History:

This project started from a shared dream between two Rotarians. In 2001 it became a Matching Grant project between India D3150 and five clubs in Southern Colorado lead by the Lamar Rotary club. These five Rotary clubs distributed 1800 books the first year. Sence our start over 128 service clubs, including Rotary, Lion's, Kiwanis and Sertoma clubs in Sixteen states and American Samoa participated and distributed 450,000 hard-cover dictionaries worth over $9,000,000.00!

We feel this is "the greatest local service club project ever...just not the only one" and we continue to receive testimonials on how this project has impacted our youth. We invite you to share these thank you letters with all of your club members and us. Growth of the project comes from word of mouth.  Each of you sharing your own stories with other service clubs here in the United States helps this project continue to grow.

What does it cost you for each impression to advertise your business?  What are your results?

When we ask a sponsor to invest / support / buy / pay $1200 for exclusive sponsorship of a elementary school what is it worth?  We as a club are providing a targeted market at an exceptional low price with long term impressions to the whole young family in one specific area of town. 

How many times will this student open their dictionary?  How many times will they look at the page with their very own signature this year, nest year and total in five years?  This is the same page as our sponsors have their labels and the eye/mind takes it all in!  an impression....

Using 80 students for average school this investment is $13.00 for just ONE targeted impression vs $1.50 for the average direct mail piece received in the mail.  BUT do you think the dictionary is thrown away without reading?  Direct Mail - less than 30 will be read and less than 10 will be acted on out of 1000 pieces mailed.   Back to the dictionary - would you not expect this young person to look at their very own book at least ten times in the week following their gift?  I would suggest 75 to 100 times is far more likely.  How many times will Mom and Dad look too?  That makes this cost per impression to a very targeted YOUNG FAMILY audience very low.