The bandtogether campaign:

• Provides a construct which facilitates grass-roots, youth initiated efforts across the country
• is centered around stories from and about youth in care
• leverages digital and other youth-friendly free or low-cost media vehicles

Description:

Building on the work of the National Foster Parent Association and National Foster Care Month Blue Ribbon campaign, the bandtogether campaign will center on a blue band that young people will wear around their finger to demonstrate their commitment to the cause. This twist of the use a blue ribbon is a take on “cause-wear” which is popular with young people and is a que from popular musician Chris Martin of Coldplay, who wears tape around his fingers to draw attention to an = sign on his hand to bring attention to his cause.

The campaign will encourage young people to wear blue tape (drummer’s grip tape or painter’s blue tape), and to distribute tape to peers to show their commitment to the cause. This method of displaying cause-commitment is attractive for youth because there is little or no cost involved, supplies can be obtained in a local community (no pre-ordering or planning ahead), and is conducive to a grass-roots effort.

Child abuse is the #1 social concern among teens in the United States. To leverage youth commitment to this issue, the bandtogether campaign will provide ideas about ways young people can raise funds or public awareness in their own communities to benefit kids in foster care and in an effort to fight child abuse and neglect. Appealing to this sympathetic audience with the bandtogether campaign messaging will compliment other national campaigns by promoting youth voice — both of youth in care and their compassionate peers.

Through FosterClub’s participation in foster youth forums across the country, we know that fighting the stigma associated with foster care is a top priority for young people in care. The bandtogether campaign will revolve around the stories of the FosterClub All-Stars, young people who have emerged from foster care to find success. These young people also make a compelling subject for media. Further, the All-Stars have been trained and are experienced in public speaking and are able to elevate their own compelling foster care stories into action items that the public can take with them to improve foster care. Headlines for the campaign, o run opposite a photo of an All-Star, will follow a format of “Valedictorian, Snowboarder, Public Speaker… and a foster kid.” The All-Star’s message will invite the user to band together with them to support the cause.

The campaign will utilize digital media to the full extent possible. In addition to being a cost-effective media distribution vehicle, digital media is hip and youth friendly. Examples of digital media that will be produced and distributed:

• e-Postcards
• Screensavers
• Instant Messaging icons
• Downloadable, reproducible fliers and fact sheets
• Iron-on t-shirt graphics, car stickers, etc.
• Web banners

The bandtogether campaign will encourage community-based fundraising efforts led by youth groups. The campaign will make recommendations on fundraising ideas and will provide tools to support youth efforts, such as donor log sheets, tax deduction receipts, etc. Local groups will have the opportunity to raise funds at the community level, with a majority percentage of funds remaining in the community to benefit local kids in foster care. A percentage of funds raised will pass to FosterClub to maintain the national bandtogether campaign effort and to benefit other programs for young people in foster care. This strategy will help to ensure the sustainability of the bandtogether campaign.