Limeades For LearningSM Frequently Asked Questions

About Limeades For Learning

What is Limeades For Learning?

  • Limeades For Learning is a national cause-branding program of SONIC®, America's Drive-In®, in partnership with DonorsChoose.org. To support U.S. public school teachers in local communities, SONIC will provide essential funds needed for learning materials and innovative teaching techniques to inspire learning.

How does the cause program work?

  • Limeades For Learning encourages consumers to make a difference in their local communities by voting for the public school teacher projects they want SONIC to fund.

    Participation is easy!
    1. Go online to LimeadesForLearning.com to search for your favorite public school teacher's project.
    2. Cast your vote.
    3. Repeat the process once a day to help your favorite teacher's project get enough votes to be funded!

How is the program different from 2009?

  • In 2010, voting is even easier! All you need to do is log on to LimeadesForLearning.com and vote with a valid e-mail address. No purchase necessary!

How will SONIC use my e-mail address?

  • Voting with a valid e-mail address ensures all participants can vote once per day. The e-mail address will not be used for any other purposes unless the participant opts in to receive future communications from SONIC.

When does Limeades For Learning occur?

  • Voting officially takes place from Aug. 30, 2010, until Sept. 30, 2010; so be sure to participate! While teachers can register anytime during the campaign, they are encouraged to do so before Aug. 15 to have the greatest chance of receiving funding for their project, to ensure that their projects can be reviewed and posted in time for voting.

Who benefits from Limeades For Learning?

  • Ultimately, students benefit from Limeades For Learning. When a teacher inspires students to learn, they have greater opportunity to reach their full potential.

Can I make a financial donation to support teachers?

  • Individuals are encouraged to donate to support their favorite teacher's project, if they choose. Whether you have $5 to contribute or $50, every donation helps inspire kids to learn. Simply log on to LimeadesForLearning.com and search for your favorite teacher's project. Once it's found, you can click on the "Donate" button to make a contribution.

Will my donation be tax deductible?

  • All donations made to DonorsChoose.org to support teachers are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Please consult a tax advisor regarding the tax deductibility of any donation.

Will I be notified if the project I vote for receives funding?

  • When you cast your vote on LimeadesForLearning.com, you will be asked if you want to save the project in your favorites. If you save the project you voted for in your favorites, then Limeades For Learning will send you an e-mail if the project has been funded by SONIC.

Voting

When will the voting and funding happen?

  • Voting begins Aug. 30, 2010, and ends on Sept. 30, 2010. During the five-week campaign, SONIC will fund the top vote-receiving projects for SONIC Teachers on Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24 and Oct. 1. SONIC will award more than $500,000 to the projects receiving the most votes during the entire promotional period. Votes will be counted every Friday and at least $100,000 will be funded each week among eligible projects winning the most votes. If a project is not funded, then all previous votes for the project will carry over to the next week.

How can I find the teacher project I want to vote for?

  • There are a number of search criteria you can choose from including city, state, subject of interest, classroom resource and teacher name.

Where do I go to vote?

How much is my vote worth?

  • Each vote for a teacher's project on LimeadesForLearning is equal. Please note that there is no monetary value associated with a vote.

How can I further support projects I care about?

  • Through the LimeadesForLearning.com web site's "Share This" functionality you can support the program or individual projects with your friends through e-mail or social media sites. You may also post your vote to your Facebook® wall after voting.

Teachers

What is a SONIC Teacher?

  • A SONIC Teacher is any U.S. public, magnet or charter school teacher who registers, or is currently registered, as a SONIC Teacher on DonorsChoose.org. SONIC Teachers' projects are eligible for funding through the Limeades For Learning partnership.

Who is eligible to be a SONIC Teacher?

  • Any U.S. public, charter or magnet school teacher.

What about home school teachers?

  • At this time, home school teachers are not eligible to participate in the program.

What about private school teachers?

  • At this time, private school teachers are not eligible to participate in the program.

How do I sign up to be a SONIC Teacher?

  • For more information on becoming a SONIC Teacher, please visit www.DonorsChoose.org/teacher to learn about eligibility and responsibilities for SONIC Teachers.

If I'm already a teacher through DonorsChoose.org, can I register to participate in this cause program?

  • Teachers currently registered on DonorsChoose.org are eligible to participate. Signing up is easy — simply log in to your teacher account and follow the steps to update your personal information.

Can I refer a teacher or other teachers to participate?

  • We hope you will refer as many teachers as possible to sign up to participate! A quick and easy way to spread the word is to log on to LimeadesForLearning.com and share the site with your friends.

What's the best time to submit my project to ensure it will be voted upon?

  • Teachers are encouraged to register as a SONIC Teacher and submit their projects by Aug. 15, 2010, to ensure that their projects can be reviewed and posted in time for voting.

Are there any particular guidelines I should follow when considering my project registration?

  • We believe that you know your students' needs best. Here are the some ground rules that may help craft your project entry:

    1. All requested resources must be used by students or directly provide a student experience. The voters want to help you help kids!
    2. Your project cannot foster discrimination or proselytize a religious or political viewpoint.
    3. Your project must be appropriate to your school. Meaning: Don't ask for technology that isn't compatible with your school. You must follow your school's policy to secure whatever permission you need.
    4. DonorsChoose.org will not accept requests for labor, capital improvements or vehicle purchases.

      When in doubt ask yourself, "Will my students be able to write genuine thank-you notes?"

What should I do to get my project fully funded?
To ensure that your project grabs the attention of our voters, we'd recommend the following:

  • Give your project a great title and your essay a snazzy first line.
  • Keep your project cost to less than $400.
  • Speak from the heart when writing your essay.
  • Check your project essay for spelling and grammar.

Will all teachers who sign up receive a grant from SONIC?

  • SONIC project funding is not guaranteed for all SONIC Teachers. Only the SONIC Teacher projects that receive the most votes during each week the five-week campaign will receive funding.

Is there a limit to the number of projects I can post as a SONIC Teacher?

  • SONIC Teachers can submit more than one project for eligibility for SONIC funding during the promotion period.

Is there a funding limit to the projects that can be submitted?

  • SONIC will fund a maximum of $600 toward a winning project.

Will SONIC supply me with ways in which I can promote my project and encourage family, friends and colleagues to vote for me?

  • Teachers will have a toolbox on LimeadesForLearning.com that will help them market and ask others to vote for their projects. Tools include items such as e-mail blast copy, content for newsletters, and logos for social networking sites like Facebook and others.

After the project is funded, how long does it take to get the supplies?

  • If teachers have requested supplies from multiple vendors, it is possible that some may arrive sooner than others. On average, the wait will be 3-4 weeks for materials to arrive. Similarly, large or heavy items, especially furniture and rugs, are often freight shipped from vendors, which may extend the shipping windows by several additional weeks. Certain types of orders, such as monthly magazine subscriptions, may take vendors up to 6-8 weeks to process.
  • DonorsChoose.org is committed to fulfilling the project as quickly as is feasibly possible.

How can teachers partner with their local SONIC Drive-in?

  • SONIC promotes an entrepreneurial spirit, and each operator manages each drive-in on an individual basis. Teachers who have registered to participate are encouraged to stop by their local drive-in and introduce themselves to the manager. Together, they may discover ways in which they can collaborate to bring learning resources to students.

How do I get SONIC more involved in my school?

  • Contact your local SONIC Drive-in and talk to the manager about other school programs available. SONIC is dedicated to improving the lives of children in the communities where we do business.

DonorsChoose.org

Who is DonorsChoose.org?

  • DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit organization that connects public school teachers in need of classroom materials and experiences with individual donors who want to help. At DonorsChoose.org, public school teachers submit project requests for specific materials their students need for learning. Donors from across the country browse the web site and fund the projects they find most compelling.
  • To date, nearly 100,000 public, magnet and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for more than $35 million in books, art supplies, technology and other resources that students need for learning. Through DonorsChoose.org, individuals from all walks of life have helped more than 2.3 million students.
  • For more information, visit www.DonorsChoose.org.

Are they a legitimate nonprofit organization?

  • DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization as identified by the IRS Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).

SONIC

How much is SONIC contributing during the fall 2010 campaign?

  • SONIC is donating more than half a million dollars through Limeades For Learning to public school teacher projects across the country.

How much has SONIC donated in total?

  • SONIC donated more than $635,000 to public school teachers across the country in 2009. By the time SONIC is finished this year, the total donation will reach more than $1,000,000.

Is there a SONIC in my hometown?

Who are SONIC Cruisers® members?

  • A Cruiser is a special SONIC customer. When you sign up to be a Cruiser, you will receive updates from SONIC regarding new products, special promotions and unique offers. If you sign up to be a Cruiser after you cast your vote on LimeadesForLearning.com, then you will receive a special offer as a thank-you.

If I don't sign up to be a SONIC Cruiser now, can I sign up later?

Does SONIC support other charities?

  • For more than 50 years, SONIC has generously partnered with local organizations to meet community needs.

    Sonic Corp., the Oklahoma-based headquarters for SONIC, America's Drive-In, partners with community organizations to support programs geared toward advancing education and academic opportunity for Oklahoma youth ages 4-22. Through a volunteer tutoring program with Wilson Elementary School in Oklahoma City, SONIC has helped today's elementary students gain the confidence needed to be successful students tomorrow.
  • In addition to programs generated at the corporate level, individual franchisees throughout the SONIC system generously give back to the communities in which they do business. Support varies, but includes reading programs and helping kids stay in school through Accent on Kids®, a program that provides off-the-shelf resources for teachers and principals in local communities.
  • For more information on SONIC's giving efforts, visit the Community Giving section at www.SonicDriveIn.com.