The Story Behind My Black Lives Matter Yard Sign Donations
How My BLM Protest Yard Signs Became a Diverse Kids' Book Donation Program
Here’s the short (not so-short-long) version of how my BLM protest yard signs turned into an anti-racist kids book donation program because, let’s be honest, nothing I do is ever simple!
Back in 2020, when I first started selling Social Justice yard signs, I knew a couple things:
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I wanted to contribute and support, not take advantage and capitalize on the hardships of others
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I wanted the signs to have impact beyond a political sign in a yard
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I wanted to be able to use my platform and design skills to create yard signs that spread awareness, while also fostering kindness and unity while uplifting others.
The best way I know how to do that is through books. I committed to donating 15% of all proceeds to the Conscious Kid Book Fund—an incredible organization that provides diverse books to classrooms.
From Equality Yard Signs to a Hands-On Inclusive Kids Book Donation Program
After donating over $3,300, (with a corporate match as well,) I hit a wall. I started feeling disconnected from where the money was going, and not gonna lie, the bookkeeping was a nightmare. I could hardly keep up which lead me to not wanting to promote the yard signs, the exact opposite of what I was trying to do!
In my frustration and desire for more transparency and control to know exactly where our donated money was going (because you are part of this too), my anti-racism book donation program was born.
I was SCARED. Like absolutely terrified. What if no teachers signed up? What if too many teachers signed up? What if I made a promise to donate books and the yard signs stopped selling? I am very much so a jump first and find my parachute on the way down kind of gal, but I felt an immense amount of pressure to make sure that what I was doing would contribute to the momentum of the BLM movement.
Diverse Books for Classrooms: A Simplified Donation Process
I believe in signs from the universe and when I was teetering on this undertaking, I had an amazing teacher from a title one school in New York purchase a social justice yard sign and tell me she chose my shop because I was giving back with each purchase. I told her about my idea to start my own inclusive book donation program and with her encouragement, the new donation program was born. I took the jump and unknowingly to her, she became my first teacher to receive diverse books for her classroom.
Since I was overwhelmed with the bookkeeping portion of my donations program, instead of calculating percentages, I simplified to donating $1.00 per sign and shifted to buying the books myself to send directly to teachers who needed them. Over the next few years, I was able to donate over $2,000 more worth of diverse books directly to classrooms all over the country. Hearing “my students finally have books in our library with kids that look like them!” was the best feeling and the connection I was searching for. I dove deep into reading and researching the widest breadth of diverse books I could find to add to my donation lists, and with every book that I read to my children and donated to classrooms I knew we were doing something right. The next generation of tiny humans are going to be that much smarter, that much kinder, and that much more welcoming of people who don't look or think exactly like them.
A Mission for Inclusive Communities: Expanding the Reach with Partnerships
If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would still be donating diverse children's books I am not sure I would have believed you. Along the way, teachers have reached out to me and opportunities have presented themselves to get more diverse kids books into classrooms that I have jumped on.
Mighty Kind Kids Magazine
In February of 2021, I partnered with Nadine, the owner of Mighty Kind Kids Magazine, to send $153 of anti-bias kids magazines to 4 classrooms across the country
Color Me Important
In March 2025, I (we) donated $416, that was corporate matched to equal $832, to Color Me Important, a 501-(c)3 non-profit that bridges the gap of teacher funding to provide diverse materials to classrooms. They gift teachers bags filled with multicultural products like crayons, markers and construction paper in various skin tones and thanks to our donation, we are covering the cost of the book “All are Welcome” written by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman that is included in each bag.
Next Generation of Kid Activists
This journey has been one of the most rewarding (and chaotic) parts of my business, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has supported it along the way. Thank you for helping make a difference—one sign and one book at a time.
Let’s keep it going! If you’re a teacher or know one who would love to receive books for your classroom, or would like to make a donation towards my next batch, drop me a message so I can get more books where they belong!
