F U N D I N G O U R P R O G R A M S
GRANTS: If funds are not readily available to bring our Self-Esteem and Empathy-building Bullying, Suicide and School Shooting Prevention Programs to your school or organization, check out grants from Title IV (Safe and Drug Free Schools Act) and Title V (Mental Health Support). These funders often support programs like ours.
FUNDRAISING: You can also engage your school and community in the fundraising process which can actually help the student-body be more invested in taking steps to prevent bullying in their school. (Click to Play Video)
Below are a few ideas and people/groups to contact:
o Ask your local businesses (Wal-Mart*, Target, Banks, Hotels, Phone Companies, Unions, Fraternal Organizations, etc.) to adopt your school. You can use the sample pitch letter below. (*One of the schools asked Wal-Mart for $1,000 using our pitch letter. Instead of $,1000, Wal-Mart donated $1,500.)
o Put on Hey U.G.L.Y.’s school-run Concert to Prevent Bullying using talent from your school singing popular songs with anti-bullying, self-esteem and self-acceptance lyrics. Money raised from ticket sales often covers all of the cost for our complete program.
o PTA/PTO, Mother’s Clubs, Junior League, etc. often have funding to cover a large portion of the package
o Students can pay a $5.00 fee to attend assembly
o Bake sales, car washes, phone-a-thons, etc. are great ways to raise funds
o Congressmen or State Representative for your district may have grant dollars for this important purpose
o Student Council, Honors Society funds may be available
o Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Shriners Clubs, may want to donate, etc.
o Alumni or College Fraternal Organizations may want to donate
SAMPLE PITCH LETTER TO SOLICIT FUNDING FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES
Dear (Name of Business Here),
We need your help! Our school wants to bring in the highly impactful, evidence-based, Bullying and Suicide Prevention Self-Esteem and Empathy- Building program by Hey U.G.L.Y. – Unique Gifted Lovable You. Content on the HeyUGLY.org website and in their school assemblies have been saving the lives of young people who are suicidal because of being bullied. The program empowers our students to be part of the solution to bullying, racism, substance abuse and suicide.
The need for this program is critical. Bullying is a serious mental health issue that is a leading cause of youth violence, suicide, self-injury, eating disorders, substance abuse, low grades, truancy and dropping out of school.
o New research on 37 school shootings, including Columbine, found that almost three-quarters of student shooters felt bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others. In fact, several shooters reported experiencing long-term and severe bullying and harassment from their peers. (Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education)
o 160,000 students stay home from school one day a week because of bullying (Dept of Education)
o Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youth ages 10 and 24 (CDC)
o Each year, approximately 149,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the U.S.
o 29 percent of all hate crime incidents involve offenders under the age of 18, with majority of these crimes occur immediately after school – when many youth are unsupervised.(FBI).
o Every 26 seconds a child drops out of school. 8 out of 10 dropouts end up in prison. (Mattie C. Stewart Foundation)
We need to raise (put dollar amount here) to bring this important Bullying Prevent Program to our school. Your contribution will help us empower our student body to become part of the solution to bullying with this life changing program.
Hey U.G.L.Y – Unique Gifted Lovable You is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, making your contribution tax-deductible. Our school and HeyUGLY.org will promote your business on our websites,, assembly signage, introductions at the assembly, and in all press materials and media interviews.
Thank you for considering our school. We hope to partner with you soon to empower our students to be part of the solution to bullying.
Respectfully,