Rosie Thornley
Textbooks for Zambia, CEO
123 S 123 E
Logan, UT
84321
To Beat the Bookstore:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A group of USU business students are helping give Zambian children a better life by organizing a textbook drive, Textbooks For Zambia (TFZ), through Zambia's Scholarship Fund (ZSF). ZSF, located in Brigham City, Utah, works to cycle Zambian children through elementary school, high school and college and then brings the students back to teach at these schools. These schools are very low on books and other materials; the students wait in line for the student in front of them to finish a book. TFZ is gathering high school and college level textbooks to donate to these schools. Donation boxes have been placed around the USU campus, but to reach our goal of 2,000 textbooks we need your help. We invite you to participate in this worthy cause by donating a portion of your profits from the upcoming textbook "sell back season" to TFZ. Your donation will be used to purchase used textbooks, school supplies, medical supplies and also to cover the expensive shipping costs to deliver these supplies. We also invite you to place book donation boxes in your store location. Donation boxes will allow students to donate their used textbooks that cannot be sold back for whatever reason. This is a wonderful opportunity for your company to contribute to the community and world and to also receive positive publicity and awareness throughout the community. TFZ is publishing newsletters, brochures,fliers and posters around the USU campus to further publicize the drive, and we would be happy to include information about your company's contributions.
SPONSOR APPEAL
After completing a survey among USU students, we found that students prefer your business as an alternative to the USU Bookstore than any other bookstore in Logan. Students said they found your prices and selection to be the best of any used bookstore in Logan. According to your business profile, we have learned that the most profitable time of year for you is approaching, and we would ask that you consider donating 20 percent of your profits from the upcoming sell back season to TFZ. Your generation donation will help us fulfill our goal of 2,000 textbooks by the end of January 2009. Besides purchasing textbooks, your donation will also go towards other school and medical supplies and help cover expensive shipping costs. Your participation in the drive will not only give you an opportunity to give back to the community and world, but will also increase awareness of your bookstore throughout the USU campus. Publications such as brochures, newsletters, posters and fliers about the textbook drive will be distributed throughout campus by the business students, and we will be happy to place your logo and location information on these advertisements and information pieces. Students will become aware of your business as you sponsor this great cause.
PROBLEM
With only several weeks left of the TFZ drive, we have only collected about 1,000 textbooks, half our goal. These books are desperately needed by Zambian schools. Education is crucial if children hope to break the devastating cycle of poverty; however, because of this lack of financial support and materials, only 8 percent of Zambians are able to attend high school and only 3 percent attend college. TFZ's goal is to collect materials to help more children have an opportunity to be educated and succeed. The schools are extremely low of textbooks, especially math, science and business college and high school level textbooks. Volunteers who have visited the schools say their libraries are the size of small kitchen. Students wait in line for the student in front of them to finish the book; they’re that low on materials.
One reason TFZ is not close to their goal of 2,000 textbooks is because college students are hesitant to donate their used textbooks to our cause. Textbooks are expensive, and many students looks forward to the money they receive from selling their books back. However, there is also a bitter resentment that many students have when selling back their books because they sometimes feel their books are worth more than what the stores are willing to buy them back for. This can create a problem for a sell-back store, like Beat the Bookstore, if students decide to sell their books online or through another outlet if they feel they will receive more money for their books.
SOLUTION
Through a generous donation of your buy back season profits, TFZ will be able to purchase more used textbooks, school supplies and medical supplies for the needy students in Zambia. Your donation will also help pay for high shipping costs to send these much needed supplies to Zambia. Students will be more aware of Beat the Bookstore and will be more inclined to continue to do business there because of the emphasis your business puts on education, not only in Logan, but around the world. With two other major competitors in town, Beat the Bookstore will have the upper hand by being the only sponsor for TFZ. What better way to eliminate the resentment students may have about selling their books back to a store than by giving students a chance to give back to those less fortunate? By advertising that 20 percent of your proceeds from the “buy back” period will go to TFZ, students will be aware of the project and may be more likely to sell their books back to Beat the Bookstore. This may also increase the potential for loyal customers to do business at Beat the Bookstore in the future.
BUDGET
We would request that the Logan Beat the Bookstore donate 20 percent of their profits from December 10, 2008 (first day of USU's Fall Semester finals week) through January 30, 2008. This amount is needed to reach our goal of 2,000 textbooks and to purchase school supplies and medical supplies to be included with the textbooks. Finally, your generous donation will also contribute towards the extremely expensive shipping costs, approximately $15,000, to get the donations to the children of Zambia. 100 percent of your donation will go towards this project and to the children of Zambia. Your donation is also tax deductible.
A small percentage of your donation will also be used to advertise and make USU students more aware of the Textbooks for Zambia drive through a newsletter. The newsletter will be printed on 8.5'/11' white paper with colored graphics and photos. The text is size 10 Sans Serif font.
CAPABILITIES
Textbooks for Zambia is sponsored by Zambia's Scholarship Fund (ZSF), a non-profit organization located in Brigham City, UT. ZSF was created by Peggy Rogers in 1999 to make a difference in the lives of Zambian children who would never have the opportunity to receive an education. Education is not provided by the government of Zambia after elementary school, so through donations, ZSF provides scholarships for children to attend high school and college. The fund also sponsors a Book Program, which has sent two 40-foot containers full of textbooks in the past two years. The textbooks gathered through Textbooks for Zambia will be sent in February of 2009 with ZSF's Book Program shipment. Rosie Thornley, junior is business administration at USU, is directing Textbooks for Zambia and is working closely with ZSF director Peggy Rogers to be sure the project runs smoothly.
CONCLUSION
In the United States, education is something we take for granted. According to the U.S. Census, 85 percent of Americans graduated from high school in 2004. In Zambia, only eight percent have the opportunity. Through Beat the Bookstore's donation of 20 percent of your buy back season profits, Textbooks for Zambia, through Zambia's Scholarship Fund, will make an education possible for many children in Zambia. Through your involvement in this cause, awareness of your own company will be increased and you will have an opportunity to make a difference in the life a child. We will be in contact with you shortly to discuss the details and begin our planning. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely
Rosie Thornley
Textbooks for Zambia, CEO
