Playathon is Here!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Playathon for all your hard work.  To show our appreciation, we have wonderful prizes donated by area businesses.  Scroll down for package information.  Don't forget, top studio gets a pizza party!

• Mark your calendar today for December 1.  Kennedy Mall, 10AM-3PM
• Goal: $100 per student; 10% of all profits go to the NISOM Scholarship Fund
• Prizes, prizes, and more prizes! (see below for complete list!)

Downloadable PDFs:  Playathon Student Newsletter; Sponsor Sheet

A Playathon is a massive public recital for which students raise sponsorships, a fundraiser that has proven successful for other music organizations.  Students who were with us last year should be familiar with this new annual event at NISOM.  For those who weren’t, it’s very simple and can be a lot of fun!  If you have not already done so, pick up a Playathon packet with all the information and materials you need.  Then we ask you to speak with your friends and neighbors.  Tell them about NISOM and your lessons, and ask them to sponsor you in the recital.  Whether or not they decided to donate, invite them to hear you play.  Essentially you’re asking for a donation to a free concert.  All donations are tax-deductible. 

Thank you to everyone who helped us raise over $6,000 last year.  This year hope to topple that first-year total.  We are asking each student to raise a minimum of $100 each. We know that will be easy for some, impossible for others. All we ask is that you try. If each of our 150  private students were to raise $100, that’s $15,000. This would go a long way to helping NISOM meeting our budgetary needs this season.

These funds are much needed to help us meet our operational expenses.  Tuition and registration fees cover less than 70 percent of what it costs to run NISOM.  Although we receive grants for various projects and purchases, operational costs are rarely eligible for grant monies.  To avoid drastically increasing tuition, we rely on fundraisers and donations.  We strive to keep tuition as low as possible, so students from all economic backgrounds can reap the benefits of music education.  This year 10 percent of all Playathon profits will be reserved for the NISOM Scholarship Fund, which provides lessons at a reduced cost to students from low and moderate-income families.  Please help us continue to reach these students.  Our other scholarship sources have been reduced, but a successful Playathon would make a big difference!

Once you have reached your $100 goal, don’t feel you have to stop! There will be additional prizes for those who work extra hard and go above and beyond!

Students in the group classes and ensembles, as well as those taking credit lessons are also welcome to  participate.  We really have a good time with this fundraiser, so we hope everyone will join in the fun.  Students will earn exciting prizes for various levels of participation and compete for the title of highest-earning studio and a pizza party. 

The Playathon will serve as the recital for the first trimester, so get practicing those holiday tunes or other pieces to show off for your family and shoppers!  Thank you again for your support of NISOM.  Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

It's Simple!

• Cut apart your sheet of receipts included in your Playathon packet.
• Speak with friends, neighbors, relatives, the orthodontist, your mechanic, etc. to collect sponsorships
• Practice!  Be sure to have your teacher sign you up for a Dec. 1 performance time, too.
• Turn in your money and sponsor sheet.
• Enjoy your Prizes! 

Prize Packages

Every student who raised over $100 receive two NISOM pencils, a NISOM tote bag, an assortment of 4 gift certificates, AND their choice** of the following prizes: 

Birthday party for 8 at the Grand Harbor Water Park

Tickets to NISOM’s Salute to Broadway concert

Tickets to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra’s February concert

$25 Target gift card

$25 Walmart gift card

$25 Hy-Vee gift card

$15 River Lights Second Edition gift cards

$10 gift certifcate from Betty Jane's Candy

$10 gift certifcate from One Mean Bean

Metronome from Kephart’s Music Center

Starbucks Gift Bag

Movie Gallery gift pack and free rentals

Two movie passes to Star Cinema

**Student choose in order of sponsorships collected, starting with the top earner

All student who reached the $100 goal receive two NISOM pencils, a NISOM tote bag, an assortment of 3 gift certificates, and a shirt from Loras College, Clarke College, or NISOM

$51-$99: two NISOM pencils, a NISOM tote bag, and two gift certificates

$50: two NISOM pencils, a NISOM tote bag, and one gift certificate

under $50: two NISOM pencils and a gift certificate

Gift certificates include Burger King, Coldstone Creamery, Culver’s Frozen Custard, Derby Grange Golf, Dominos Pizza, Hardee's, Miguel’s Coffee Bar, Panera Bread, Star Cinema, Tri-State Golf, and Wendy’s

Top student under 18 also recieved a $50 savings bond from US Bank!

Bonus: 2008 NISOM pocket calendar/planners for early birds

The Top Studio Wins a Pizza Party!

The teacher whose students have the highest per student amount (average) will

win a pizza party!!!!! Supplied by Happy Joe's and Little Ceasers

Note: if you take lessons from more than one teacher, your total will be divided between the studios and you will be counted as a half student in each.

*The cut-off for extra prizes will depend on the number of students who exceed or reach the $100 goal.

Many Thanks to all those local businesses who donated prizes 

Special Thanks to American Trust & Savings Bank, our Playathon Sponsor

Thanks also to Foster Family Music for providing recital piano

Turning in Donations/Paperwork

Once you have received some donations, you do not have to wait until December 1 to turn in the money. You can turn in your sponsor sheet and donations to the NISOM Office when you come for your lesson each week. You can pick up a new sponsor sheet and another sheet of receipts if you need them.

All donations MUST be turned in by the time you perform on Dec.1 to be counted toward prizes. We will always take donations, but we need to have them no later than Dec. 1 to be counted as Playathon sponsorships.  Remember to collect the donations at the time you solicit them.

Note: NISOM is grateful for donations of merchandise and in-kind services, but during the Playathon, only monetary donations will be counted toward students’ Playathon total for the purpose of prizes.

Tips for Speaking with Possible Donors

1. Carry a pen, sponsor sheet, some receipt forms, and your written Playathon materials for identification and reference. It sounds like a lot, but it all fits conveniently in a folder or your packet (hint, hint).

2. Introduce yourself, and tell them about your lessons at NISOM.

3. Tell the potential contributor that NISOM is a nonprofit organization, and that all donations are tax deductible. If they any specific questions about NISOM’s financial information, have them call the NISOM office to speak to Executive Director Tracey Rush or Business Manager Karen Litscher.

4. Invite the potential contributor to attend the Playathon on Dec. 1 at Kennedy Mall. If you know what time you will be performing, tell them that, too! Basically, you are selling tax-deductible tickets to a free concert. (Note: sponsorships are not per-minute of playing.)

5. Mention the possibility that their company or employer may have a “matching gift program” (if so, they should provide forms to the NSOM office along with their donation check).
6. Fill out the sponsor sheet: ask contributors to print their name, address, zip code and phone number on the sponsor sheet (preferably in pen), and to fill in the amount they will donate.

7. Collect the money when you solicit sponsorships (checks are much preferred over
cash), and offer a receipt.

8. Thank your contributors for their support, and again invite them to attend Playathon or any of the other concerts in the season. Have them call the NISOM office (563/690-0151) or visit our website if they would like more information.

What if I can’t play in the recital?
We’d like all NISOM students to participate in this fundraiser. If you are unable to play at the recital, you can still raise funds and earn prizes. We strong encourage everyone who plays on Dec. 1 to collect sponsorships, but since this is the only recital this trimester, anyone will be able to sign up to play.