Cell Phones for Soldiers
Collections Team Handbook
Leadership Capstone Project
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Table of Contents
Collections Team Overview…………………….………….………………….………………….…………3 Tips for Creating Collection Boxes…….………….……………….………….……………….…………4 Tips for Collection Expansion and Improvement…….………….……………….………….…….5 Potential Timeline…….………….……………….………….……………….………….……………….……6 Helpful Resources…….………….……………….………….……………….………….……………..…7-‐10
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Collections Team Overview
The Collections team is primarily responsible for the following tasks:
• Designing and creating sustainable boxes to be used during the Collection Week
o It is ideal to build boxes that are sustainable and can be used by future classes
o Make certain that instructions for dropping off cell phones is clearly visible on each box
o In order to alleviate the costs of making boxes, consult stores such as Office Max and Staples to inquire about monetary and material donations
• Discussing the best locations on-‐campus to establish drop-‐off sites and place collection boxes and presenting their recommendation to the class
o Past collection sites have included: Wagoner Dining Hall, CAIC, Watson School of Education, Student Recreation Center, Seahawk Perch, Admissions, etc.
o Be sure to consult with UNCW administrators in order to gain approval before placing boxes; this should be done at least two weeks in advance of Collection Week
• Make a detailed schedule regarding which team members will be responsible to checking each box during the Collection Week
o This can be done by making a spreadsheet that is posted on the bottom of each box
o When a member checks the box, he or she can sign the spreadsheet, record the date and time, and record how many phones were in the box before removal. Collected phones should be brought to class to be stored by Dr. Nottingham each week
o It is more effective to have two members designated to one box than simply one member per box in case someone is unable or simply forgets to check the box one day; this also helps members hold each other accountable
o Before Collections Week, evaluate each team member’s schedule and create a Collections schedule so that all boxes are checked at least once per day, ideally between 3:00pm and 5:00pm.
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Tips for Creating Collection Boxes
• Make boxes large enough to hold numerous cell phones of various shapes and sizes
• Make sure the slit to insert phones is large enough that older cell phones can fit, however, it should not be so large that someone can clearly see the phones and reach their hand into the box (theft is a possibility)
• Boxes should be decorated with an American and UNCW theme
o For example: red, white, and blue star stickers, the UNCW logo, miniature American flags, stickers of Sammy the Seahawk, etc.
o The boxes should catch the attention of bystanders and encourage people to donate
• Creating this many boxes will take a generous amount of time, so be sure to set a date where the Collections Team can meet and build/decorate the boxes together
o Set the meeting at least two weeks in advance of Collections Week because if paint is used it will need time to dry and the Marketing Team will want a picture of the finalized boxes to use in advertisements
• Make sure there is an easy way to retrieve the cell phones from the boxes o A door located on the bottom or on the back of the box will suffice
These are unfinished boxes created by the Collections Team. The sides of the boxes were painted black paint (three coats) and the top is decorated with American flag scrapbook paper found at Michael’s Craft store (modpodge was used to glue and seal the paper). Gold ribbon tied in a bow also adds a nice touch. Red, white, and blue stars were added to the sides after this picture was taken. A flyer describing the project was also attached to the boxes using staples and thumb tacs. *Note: Do not use spray point to paint the boxes if they are made with cardboard; it will saturate the board and it will become flimsy.
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Tips for Collection Expansion and Improvement
• Encourage LED students to educate members of the student organizations they are involved in to donate and help promote Collections Week
• Be sure to communicate effectively with other teams in the LED class, such as Marketing and Event Day.
o Utilize email as a way to communicate in between classes
• Set goals! Establish a set number of phones the LED class would like to collect and email the class with updates on how many cell phones have been collected each day
• If the class would like to accept cash in addition to checks for monetary donations the Collections Team will need to look into acquiring a lock box and establishing who will be in charge of the donations
• Always have a plan B in case something doesn’t go as planned
• Know what to expect! Review the FAQ's on the Cell Phones for Soldier's Website and prepare a small speech to explain what the project is all about if an interested donator asks
• At the end of Collection Week, be ready to supply shipping labels and help
offset the cost of shipping the cell phones
• Research expanding drop-‐off locations to include off-‐campus locations as well as on-‐campus locations. Contact local business and reach out to the Wilmington Community
• Coordinate with athletics and arrange for collection boxes to be present at
athletic events such as the Vetern’s baseball game held every Spring
• Collaborate with the Greek community and visit Sunday chapter meetings to collect used cell phones and spread the work about Cell Phones for Soldiers
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Potential Timeline Week 1 • Establish dates and desired locations for drop-‐off boxes • Brainstorm ideas for physical boxes and other ideas to make collections week viable Week 2 • Begin establishing contacts within the campus community • Create and maintain a list of “points of contact” for each location • Establish a meeting time with the Collections Team in order to build and create the
actual drop-‐off boxes
Week 3 • Finalize and have all drop-‐off locations approved by the class and the “points of contact”
o Previous drop-‐off locations include: Wagoner, Randall Library, Cameron School of Business, CAIC (Campus Activities and Involvement Center), Seahawk Perch, Campus Recreation Center, Admissions Office, Watson School of Education
• Create an organized spreadsheet to be located on the bottom of each box o The purpose of this document is to monitor the quantity of cell phones donated
at specific times throughout the collection week and will include columns for date, time, number of phones inside, and signature of the LED representative as well as the location of the drop-‐off box
• Establish which team members will be checking each drop-‐off location. Boxes should be checked at least once per day between the hours of 3:00pm and 5:00pm. Remember, two members should be assigned to each box to ensure efficiency
Week 4
• Distribute drop-‐off boxes and begin checking them daily as scheduled • Communicate with the class at the end of each day and describe how many cell
phones were collected at the end of each day Week 5
• After Collections Week has ended, collect boxes and store at a safe facility so that future LED classes may utilize them
• Start preparing to ship the cell phones by printing shipping labels and gather boxes to ship the phones
• Remember, some boxes such as the ones at Seahawk Perch and Admissions are permanent drop-‐off locations
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Helpful Resources
On the following pages you will find helpful links, tips, and resources. Please follow the instructions below in order to ship cell phones once they have been collected.
1. Place collected cell phones and accessories in a small envelope or box
2. Print out the mailing label below and affix it to the package 3. Seal the package and drop it in the mail, postage is paid
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Helpful Resources
When visiting local businesses, such as Office Max or Staples, and requesting monetary or material donations in order to construct the boxes, please be sure to offer them a receipt as well. The receipt can be found on the Cell Phones for Solider's Website under the tab "Resources."
On behalf of Cell Phones for Soldiers and the troops that benefit from your generous donation, thank you! Each donated used mobile phone allows Cell Phones for Soldiers to fulfill the mission of providing service men and women with the opportunity to communicate with loved ones for free.
Thanks to kind people such as you, we can provide enriching experiences to soldiers overseas who cannot talk to their families often. One phone call can truly make a difference. To date, Cell Phones for Soldiers has raised more than $7 million and provided more than 114 million minutes of free talk time. Due to the mobile phone recycling program, more than 8.3 million cell phones have been recycled since 2004, thus reducing the impact on landfills. As an advocate for Cell Phones for Soldiers, please encourage family and friends to support our troops by making a cash contribution today or donating a mobile device to the program. To keep in touch with our activities, please visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com, the Cell Phones for Soldiers Facebook page www.facebook.com/JoinCellPhonesforSoldiers and sign up for the e-newsletter. Again, we want to express our gratitude for your contribution. The success and growth of this program is directly impacted by your considerate support. Many thanks, Cell Phones for Soldiers The Bergquist Family
*Cell Phones for Soldiers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with tax ID #20-1343425. Contributions may be deductible for income tax purposes to the extent allowed by law. Valuations of Gifts in Kind are the privilege and responsibility of the donor. Cell Phones for Soldiers certifies that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift. Please keep this as a record of your donation for tax purposes.
Date of Donation
Value of Donation
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Cell PhoneSFOR SOLDIERS
Cell PhoneSFOR SOLDIERS
Place your old cell phone here.Proceeds from donated cell phones are used
to purchase calling cards for our troops.
Cell PhoneRecycling Program
www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
Proceeds from donated phones are usedto purchase calling cards for our troops.
Cell PhoneRecycling Program
www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
Proceeds from donated phones are usedto purchase calling cards for our troops.
PMS 281
PMS 200
Helpful Resources Below is an image of the preordered boxes from Cell Phones for Soldiers. Preordering and using these boxes in an option, but the previous LED 411 class experienced communication issues when trying to contact the organization regarding boxes and so forth. The Collections Team will need to incorporate UNCW and Leadership information on the boxes as well.
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Helpful Resources
Provided below is useful links to the Cell Phones for Soldiers webpage as well as the UNCW Leadership Cell Phones for Soldiers Facebook page. The names of students who previously served on the Collections Team are also provided; please contact these students if questions or concerns arise during the project. These students were also instrumental in the creation of this handbook.
• Cell Phones for Soldiers Website: http://cellphonesforsoldiers.com/
• UNCW Leadership Cell Phones for Soldiers Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/UNCW-‐Cell-‐Phones-‐for-‐Soldiers/295920393794382
• Brooke Britt, • Katie Neil,
[email protected] • Kristen Wachter,
[email protected] • Adam Roszkowski,
[email protected] • Chris Gardner,
[email protected] • Tori Hamed,
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