Each May, Claire’s Day partners with local schools to host a children’s book author or illustrator that will be attending the family book festival. We take care of the travel expenses and the school pays the honorarium, which averages from $500.00 to $1800.00. The following are just a few ways schools might raise the needed funds to host an author visit:
- Box Tops for Education: The Box Tops for Education program is just one way that area schools raise money for their author visit. Having a reason for the students to bring in Box Tops, from the beginning of the school year, increases the likelihood that more families will participate.
- Tyson Project A+: Tyson’s chicken is another great program to help raise money for an author visit. Similar to the box tops, students return the required product label and your school can redeem them for $ .24 each.
- Community Partners: There are several schools that have supported an author visit using from donations from community partners, such as the Rotary Club, local businesses, or individual donors.
- Traditional Fund Raiser: A traditional fund raiser, such as a bake sale, is also a great way to raise money and awareness about an author visit. These allow students and teachers to actively participate in the fund raising and also to get excited about the Claire’s Day Family Book Festival.
- Write Grants: Many educators write grants to obtain funds to cover school visits.
- Book fairs: Proceeds from a book fair at your school could help fund school visits.
- PTA: Fund raising activities through your parent organization could be allocated for school visits.
- Book sales in conjunction with school visit: If arranging an order of books written or illustrated by your guest prior to his/her visit, you can order either through a book store and receive 20% discount, or directly through the publisher and receive up to 40% discount. These savings then can be applied to author/illustrator honorarium.
