Finding money...Getting Discounts... for school assembly programs

by Rick Davis, Director of SchoolShows.com

Here are some great tips for funding your assembly programs...

Funding Sources: Go to Funding Sources to find a state-by-state list of the many sources of grant money for educational assembly and residency programs. (If you know of other funding sources, please email us at listings@schoolshows.com)

Block booking. This refers to booking your school for the same day as another school. Performers are often willing to discount their assembly programs if you do this. Ask your performers if they offer a "block-booking discount". Then call the other schools in your area to see if they might book with you.

Multiple assemblies. If you book more than one assembly during a day, most performers will discount the additional assemblies. Ask performers if they offer a discount for additional assemblies.

Last minute booking. Try calling a performer 1-4 weeks before your desired date. If performers have not booked an assembly by that time, they might be willing to offer a discount so they can fill the empty date.

Flexible timing. Likewise, you might get a discount if you offer to have your assembly on a date of the performer's choosing. This allows a performer to fill last-minute empty days.

Sponsors. Ask your local business community to sponsor an assembly program. This benefits them by generating goodwill and reaching out to their local community. They will get favorable publicity as well if you invite the local media to your event. Contact businesses that have some connection with the program you are presenting. For example: hospitals might sponsor health programs; museums might sponsor history programs; energy companies might sponsor energy conservation programs. You could also try your local civic Groups -- Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.

Professional Development. Schools have funds for teachers' professional development. If a performer offers a full day or multiple day program that includes teacher training, you may get your school to pay for the program out of their professional development budget.

District funds. If the program you want to book is researched-based and meets certain state educational standards, your district might be willing to offer funding.