A child’s traditional piggy bank has taken the form of a money box, where instead of saving up for the ice cream man, children are encouraged to help the homeless.
Moonjar creates products for families and organizations to help children and families learn the three basic principles of money management: saving, spending and sharing.
“Our goal is helping kids and families solve financial literacy,” said Mary Ryan Karges, sales and marketing manager for Moonjar, Seattle. “Through the money boxes we are allowing and asking kids to identify goals with saving.”
Moonjar offers creative tools for families to understand how to use their money and build a strong financial foundation to reach their goals. The money box is divided into three individual compartments for saving, spending and sharing. The money box tool kit includes three boxes, a Moonjar wristband, passbook and guide.
The company aims to inspire independence, a sense of accomplishment and positive family communication with its initiatives. It also advocates responsibility and commitment to the larger community. Moonjar’s distribution focuses on three sectors: financial organizations, retailers, and educational and nonprofit organizations. The company partners with banks, credit unions and investment management firms in the financial sector, and Web, gift and toy stores, booksellers and major retailers supported by manufacturer’s representatives in the retail sector.
In the educational department, Moonjar addresses classroom needs, school fundraisers and PTAs. While in the nonprofit sector, it involves groups such as the YMCA, Save the Children and St. Jude’s Children’s Research. The company is new to the nonprofit marketplace.
The money box tool kit sold to nonprofits is fully customized and exclusive. Besides the standard Moonjar money box, the company has created a book titled “Noom & Raj Start a Business: The ABC’s of Money.” The characters lead readers through a business adventure, complete with a money terms glossary. It sells greeting cards to encourage gift-giving as well. Moonjar also offers Conversations to Go, a small box filled with 100 big questions to keep families talking about values, money and life.
“Catching the whole family is really important,” Ms. Karges said. “We offer full branding and a brochure that becomes an interactive piece that the whole family can embrace.”
All the products are available online at www.moonjar.com. The business is about 10 percent business to consumer and 90 percent business to business or business to institution.
Moonjar markets itself primarily through its Web site, but it is also a member of the American Specialty Toy Retail Association and a frequenter of toy trade shows. The company does not interact with its clients’ direct mailing lists. Clients design their own marketing or direct mail campaigns in-house.
Moonjar’s role is as the provider of the tool in the form of moneyboxes.
“We have created a learning tool with no set demographic and it’s beyond age, so the individual can completely make it their own.”
Moonjar’s money boxes reach and teach families
