Grant-in-a-Box

My students can tell you what a YouTuber earns. Ask them what sales tax is, and the room goes quiet. I want to change that with a classroom set of "Clarence Gets a Bargain" — a 36-page picture book that sneaks real financial literacy into a story kids genuinely ask to re-read. A boy earns a robot reward, does "shopping homework" with sale ads and coupons, finds a markdown, and pays sales tax at the register. One complete, real purchase — the thing most kids never see explained. The book aligns to Jump$tart National Standards, Common Core Math and ELA, CEE, and FDIC Money Smart themes, and comes with free lesson plans, discussion guides, and assessments, so every dollar you give goes to books in students' hands — [NUMBER] copies at $19.99 each. Research says money habits form by age seven. My students are [GRADE] now. This is exactly the right moment, and with your help it fits in a read-aloud.

Request: $[AMOUNT] for [NUMBER] copies of "Clarence Gets a Bargain" ($19.99/copy), a standards-aligned financial literacy picture book for grades 1–5. Unlike worksheet-based programs, it teaches budgeting, comparison shopping, coupons, and sales tax through a story children actually finish — one boy's complete shopping trip, from sale ad to register. Free teacher materials (lesson plans, assessments, discussion guides) are included by the publisher, so the entire request funds books. Money habits form by age seven; this puts the lesson in our children's hands at the age it counts. Vendor accepts purchase orders: orders@clarencegetsabargain.com.

Dear [Name], I'm writing to invite [Institution] to sponsor classroom sets of "Clarence Gets a Bargain," a financial literacy picture book for grades 1–5, for students at [School]. The book teaches budgeting, comparison shopping, coupons, markdowns, and sales tax through a single narrative — a child completing a real purchase from sale ad to register — and aligns to Jump$tart National Standards, Common Core, CEE, and FDIC Money Smart for Young People themes. A 25-copy classroom set is $499.75; each set serves a full class every year it stays on the shelf. For [Institution], this is a documented, standards-aligned financial education contribution to local elementary students — the kind of community investment that fits squarely within CRA community development activity (a supporting memo for your compliance file is available at clarencegetsabargain.com/resources/grant-in-a-box.html). Sponsor recognition can be included in take-home materials to families. I'd welcome a brief call to discuss. Thank you for considering an investment in [School]'s youngest consumers — they'll be your account holders sooner than either of us thinks. Sincerely, [Name, Title, School, Contact]

MEMORANDUM — For CRA File RE: Financial Education Contribution — Elementary Financial Literacy Books [Institution] provided [NUMBER] copies of "Clarence Gets a Bargain" (ISBN 979-8-234-07638-0; $19.99/copy; total $[AMOUNT]) to [School/Organization], serving students in grades 1–5 at [location/assessment area]. Nature of activity: The donated title is a financial literacy instructional resource aligned to the Jump$tart National Standards for Personal Financial Education, Common Core State Standards (Math, ELA), Council for Economic Education standards, and FDIC Money Smart for Young People themes. Content addresses budgeting, saving, comparison shopping, coupons and markdowns, sales tax, and consumer decision-making. Publisher-provided lesson plans and assessments accompany the donation at no cost. Community development rationale: The contribution supports financial education for students at [a Title I–eligible school / a school serving low- and moderate-income families — verify and select], within the institution's assessment area, consistent with community development activity in the form of financial literacy education. [Cite institution's CRA program policy section as applicable.] Documentation attached: invoice/receipt, school acknowledgment letter, standards alignment summary (clarencegetsabargain.com/resources/curriculum-alignment-matrix.html). Prepared by: [Name, Title, Date]