By hosting a back-to-school drive, you’re providing children with the opportunity to access an array of new, high-quality school supplies that their families may be unable to provide. Families across the U.S. are financially struggling, whether due to unemployment, underemployment, family illness, or other reasons. This oftentimes leaves them unable to provide for their child’s education, which inevitably results in children falling behind in school.
How Can a Back-to-School Supply Drive Help?
With more than 30 million students across the U.S. enrolled in reduced and free meal programs, many parents lack the financial resources to buy their children the supplies and electronics needed to thrive. Furthermore, schools are also facing budget cuts, which limits their ability to help fill the gaps for students in need. A back-to-school drive enables you to collect school supplies from an array of donors, so children from low-income families can be equipped with the same school supplies as their peers.
How to Start a Back-to-School Supply Drive
Starting a school supply drive needn’t require a lot of time or money. In fact, you can implement a school supply drive quickly and with little resources.
Step 1: Gather Your Friends
Even if you decide to organize the drive by yourself, it’s still helpful to reach out to friends in order to help spread the word and gather necessary resources. Reach out to your friends, coworkers, and neighbors, and see if others in your area are willing to get involved.
Step 2: Find a Drop-Off Location
When gathering the supplies, you need an established drop-off location for people to deliver their donations to. While you could use your home, it may not be convenient or accessible to people in your area. Check in with schools and churches in your area to see if any would be willing to serve as a dedicated drop-off location.
Step 3: Find a School or Nonprofit to Donate To
You need to determine where the supplies will be going once they’ve been collected. Since you’re collecting school supplies on a smaller scale, you’ll want to focus your efforts on one or two schools, so you can make a bigger impact in your specific region. If you know of low-income school districts in your area that could benefit from extra supplies, reach out to them directly to coordinate.
Step 4: Find Ways to Make Your Money Go Further
In order to collect as many supplies as possible, you want to ensure you’re getting the best deals on school supplies. You can save a lot of money by purchasing school supplies in bulk from wholesale venders. It will enable you to purchase enough supplies for multiple students, while accessing the lowest price per item, thus widening your potential impact. Keep in mind, when purchasing in bulk, you can access greater savings by purchasing larger quantities. Collaborate with your friends and neighbors, and pool your resources together to make a bigger impact. For the best deals on school supplies, browse our selection of wholesale back-to-school supplies today.