KIDS FIRST! Needs Your Help
We have launched our annual crowd-funding campaign with a goal of $15,000 to support our KIDS FIRST! Film Critic program. I want to share with you something amazing. We raised 25% of our goal in the first 5 days and the majority of the donors are our youth reporters themselves, as well as their parents.
One young reporter donated from funds earned by dog sitting. That shows you how much they appreciate being a KIDS FIRST! reporter.
However, we still have $10,000 more to raise and today, we are writing to ask you to make a donation of any amount to help cover the cost of our coaches, editors, technical personnel and equipment.
To inspire you, take a look at what some of our reporters and their parents say about KIDS FIRST! And below that, what the industry leader have to say about us.
I’ve had an amazing experience with KID FIRST! so far. I absolutely love it! I remember when I first joined. I was nervous, but everyone was super welcoming. Ranny is extremely kind to everyone. I also love that it doesn’t take up school time; so there’s always time for movies, interviews, radio shows and school. Actually, being part of KIDS FIRST! helps me develop my critical skills in a different way from my regular classes. I love the feeling of being part of something that is helpful and inspiring for other kids. Doing interviews, meeting amazing people I admire and reviewing films is fun and also a challenge. All my KIDS FIRST! peers have different personalities and we are all free to be ourselves. KIDS FIRST! has a special place in my heart. Zoe Cannella, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic
I found KIDS FIRST! by online research and never imagined it was going to be a total life-changing experience for my daughter. After a whole year, KIDS FIRST! is not just a way of living for us and is a great experience for all the other kids that are part of this organization. As a media member, I understand the hard work required to be a film journalist and to work in the entertainment industry. I’m grateful that Ranny gave us such a warm welcome. We share our love for films and she encourages us everyday to be better. Mariana Medina Cannella, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic parent
Thank you doesn’t even begin to describe how thankful Nathalia and I are. What an amazing experience KIDS FIRST! has been for us. I highly recommend KIDS FIRST! to others interested in becoming a film critics. My daughter Nathalia’s written and oral communication has developed and continues to evolve, with help from the KIDS FIRST! staff. Their training program has provided Nathalia the necessary tools to help her articulate her views, share and exchange her impressions and have fun while learning. Thank you Ranny – How do you do it all!? You are truly a Superhero. You are simply AMAZING! We have truly learned so much from you. Thank you for the prompt responses via email, text and phone. You are always a phone call away! Thank you for making it all happen for my daughter. Connie Chavarria & Nathalia Jackson
I want to give KIDS FIRST! a shout out, as it’s been four years now that our daughter, Abigail has been a KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. We see tremendous growth in Abigail’s reporting, particularly in being more articulate and poised. Some of her highlights – which are many – include interviewing numerous talented people like Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Kevin Hart, Zooey Deschanel, Weird Al Yankovic, Bella Thorne and many others. Attending red carpets and press junkets have been exciting and often, being the only kid reporter among top reporters is pretty cool! Reviewing, reporting and being invited on the set of shows like Disney Channel’s T.O.T.S., Just Roll With It and other productions have made Abigail feel she has contributed positively to this world. It has also been really incredible to see Abigail’s reviews published in the Huffington Post and other places. As any parent, we love when our child is happy and feel good about who they are. KIDS FIRST! has been like an extended family for us and has given Abigail something very special personally and professionally in her heart. Thank you Ranny for all you do and for giving kids a voice in this world where kids’ voices matter and can make a difference! Fondly, David Lewis, Parent
Of course, we could not do all that we do without the support of the industry professionals. All the major studios support our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics through invitations to press screenings, press junkets, red carpets and other special events including Disney, Fox, Universal, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, Paramount plus NCircle Entertainment, Shout! Factory and Wow Now Entertainment. Most studio employees are not allowed to give KIDS FIRST! a letter of support, but some have which you can see below as well as the terrific PR people who represent the studios.
“I like working with the KIDS FIRST! reporters. I have worked with them for some time- they do their research, are pleasant to be around and conduct good interviews. I hope to see KIDS FIRST! continue to grow and look forward to working with them again.” Alan Meier, Paramount Home Entertainment
“KIDS FIRST! is an organization I wish I knew about sooner! Each young reporter astonishes me in the best way! They are all wildly intelligent, impressively polite, timely, and fun to be around! Kids and teens deserve more credit and KIDS FIRST! has made me excited for the future. I know each reporter will go far in any industry they desire!” – Megan McRae, Family Publicity, TeamClick
The KIDS FIRST! team does an outstanding job with promoting our content through all of their online platforms, banner ads and social media outreach. I am very pleased with the lift in monthly impressions that NCircle receives as a result of the focused effort from KIDS FIRST! Mary Flynn, VP Sales, Content and Acquisitions, NCircle Entertainment
“We absolutely love working with KIDS FIRST! and their youth reporters. They are always reliable and professional and also steal the show (in a good way!) at our junkets and events. The entire KIDS FIRST! team has been a joy to work with for years, and it is so important to us to be able to engage directly with our audience for these films. Plus, they have reporters all over the country!” – Mandy Rodgers, VP, Client Services – Think Jam
“We love the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics. We have worked with them for many years – and greatly admire their professionalism. We love meeting the kid reporters and seeing how hard they work. They always deliver coverage time and are always respectful of the campaign’s needs. We look forward to seeing them grow!” -Jamie Falkowitz-Tancredi, Falkowitz PR
KIDS FIRST! is an important voice and influencer to kids and parents for youth and family programming and an essential ingredient in our efforts to effectively target content to family & kids audiences. Andy Siditsky, CMO, Air Bud Entertainment
“I have worked with KIDS FIRST! for several years and I would honestly say that their youth reporters are some of the hardest workers in the business. They give honest reviews, from the prospective of a tween or teen, and are always respectful of the work. All of our studio clients are thrilled to read and watch their reviews.” Ariana Swan – Co-Founder of Boutique Publicity
“I have worked with KIDS FIRST! for several years now, and I would honestly say that their youth reporters are some of the hardest workers in the business. They give fresh and honest reviews, from the prospective of a tween or teen, and are always respectful of the work. All of our music clients are thrilled to read and watch their reviews. The radio interviews are always thoughtful and fun as well!” Beth Blenz-Clucas, Sugar Mountain PR
