Some life lessons come in colorful packages. For years, Mayan Hands has successfully used the consignment model to sell their products. The Friendship Bracelet program is a creative way to harness some of the teen (13-19 years old) and tween (9-12 years old) discresionary spending power for good.
The bracelets (shown at right) are available in a wide variety of colors and styles. Mayan Hands sends out an assortment of product along with promotional materials and ideas for how to run a successful fundraiser. The bracelets sell for five dollars, and the seller keeps 40% of the profits. Any product that is not sold may be returned.
For those young people who are fortunate enough to have discretionary money to spend—and certainly not all young people do—the Friendship Bracelet program gives them a way to have their dollars support their peers in another country while also raising money for a collective goal. The program is also appealing to college students and church groups.
One happy mother, whose daughter sold the braclets to raise money for her school said, “This fundraiser was awesome because it taught the kids that they could help themselves while helping others. A good lesson for middle schoolers! ”
Many of the schools that sell the friendship bracelets are raising money for service trips to other countries, reinforcing the message of the friendship bracelets to the larger community. Most of the money raised by sale of woven goods goes to support the weavers children’s need for food, clothing, and education.
If you are interested in learning more about the program, contact Kathleen Balogh by e-mailing her at or calling (301) 515-5911. To learn more about Mayan Hands, visit www.mayanhands.org