SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE

A school supply drive is an easy way to impact students and their learning experience profoundly. Make school a better place for students by the simple act of providing school supplies.

Our Back2School Program aims to make schooling more accessible to students in need and ensure they can excel by providing support to students, parents, and teachers in the form of tools and resources, grants and funding, and educational seminars.

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THE CHALLENGE WE'RE FACING

Every year, thousands of children walk into school on the first day without a backpack, notebooks, or even pencils—feeling unprepared, different, and left behind.

At ICNA Relief, we know this reality too well. Nearly 60% of the families we serve live on less than $20,000 a year, far below the national poverty line. When parents are forced to choose between rent and groceries or school supplies, education often suffers quietly in the background.

And the impact goes deeper than just missing materials.

Studies show that students who lack basic supplies experience increased stress, lower academic performance, and a sense of not belonging in the classroom. They’re more likely to be absent, disengaged, and struggle with self-esteem. In contrast, children who start school with the right tools are more confident, focused, and ready to learn. That backpack? It’s more than just supplies—it’s a boost of dignity, a sense of normalcy, and a chance to thrive.

At ICNA Relief, we believe no child should feel less on the first day of school. Your support makes it possible for children to walk in prepared—not just to learn, but to belong.

SUPPLY DRIVE 101

STEP 1/6: GET HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

Whether you organize the drive on your own or make the organizing a group effort, you will need to reach out to a lot of people in order to make the school supply drive a success. So go ahead and recruit your family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and others in your community.

STEP 2/6: CHECK OUT OUR SUGGESTED SUPPLIES

Download the full list here!

  • Backpacks
  • Paper: lined paper, copy paper, construction paper, spiral notebooks, composition books, index cards, printer paper
  • Pencils & Pens: blue or black pens, #2 pencils, colored pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, pencil case, colored markers, crayons, highlighters, dry-erase markers
  • General Supplies: dry erase boards, paper clips, 3-ring 2″ binders, pocket folders, report covers
  • Tech supplies: Laptop headphones, mouse pads
  • Classroom staples: rulers, protractors, glue sticks, scissors, tape, calculator
  • Things you can never have too much of: tissues, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer

STEP 3/6: MAKE A PLAN

You will need to develop a task list and plan for the following:

  • Put together the list of supplies needed.
  • Schedule drop-off dates at your local ICNA Relief office.
  • Determine whether supplies will need to be sorted and prepped. Consider keeping an estimated tally of collected supplies. It’s helpful to know what you achieved when you celebrate your success.
  • Divide your tasks — don’t do it all yourself.

STEP 4/6: PROMOTE IT

Do the following to promote your school supply drive:

  • Distribute flyers that provide the date, time and location for the supply drop-off. Check out our sample flyer here.
  • Tell all of your friends — word of mouth is a great promotional tool.
  • Reach out to PTAs, community organizations, faith organizations, YMCAs, libraries, etc., and ask them to help you promote the school supply drive. They could do so through bulletins, email blasts, social media, mention at public meetings and/or allowing you to post your flyer in their buildings.
  • Post the school supply drive on social media and send out messages to your network.
  • Post signs near the drop-off location to make it easy for everyone to find you. Use large construction paper or poster board so people can read the signs from their cars.

STEP 5/6: DROP OFF YOUR SUPPLIES

Work with your local ICNA Relief office to determine the best date and time to drop off the supplies. Make sure you invite the other volunteers to join you in presenting the ICNA Relief with the supplies. If you don’t have a local ICNA Relief office in your area, simply send us an email at back2school@icnarelief.org and we will assist you.

STEP 6/6: CELEBRATE YOUR HARD WORK

Pat yourself on the back for all of your hard work. And remember to thank everyone who helped you — it will make them feel great. While the school supply drive is still fresh in your mind, think about what worked well and what didn’t. That way, you can build on your success if you decide to do this again.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

SUPPLY DRIVE

Collect supplies to support your local students, teachers, and schools! You can help children in school by giving them the tools they need to succeed. Donate school supplies or, even better, organize your own school supply drive.

MONETARY DONATIONS

Monetary donations are a great way to support a student. Just $50 provides supplies, such as a new backpack, for one child! Help provide teachers with the proper tools for their classrooms, so they don’t have to spend money from their own pockets.

VOLUNTEER

Volunteer opportunities are also available to sort and pack supplies in August or on distribution day. Feel great about ensuring that children start the school year with the tools they need to succeed.

OUR 2024 IMPACT

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