4 Ideas Friday

4imprint is proud to give back to the community with our one by one® program. Every business day, we grant two exceptional organizations $500 in promotional items to help make a difference in their community. We love to hear how the recipients put their promotional products for nonprofits to work. Today we’re sharing stories from a few of those organizations.

A beginning reader’s best friend
SitStayRead, an innovative reading program, uses a very special tool—dogs—to improve the reading and writing skills of Chicago Public School students in low-income neighborhoods. Through the program, volunteers and their dogs visit classrooms, where students practice their writing skills and read aloud to their cuddly reading buddies. Reading to dogs eases stress and boosts confidence, letting students really focus on learning. Thanks to its one by one grant, SitStayRead purchased branded Economy Metal Split Ring Lanyards and Two-Tone Accent Gusseted Tote Bags as volunteer appreciation gifts. Volunteers are now easily recognized by students, staff and other volunteers when they arrive at the school.

Pennies for change
From research to advocacy to patient support, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the largest nonprofit in the world focused on blood cancer research. Its mission is to find a cure for blood cancer and improve the quality of life for patients and families. The Minnesota Chapter of LLS raises money in schools each year through its Pennies for Patients campaign. The fundraiser focuses on spare-change collection in schools, emphasizing the fact that every little bit counts for cancer research. Using its one by one grant, LLS ordered Key Ring Zippered Pouches as appreciation gifts for the top fundraisers. The coin purses also helped spread awareness about the Pennies for Patients campaign.

Giving every child a chance
Dedicated to changing the lives of children in Ghana, Nurturing Nations strives to provide security and education to impoverished children who have special needs or are at risk for human trafficking. Education is key to overcoming these barriers, so Nurturing Nations hopes to build a home in Ghana for children to learn, work and live safely. A one by one grant made it possible to purchase Cell Phone Power Banks to use as an incentive for collecting donations for this building project. Once the home is complete, it will house 50 at-risk children and offer an education to 150 local students of all abilities.

Seeds of hope
Breaking out of their cocoon can be a big challenge for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Through events in Illinois and Missouri, Butterfly Dreams teaches inclusion and gives those who are differently abled the courage they need to make friends, find their passions, gain self-confidence and transform into butterflies. After being selected as a one by one recipient, Butterfly Dreams used Butterfly Garden Standard Series Seed Packets as a nonprofit promotional item to thank supporters. The blooming flowers will remind people of the important work Butterfly Dreams does each day.