Dear BeadParty Host:
Thank you for hosting a BeadParty! You are part of a growing circle of people in the world who are helping impoverished, hard-working Ugandans rise out of poverty. Within this package we have included everything you will need to host a fun and successful BeadParty. Also, feel free to spice up your party with your own creative ideas!

If you have questions about any of the following information please contact the BeadParty Team at: beadparty@beadforlife.org.

Have a great time, and thanks for joining us to Eradicate Poverty One Bead at a Time®.

The BeadParty Team
Leah, Brittny, and Linda

Before your BeadParty:

• Invite family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Use the BeadParty Invitation on our website! Follow up with reminders a few days before the party.

• Read the important information on the Tracking Sheet. Count the inventory in your BeadParty Package, make note of any discrepancies, and set Tracking Sheet aside for use after the party.

• Accept credit cards at your BeadParty! We will email you the link you will use along with detailed instructions one week before your party. It’s as easy as ordering something online!

• Watch the BeadforLife DVD to learn more about the project!

The Day of your BeadParty:
• Make a creative bead display! Display them at different heights by draping small boxes or overturned bowls with cloth. Place the beads on black fabric if possible to highlight the colors. Baskets or other objects from your house will add depth to the table.

• Have a mirror (or two) handy.

• Prominently display printed materials, including biographies of the beaders, BeadParty Guest List, and the BFL Creation Story and Community Development pieces. Include anything you may have downloaded from our website. Place the price list above the beads.

• Set up your computer and bring up the BeadforLife homepage so your guests can browse our website.

• Place BFL Brochures and Take Action Handouts on the table for people to take if they are interested in learning more about how to get involved. Also, make copies of the BFL Creation Story to hand out!

• Designate a place to collect the money and have your money box ready. If you are able to accept credit cards, have the webpage open and ready for the first transaction. We suggest asking a friend or two to staff the sales table.

• Set up the BeadforLife DVD on your TV or computer, and test it to be sure it runs.

• Put on the BeadforLife CD or other African music.

• Offer writing materials so guests can write letters to the beaders!

During your BeadParty:

There are many ways to host a great BeadParty. Below are a few options!

• Welcome your guests and invite them to look at the beads and materials for the first 30 minutes or until everyone has arrived.

• Gather everyone together and thank them for coming. Share why you were inspired to host a BeadParty, and play the BeadforLife DVD.

• Initiate a short conversation about extreme poverty and the importance of ordinary citizens getting involved. You could also ask guests to read the biographies of the beaders aloud in first person, or ask everyone to roll a bead.

• Ask guests to sign the BeadParty Guest List to receive The Bead, our e-newsletter.

• Invite people to write to the beaders. We also welcome photos from parties, which we often share with the women in Uganda.

• Have fun trying on the beads and helping each other select the perfect piece of jewelry!

Payment:
• Give each person a gift tag for every item they purchase.

• Your guests may pay with cash, checks made out to ‘BeadforLife’, or credit card.

• Track credit card sales on a separate piece of paper. You will need this information later when you are reconciling the money and the remaining unsold beads.

• Donations are gratefully accepted. If you or a guest would like to make a separate donation, please provide the following information for each donation so we may send a receipt: Name, Address, and Donation Amount.
Note: BeadforLife Jewelry purchases are not tax deductible.

After your BeadParty:
• Fill out the Tracking Sheet according to the instructions. The ‘# of items sold’ will equal the ‘items shipped’ minus the ‘# of items to be returned’. Remember to mark any donations separately on the Tracking Sheet.

• Deposit the cash into your own account, and send a check or money order for that amount to BeadforLife.

Place the following in the return package:

• Unsold items (please remove any gift or price tags you’ve added to the jewelry)

• Tracking Sheet

• Checks (including the check or money order for the cash)

• BeadParty Guest List

• Notes to the beaders or party photos.

• All materials from the folder including informational materials, DVD, CD, and leftover gift tags. We re-use our materials whenever possible to reduce our environmental impact.

• Put the pre-paid UPS return label included in your folder on the package, and take it to a UPS location. Find the nearest location at www.UPS.com.

• Please ship everything back to us within 2 weeks of your party end date. If you would like to keep the beads longer, please send an email to beadparty@beadforlife.org and put “Extension” in the subject line. We welcome and appreciate your efforts!

• We will email you once we receive and process your BeadParty return!

Thank you for being part of the BeadCircle. Please know that by partnering with Ugandan women a world away, you are truly helping them lift their families out of poverty to achieve a better future. We hope you and your guests feel inspired and touched by joining this circle of caring and generosity between continents. On behalf of the Ugandan beaders and the billion people living in extreme poverty on our planet, thank you for taking action!