Adopt - a - Grandparent Retirement Home Gift Donation

Adopt - A - Grandparent Program Guidelines

This is a great idea that's a win for everyone. It generates holiday sales, gains contacts and gives back to the community. "Adopt-A-Grandparent" is giving a gift to seniors who many times, are forgotten. Many rarely have visitors, if any; this gift could be their only Holiday gift.

First decision: You have to choose whether you will be joining us in partnering with Council on Aging/ SmileMakers Guild or choosing a facility of your own to support.

(Important: Remember, if you choose to partner with the Council on Aging/SmileMakers Guild it is a Non-Profit Organization which makes it tax deductible and considered a “donation”. If you choose a facility on your own and it is not a Non-Profit organization their sponsorship is not considered a tax deductible "donation", please do NOT use the word "donation" in correspondence or conversation.)

Timeline and Deadlines:

Businesses and Corporations start in August their response deadline should be by Nov. 12th to meet the Council on Aging deadlines.

Clients, family, Co-workers Start in October their response deadline should be by Nov. 12th to meet the Council on Aging deadlines.

Order product and bring it to meeting ASAP. Have all products to meeting by Dec. 1st. The final delivery will be made to the Council on Aging on Dec. 2rd NO exceptions.

Your last order will need to be placed by Friday Nov. 13th in order for you to receive it in time for the Dec. 1 deadline.

Who do you contact to be a sponsor: You will want to present this plan to everyone:

Your friends, family, co-workers and clients, your church, any clubs you belong to, any professionals you deal with yourself (doctor, dentist, lawyer, CPA, insurance agents, banks, etc.), businesses you have contacts with and businesses you don't. Of course, you can also give yourself.

Timeline:

Starting in August continuing through early November- Contact

Businesses and corporations. Businesses, depending on the size, usually have two sources of funds for this type of project. They have "community" funds and "holiday gift" funds. Typically businesses at least ear mark and many times spend these funds early in the year. However, some businesses, around the holidays are actually looking for places to use their "left over community and/or holiday funds" because if they don't spend them they lose them. That's why you'll want to continue contacting businesses all the way up to the end.

Starting in October through November - Contact everyone else, your

friends, family, co-workers and clients. If you work for a corporation you might consider taking up a collection with your whole department and other departments you have connections with.

The gift: We have been advised that the following products are what is needed and works best for the elderly:

2-in-1 Body Wash and Shave

Hydrating Lotion

Botanical Effects Hydrate 1

Hand Cream NON Fragrance ONLY

Lip Protector rather than lip balm (some people have a hard time squeezing small tubes).

You'll want to order your product as you get paid, or in accordance with the Star Consultant quarters or month end goals, especially when you get large business sponsorships, depending on how the funds come in.

(Important: If you are dealing with a large sponsorship donation over $250.00 and the client is making out a check it will need to be made out to the Council on Aging. The reason for this is to comply with IRS tax requirements. You will contact your Director and she will connect you with the financial person at Council on Aging. You will be providing the Council on Aging with a receipt that lists the products you will be purchasing with the money. The Council on Aging will write you a check and give you a receipt for your client. You take the money and buy the products that you will bring to meeting.

Where do the gifts go: If you are joining us in partnering with the Council on Aging/ Smilemakers Guild we are going to pool our resources together. The Council on Aging/ SmileMakers Guild wrapped over 3,740 gifts in 2014. This year the Guild will start wrapping on Dec. 3rd. Therefore, they are asking that as you receive sponsorships, bring the products to meeting and we will be delivering them on Dec. 2nd.

If you choose to do this on your own: For best results, you'll want to wait to contact the facility until you have the bulk of your sponsors. If you contact the facility before you know how many sponsors you have you may end up falling short of the amount of residents that the particular facility has and someone will have to go without. When you wait, you can match the facility's size to the number of sponsors you have. Once you have the bulk of your sponsors, call an assisted living home. Ask how many residents they have. If that number is close to the number of sponsors you have or if you don't have enough sponsors to do a whole facility, then ask to speak with the events coordinator or activities director. Explain the program; they won't say no, they'll be thrilled. "I'dlike to treat some or all of your residents to a special holiday gift. (If you don't have enough sponsors for the whole facility, the activities director can determine how to best distribute what you do have.) How many residents do you have? Are any incoherent or wouldn't be able to enjoy receiving a special gift? Are there residents who do receive regular visitors and may not be in great need for a special holiday treat?" Then arrange a time to bring the gifts to the facility. Typically, the facilities prefer to distribute them themselves. Many residents can get agitated with strange faces. Or, they may like you to bring them to their recreation room and distribute them yourself if you have time.

Gift Construction: If you are partnering with the Council on Aging/ SmileMakers Guild there is no gift construction. Just bring the product to meeting.

If you choose to do this on your own: We suggest you get some friends to help make your own production line. It will take 3 - 4 people about an hour to wrap 100 bags (or about 1 1/2 minutes per bag for a person working on their own). Use a cello bag with shred or fluffy stuffing and a simple bow. Remember these lovely people have very little room for any containers. Most have arthritis and can't work with hard knots or tough bows. So use the KISS principle and tie a simple "shoe tie" type bow.

Supplies:

· 1 1/2" Wired Ribbon works the best. Costco has 50 yd. spools at the best price, around $8. You get about 60 bows per spool at 30" per bow. You'll want to pre-cut your 30" pieces to speed up construction.

· Opalescent Shred or Poly Stuffing - You get 75 - 100 bags from an 18 oz. bag.

· White Tissue Paper - Costco has 20" x 24" sheets at a really good price. You want to pre-cut the sheet in half to get 20" x 12" pieces to speed up construction.

· Cello Bag - 6" x 13" Gold Star or Christmas tree pattern work well for men or women and with Red, Green, Gold or Plaid ribbon & have the most versatility. www.mygirlfriendshouse.com is your best source. Around $18 for 100 bags.

· Product - You'll want to order your product as you get paid, or in accordance with the Star Consultant quarters or month end goals, especially when you get large business sponsorships, depending on how the funds come in.

Easiest construction: Pre-cut 1 1/2 inch wide ribbon into 30" long strips. Pre-cut standard 24" x 20" tissue paper sheets in half to get 12" x 20" sheets. Wrap product inside tissue paper folded in thirds and then in half (like a towel). Place a small amount of shred or batting in bottom of the cello bag. Place product wrapped in tissue paper in the bag and tie with ribbon.

Packing Tips:

· 25 sets fit into a Mary Kay inventory shipping box. So, you'll want to start saving shipping boxes to transport and deliver your gifts to the facility.

Receipt Example for sponsorship under $250.00:

You can use a regular Mary Kay "Pink Ticket" sales ticket or a computer generated receipt. Either is fine. See example below.

The receipt should look like this and say:

Qty. / Description / Price / Amount
8 / Sponsorships for Adopt-a-Grandparent Program / 25.00 / 200.00
Donation going to “SmileMakers Guild” for “Council on Aging”
Tax ID # is 95-2874089
Total / 200.00

If your sponsorship is over $250.00:

Step 1. You will fill out a Mary Kay “Pink Ticket” sales ticket or a computer generated receipt. Either is fine.

Step 2. You will contact your Director and she will connect you with the financial person at Council on Aging.

Step 3. You will provide the Council on Aging with a receipt that lists the products you will be purchasing with the money.

Step 4. The Council on Aging will write you a check and give you a receipt for your client.

Step 5. You take the money and buy the products that you will bring to meeting

Thank-You Note:

You will want to send a HAND WRITTEN thank-you note to all your Sponsors and enclose their receipt with the note.

Sample: "Thank-you for your support with our Adopt-A-Grandparent program. I know that the residents will love their gift and appreciate your generosity. Sincerely,"

Referral Card:

Business Calling Dialogue:

In order to get to the right person, ask to speak with whoever handles holiday or community donations or, if it's a business you are connected with, speak to your contact person. Explain program.

This dialogue is if you are partnering with Council on Aging you will need to change it if you are choosing to do your own facility.

"Hi, this is ______. I’m a local business woman. Do you have a quick minute? I'd like to tell you about a special holiday sponsorship program called “Adopt a Grandparent”. For the past 6 years we have partnered with the Council on Aging SmileMakers Guild to provide holiday gifts and personal care items for the elderly. The Council is in need of lotion, face cream and lip care and that’s where we with Mary Kay come in. The people who receive these gifts many times have no visitors, no gifts and are all but forgotten during the holidays. The sponsorships are just $25.00 per "Grandparent". Your gift is tax deductible and will bring joy to a lonely or forgotten senior. The Council wrapped and delivered over 3,740 gifts last year, so our unit goal is to provide the council enough product to give each senior at least one personal care item that is needed. Can we count on you to sponsor a few Grandparents and help us meet this need? You could sponsor 1, or 2, or 3, or 4. You can sponsor as many as you would like. Many businesses have made the Adopt-A-Grandparent program an office holiday tradition. You’re sponsorships can be cash, check or credit card. Which ever is best for you? Thank you for your support.

Arrange a time to pick up the check or get their credit card information (remember you need their zip code). Ask for them to include a few business cards so we can make sure everyone involved knows who to thank.

Email:

If you are going to email to businesses, attach the Council on Aging Business Letter and the Response card.

Business Letter: If you are partnering with us and the Council on Aging you will use the Council on Aging Business Letter (which can be found on Unitnet.)*Note: Letters should be no more than 1 page in length and use font size 12.

If you are doing your own facility, you'll want to put this letter on your letterhead.

Greetings,

As a local businesswoman and I’m aware that there are many businesses in the community looking for a way to make a difference this holiday season. We, with Mary Kay, are partnering with businesses and I would love to include you. We have a special program called “Adopt a Grandparent”. For the past 6 years we have partnered with the Council on Aging SmileMakers Guild to provide personal care items to the elderly.

This is a huge undertaking as most facilities have hundreds of beds and we would like to not have to leave anyone out. For many of these elderly men and woman, this will be their only gift this holiday season. Many of these people have little or no visitors. They are our forgotten ones during the holidays. This is to bring a little brightness into their holidays.