Bound for Good is a new initiative by Conversation Tree Press that allows us to support our local community through a shared love of books. We commission a unique, custom-bound edition of one of our books and use it to raise funds for local charities that are making a meaningful impact right here in Waterloo Region, our home.

So far we’ve raised:

$3,015

of our CA$1,000 goal for the first Bound for Good book—Joe Hill’s Faun.

Joe Hill’s Faun

Our inaugural Bound for Good offering is a signed, one-of-a-kind binding of our edition of Joe Hill’s Faun. The main edition featured:

• A limitation of only 736 copies.
• Letterpress printing by Nomad Letterpress using metal type cast specifically for this edition.
• 12 full colour pieces of art and 3 pen and ink drawings from François Vaillancourt.
• Signatures by Joe Hill and François Vaillancourt.

I’ve commissioned a unique binding from Ludlow Bookbinders:

It features:

• A book block from the Deluxe state using Liber Charta 145gsm paper.
• A full colour remarque by François Vaillancourt.
• A full leather binding using Harmatan & Oakridge’s Fine Leather Range of goatskin leather, the same leather used in the Lettered Edition.
• Custom, hand-marbled endpapers from the Lettered Edition.

My sincere thanks to François for taking the time out of his busy schedule to donate this remarque, and to Joe for giving us permission to use Faun as the first Bound for Good book.

Supporting Students and Staff at Suddaby Public School

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

All proceeds from this fundraiser will directly benefit Suddaby Public School, where our five-year-old son is in senior kindergarten. First opened as a school in 1857, the very first kindergarten class in Ontario was taught right here. Suddaby is home to almost 500 students with very diverse backgrounds and needs, with 38 different languages represented in our community, and 55 staff members. 

Donations go through the Waterloo Education Foundation Inc. (WEFI), a registered charity supporting students across the school board. From there, the funds will be allocated to Suddaby’s Parent Council, where decisions on disbursements are made collaboratively through a voting process.

The money raised will help fund:

• School nutrition programs.
• Support for less-advantaged students with school supplies and gym uniforms.
• Off-campus excursions and field trips. For example, covering the cost of school buses on field trips.
• Equipment and materials for various clubs and activities. For example, funds were used to purchase a 3D printer for student use.

As a member of the Parent Council at Suddaby, I witness firsthand the dedication and passion of my fellow council members and the profound impact that these funds have on the lives of the students at our school.

Note: This endeavour is not affiliated with Suddaby School, the Parent Council, or the Waterloo Region District School Board in any way, though I did consult with the Chair of the Council on how donations could be made and how the funds from WEFI are allocated.

Funding Goal and Participation Information

I’m aiming to raise CA$1,000, and I’ve kicked things off with a CA$100 donation of my own, so we’re off to a solid start. Here’s how you can get a chance to win this unique binding of Joe Hill’s Faun:

1. Make a donation in CA$5 increments (see detailed instructions below). Every CA$5 donated = 1 entry.
2. After donating, forward your donation receipt to boundforgood@conversationtreepress.com.

I’ll keep a running tally of donations and update our progress toward the CA$1,000 goal regularly.

Entries will close on Friday December 20th at 12pm ET and one winner will be randomly selected from all of the entries. I will ship it to anywhere in the world UPS delivers, for free.

Detailed Instructions for Donating

1. Visit https://www.wrdsb.ca/wefi/donate/.
2. In the Donation Details section, Donate Once should be selected by default. If it isn’t, click on Donate Once.
3. Under Donation Amount, enter the amount you wish to donate, in Canadian dollars, in increments of CA$5. Every CA$5 earns 1 entry.
4. Under the Fund dropdown, select Suddaby PS - 0116.
5. In the Write a private message to us textbox, please write “Conversation Tree Press.”
   
   
   
6. In the Donor & Tax Receipt Information section, enter your details.
7. In the Payment Information section, enter your details.
8. In the Dedication Information section, No dedication is selected by default, feel free to change if desired.
9. In the Anonymity section, check the “Make my donation anonymous” if you would like to keep your personal details from WEFI. Note you can select this and still forward your email to me to be entered for a chance to win.
10. Forward your email confirmation to boundforgood@conversationtreepress.com. This is really important as I will not have access to donation information otherwise.

Future Fundraising

Bound for Good unique bindings of Peter Pan and Treasure Island are complete, and we’ve received permission from Daniel Keyes’s estate to create one for Flowers for Algernon. Different books will raise funds for different charities, with a focus on organizations that make a positive difference in our community.