Services for Quota Clubs

Adopt the Cops ‘n’ Kids Program:
Steps for Getting Started

Cops 'n' Kids provides children with access to literacy, but also helps members of the police force develop positive relationships with those children and the community. To achieve these goals, Cops 'n' Kids programs have:

Opened a reading room where students can pick out books, read quietly, and hear volunteers read aloud to them.
Kept children's books in their cars to distribute to children as they see them or to share with children in domestic situations.
Maintained donation centers so that neighborhood kids can come by to pick up books.
Visited schools and other community centers to read aloud to children.

How can you adopt this program?

Find out if there's a Cops 'n' Kids program in your area. If there is, ask what opportunities they have for you to get involved. These may include collecting, sorting, and distributing books, reading to children, and fund-raising. If you feel that there are other ways you can help, let them know.

If there's not a program in your community, you can:

Approach the local police force about establishing the program.
Partner with other organizations to achieve similar goals.
Adapt the program so your club can run it on its own.

What are the steps to getting started?

1. Come up with a plan of action.
You'll need to know what you're doing before pitching your idea to the people who you'll need to support you. Before sharing your plans, you should be able to answer the following questions:

a. What will your program do?
Focus on clear goals, like collecting and distributing a certain number of books, opening a book distribution center, or holding a book giveaway at a local community center. It's better to start simple at the beginning, and add ideas as you succeed.

b. What roles do you see the police force and other organizations playing?
It's important to make clear to those to whom you pitch the program precisely how they'll play a part-and why doing so is a benefit to them! This is a great way to develop a strong public image. Consider the above list of ways police forces have been involved in the past as you determine how to involve them.

c. Where will you get your books?
Consider the many different sources. Along with book drives in schools and churches, you can set up donation bins in public areas. Past clubs have received significant donations from local bookstores and large corporations with generous donation policies (like Coca-Cola and Barnes and Noble) as well as publishing presses.

d. Where will you store the books?
You'll need to find a dry, safe place to keep a lot of books! In the past, club members have used their own homes, rented storage space, or solicited space donations from local businesses.

e. How will you make the public aware of the program?
This is crucial for collecting books and for sharing Quota's mission. In the past, clubs have used local media (radio and newspaper) and posters and signs posted throughout the community. Consider connecting with area organizations, schools, churches, and businesses to ask if you can speak to their members.

f. How will you support the program on an ongoing basis?
Consider how you will ensure that you have a sufficient influx of books, and individuals to distribute them, over time. This should be a diverse and long-term plan that can include: book drives, donations from large corporations, and fund-raisers to purchase books as well as the involvement of other volunteers to ensure that you have sufficient staffing to keep the program running.

2. Pitch the program to the relevant people.
Once you've decided what the program will look like, seek out the individuals and organizations you'll need to make it happen. Make clear to them what a valuable opportunity this is, and be prepared to answer all their questions so they know you're serious about the program. Be flexible and willing to cooperate. For more tips on collaborating with other community organizations, click here.

3. Establish a timeline and consistent communications.
Work with your partners to solidify the program. Assign roles and be sure to cover all important tasks, including publicity, correspondence (solicitations and thank-you's), public relations, etc. Communicate with them consistently about every issue and make sure that the goals and expectations for all are clear. For more publicity tips and to view or print a copy of Quota International's free Publicity Pointers Kit, click here*.

4. Keep Quota International informed!
When your program is up and running, please contact our staff to let them know how your club is implementing the Cops 'n' Kids Literacy Program. We welcome photographs along with your reports. Please contact We Share Foundation Manager Christy Herz at christy@quota.org or mail your information to Christy Herz, Quota International, 1420 21st Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. If you have any questions, please telephone Christy at (202)
331-9694.

*To view or print out this document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to go to Adobe's Web site and download a free copy of Acrobat Reader.