how many people give!


5. Ask room mom/dad to host a fund-raising event.


6. Check with your local celebrities for donations.


7. Ask your room mom/dad to suggest that parents contribute money towards your wish list in lieu of Christmas/end-of-year gifts.


8. Grade levels can pool monies.


9. Title I schools may qualify for monies to invite a guest author into their classroom and acquire a book for each child.


10. Out-of-town schools can talk with other schools in their area to see if they are willing to share the travel expenses and have the author spend a day at their school too.