Increase Consumption - Donate a salad bar

Get Visibility Through "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools"

How to Donate

Engage Media and Elected Officials

Tell Your Employees

Reach Out to the Community

Questions

Turnkey Toolkit

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has joined the "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools" to support your business objectives and your community. By donating a salad bar to a school, you can support healthy kids and be part of the Let's Move initiative. You'll establish local connections, create public awareness, and promote increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Schools in your community and markets will welcome this private-public initiative to promote healthful eating habits.

Some of the benefits your organization will receive by donating the complete cost of a salad bar include:

• National visibility—Your Logo and link on "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools" website
• Tax savings—donations are tax-deductible
• Recognition from PMA—Your company will be highlighted on PMA's social media outlets
• Improving the lives and healthful eating habits of our nation's youth
• Brag about your success to your peers

To help you, PMA has developed this turnkey toolkit with all the tools to help you put this program to work to build your business' community relationships. Gain extra recognition by including your elected officials in a salad bar presentation and be sure to invite the media – see tips for both below:

How to donate a salad bar to a school

Congratulations! You are just steps away from impacting the lives of our nation's school children.

Options for donation include:

• choosing a specific school not yet on the list,
• selecting a school already eligible and on the list, or
• donating to the general fund.

Whether you choose to donate via check or online with a credit card, your donation will change children's lives and support healthful eating and produce sales. Simply answering the following question to determine how you should donate:

Do you want to select the school you wish to donate a salad bar to?

1. Yes—continue here
2. No—continue here

Tips for engaging your elected officials and the media

Now that you've donated a salad bar and spread the word about "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools" in your company, give yourself a pat on the back and get visibility for your efforts! PMA has a how-to guide for involving elected officials and media: who to invite, what to show, and how to deal with logistics.

Your elected officials are equally concerned about children's diets and health. You can add company visibility to your salad bar donation by including elected officials at a presentation of the salad bar to the school.

• Sample letter to invite your Representative
• Sample letter to invite your Senators

Though these letters are aimed at your national elected officials, you can adapt them for use with city council members, mayors, state representatives, the governor, school boards, and/or other school officals.

Contact your local media to let them know about your community efforts and invite them to participate in the presentation of the salad bar too. Here are some tips for contacting your local media:

• Call the local news editor at your local newspaper(s), television station(s) and radio station(s).
• If you need to contact a lot of media outlets, consider sending them a press release, and encouraging them to contact you for more information. Start with our customizable news release template.
• Designate a company representative who can speak on record for the company, and prepare them to comment in print or be taped for television and radio.
• Provide details of any event you may hold, especially if your elected officials are coming. Photographs with the news release of your company with the school children and salad bar in the picture will go a long way.

Be sure to include the donation in your social media efforts. Put an announcement and photo on your Facebook page. Tweet about it. You can even videotape the presentation for YouTube.

For elected official and media contact information, visit PMA's Advocacy Action Center.

Tips for reaching your employees

You'll want to share information about "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools" with all your employees. They can look for opportunities to share this program with others and to create visibility for the company. Here are some tips for informing your employees:

• Include information on your donation in a company newsletter. Check out an example.
• Add a link on the company's intranet.
• Include a leaflet in payroll envelopes.
• Publicize in annual or company reports.

Tips for reaching the community and business partners

You can create a page on your web site to help your customers, the school, business partners, and the community learn of your efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Items you can include on the web page are:

• Menus and recipes
• Link to "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools" webpage
• Social media outreach
• A letter to get business partners involved in "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools"

Make healthful eating fun, build local connections, help increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and further enhance your company's image. Donate a salad bar today.

Need More Information

You can contact Cyndi Clifton, PMA Government Relations & Public Affairs Coordinator with questions about "Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools" at (302) 738-7100 ext. 3012