The Act of Kindness Award Programs - FAQ
Who pays when my school joins The Act of Kindness Award program?
Joining this unique Award program costs your school nothing – this is a partnership program and the annual sponsorship costs will be met by the business organisation of your choice.
New registrations will be accepted for commencement at the beginning of each school term - registrations must be lodged online no later than the last day of the preceding school term.
Immediately upon completion our online Registration form, The Act of Kindness Inc. will invoice the Award sponsor with a request that payment be made within 14 days.
What it costs to sponsor an Act of Kindness Award commencing in 2010
It costs A$750 to sponsor each Award over four consecutive terms in schools with an enrolment greater than 75 students.
The cost of sponsoring a single Award over the same period in schools with an enrolment of 75 students or less is A$450.
Joint sponsorship of an Award by two organisations and/or families is acceptable. If you choose this option additional charges apply where more than one framed Kind Organisation certificate is required for presentation. In this circumstance, the total cost of an Act of Kindness Award becomes A$800 (for schools >75) or A$500 (for schools with 75 or less) in 2010.
If I get sponsorship, can I register for more than one year?
Absolutely! Sponsors who wish to finance an Act of Kindness Award for 3 years benefit through the receipt of an attractive discount on the total fee payment.
Please note, payment must be received in full at the start of the 3 year sponsorship period to qualify for this offer. Further information is available on our Sponsor’s Commitment web page.
What are the major benefits schools and sponsors receive when they join The Act of Kindness Award program?
The Act of Kindness Award program is currently offered in a wide range of state and privately owned educational institutions; e.g. primary, secondary and specialist schools. In 2009 the program became a core component of an undergraduate degree course (early childhood and primary education) offered by Australian Catholic University, Ballarat. Visit our list of participating schools for further details.
Ongoing research conducted by The Act of Kindness Inc. (sometimes in conjunction with ACU National, Ballarat) clearly indicates this Award is delivering significant benefits.
Robyn Bruty’s Testimonial (below) accurately reflects the kind of comments we continually receive during our regular visits to schools in Victoria, NSW and South Australia.
‘The Act of Kindness was introduced to Forest Street Primary School in June 2007. We are a school of approximately 400 students in a generally low socio-economic area of Ballarat. It was felt that an award for kindness would help all children strive towards a calmer, kinder way of life. This is an Award that is achievable by all – everyone can be kind! Most children will not achieve an academic award or sporting trophy, but it is possible to be awarded the Act of Kindness.
The staff at our school quickly took on board the benefits of this award. It does not impose another workload – just a simple note of recommendation. The children sit at Assembly every Monday morning waiting for the award to be presented. Everyone is sincerely congratulated and all students wait in hope that they may be next. Some of the most unlikely students have been presented with the Act of Kindness and have, in many cases, shown a marked improvement in their behaviour.
Such was the success of the program over the first eighteen months that a family of three students at our school offered to become the second sponsor (we already have the local Office Choice business as our first sponsor).
Now two awards are presented each week, much to the delight of staff, parents and children. The photos of those children who have received the award are displayed in the corridor near the Office for all to see.
As the coordinator of the program at Forest Street, I have been delighted with the response on all levels. (I think I am the most popular person, at times, with the children).
I would thoroughly recommend the Act of Kindness – being kind costs you nothing and gains you everything.
Robyn Bruty
Coordinator – The Act of Kindness Award
Forest Street Primary School, Ballarat Victoria 3355
May 2009
In addition, all participating schools and their sponsors automatically become members of a larger national network when they join the AoK Kindness Community.
Can my school introduce The Act of Kindness Award program without registering with TAoK Inc?
Whilst we want to spread kindness wherever we can, the brand names and all graphic concepts linked to The Act of Kindness Award, TAoK, AoK Award and the AoK Kindness Community are all protected by Copyright.
Finding new sponsors can be a challenging exercise. What kinds of organisation currently sponsor participating schools?
Current sponsors include local small or medium sized business, local shire Councils and community service organisations. The local branch of your community bank might be prepared to offer your school sponsorship. One of our school’s receives support from a staff social club. Several schools in NSW are sponsored by the franchisee of a multi-national real estate organisation. Visit our list of sponsors for further details and ideas.
The Association will accept up to 3 joint sponsors for a single Award.
In addition, the Defence Force Special Needs Group (based at Point Cook, Victoria) will sponsor a single Act of Kindness Award in any school in Australia where an enrolled child currently receives DSNSG support.
Our small rural school is having difficulty attracting another sponsor. Can The Act of Kindness Inc. offer assistance?
We understand that small rural schools often find it difficult to establish new sponsor arrangements. Email m.parsonage@theactofkindness.org.au and we will endeavour to be of assistance during your search.
What happens if our sponsor/s wish to remain anonymous?
That’s fine – anonymity is always offered upon written request.
Otherwise, publication of sponsor/s details by The Act of Kindness Inc. is limited to the name of the organisation, in conjunction with a hyperlink to their business website (if one is available).
Schools are asked to assist the Association by completing all of the questions on our online Registration page. Provision of correct details facilitates efficient delivery of invoices, receipts and other administrative correspondence.
The Association reserves the right to communicate with schools and their sponsors via e-newsletters at appropriate intervals.
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