Family Promisewalk.familypromisemetrowest.org/.../teampkt_2016feb13.docx · Web viewThis is a great way to support and spread the word about Family Promise Metrowest! Team Fundraising

TEAM LEADER INFORMATION PACKET

7TH ANNUAL WALK AWAY HOMELESSNESS EVENT – APRIL 9, 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME AND THANK YOU!.....................................................................1DAY OF EVENT DETAILS...........................................................................2Schedule.......................................................................................................................... 2Registration and Fees......................................................................................................2VIP Walkers Raffle............................................................................................................3Awards............................................................................................................................. 3KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL TEAMS....................................................................4Build Your Team..............................................................................................................4Set Your Goals (Team and Individual)..............................................................................4Show Your Enthusiasm....................................................................................................4Spread the Word..............................................................................................................5Make the Ask...................................................................................................................5Host a Fundraiser............................................................................................................6REACHING YOUR FUNDRAISING GOAL IS SIMPLE.............................................7ONLINE REGISTRATION............................................................................8Register as an Individual.................................................................................................8Register Your Team.......................................................................................................10Join a Team.................................................................................................................... 11Participate as an Individual............................................................................................12Check Your Team’s Progress.........................................................................................13CAN’T WALK BUT YOU STILL WANT TO RAISE FUNDS?..................................15TEAM FUNDRAISING IDEAS......................................................................16Script for Announcement to workplace, worship place or senior center........................16Text, Email or Letter to Recruit Team Members............................................................17Script for Follow-up Emails and Letters.........................................................................18

Team Leader Information Packet ii

WELCOME AND THANK YOU!Thank you for stepping up and participating in the 7th Annual Walk Away Homelessness event in Natick. We appreciate your willingness to serve and applaud your leadership.This packet includes a variety of information – registration details, fundraising tips, and team-building insights. We hope you find it useful. Please do not hesitate to contact us at Family Promise Metrowest if you encounter problems or have questions. You can reach us at 508-318-4820 or by email at [email protected].

Team Leader Information Packet 1

mailto:[email protected]

DAY OF EVENT DETAILS The walk is approximately 3 miles – from Natick Common to Natick High School and back to the Common.

SCHEDULE

Date: April 9, 2016Location: Natick Common

7:30 a.m. Registration opens8:25 a.m. Welcome8:30 a.m. Warm-Ups8:45 a.m. Start!10:00 a.m. Awards and Wrap Ups

REGISTRATION AND FEES

Ages 18 and above = $15Ages 6 – 17 = $10Ages 5 and younger = free (no t-shirt)Ages 5 and younger = $10 with t-shirt included If you have already registered online, simply report to the Registration tent to pick up your t-shirt and learn about any incentive prizes you are eligible to receive.If you’re registering on the day of the event, report to the Registration tent with your completed registration form. If you’re turning in any cash or check donations, bring your registration form and collected donations with you to the Common the day of the event. Report to the registration area and turn in your materials before warming up.


VIP WALKERS RAFFLE

Raise $100 and you’ll qualify as a VIP walker. For every $100 raised, a walker will get one (1) raffle ticket entered into the following raffles:

2 round-trip ticket vouchers for domestic travel on Jet Blue 2 tickets to a Red Sox game 2 pairs athletic shoes from Marathon Sports

To qualify for the raffles, all donations must be registered online or delivered to the Day Center at 13 Common Street, Natick, by Friday, April 8, 5:00 p.m.

AWARDS

Highest Individual Fundraiser Highest Fundraising Team Highest Fundraising Youth Group


KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL TEAMS

Be creative, have fun, and ask everyone you meet to support your effort. Whatever approach you take, the key is to get started early!

BUILD YOUR TEAM Recruit as many people for your team as you can. Do you

know someone who likes to walk or is a fitness fanatic? Encourage friends, colleagues, neighbors and family to join your team. Emphasize that the 7th Annual Walk Away Homelessness is an opportunity for them to make a difference in their community.

Engage people with various connections. They can open doors to new donors and more team members.

Register online. As a team captain you can create a personalized web page to set team goals, recruit and communicate with your walkers and track your donations and pledges. Friends, family, and business associates are able to sponsor you online in a secure process, where they will receive an instant tax receipt and see their contribution applied to your team’s goal. Visit http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org to get started today.

SET YOUR GOALS (TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL) Set fundraising goals for the team. Make it challenging but

realistic. A large but attainable goal will help your walkers feel proud and motivated.

Increase last year’s amount. What did you raise last year? Set this year’s goal 10% higher.

Work with your team to set individual goals. Many people start at $100.

Lead by example. Share with your team members what your personal goal will be; this will help encourage others to reach for the stars.

Announce your team goal so that everyone knows what you are working towards.

SHOW YOUR ENTHUSIASM Show your commitment and encourage others to give.


Share stories about why you and your group are supporting Family Promise Metrowest. Do you have a story to share from your experience of volunteering with Family Promise Metrowest? Do you know someone who was homeless and could have been helped by being one of our guests?

Make team t-shirts, posters, flyers, hats, bandanas and more. Motivate and encourage your team by communicating regularly. Promote your team’s work. Share your story with your community

paper, write an article in your corporate or place of worship newsletter, or hang flyers at local community organizations and stores.

Share information about Family Promise Metrowest and the 7th Annual Walk Away Homelessness Event. What motivates you? It could motivate others!

Track the progress of individuals and your team, and let everyone know how they are doing.

SPREAD THE WORD Host a kick-off event at a local restaurant. Create your team’s web page on

http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org and help your team members create their personal web pages.

Combine the talents and time of everyone you know. Who’s good at making posters? Who’s good at writing a letter? Who’s the best person to make phone calls?

Draft a letter for your manager to sign, inviting everyone to join together, or obtain permission to send an email on his or her behalf.

Use your personal web page or Facebook Page to send e-mails asking for support.

Add your Walk information to the signature of your emails and faxes.

MAKE THE ASK Ask your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, etc. You’ll be

surprised how many people will ask what they can do to help. People want to help others just as you do.


Request your sponsors to donate rather than pledge. This eliminates the task of collecting pledges after the event.

Import your personal address book to http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org and create a personal email appeal to send to all your contacts in one fell swoop! A link to your personal web page will be included.

Write a letter to your vendors, friends, associates, etc., asking them to sponsor you. You can find a sample letter in this kit.

Carry a sponsor form with you wherever you go. You can download a sponsor form from the link located on the Team Tools page.

Research if companies honor matching gifts to make twice the impact! Make sure to get the company’s matching gift form to fill out, and deliver it with your donation.

Follow-up with your “asks.” Don’t be afraid to ask again – just ask with a smile.

HOST A FUNDRAISER See more suggestions in the sections on Team Fundraising.

Organize a fundraiser to generate excitement while raising money for a good cause.

Promote your fundraiser. The more people who know about it, the more successful it will be.

Approach a local business to host a fundraiser to support your efforts. Will your hairdresser host a cut-a-thon for you? Will your favorite waiter or waitress donate their tips to you one night? Will your favorite hangout host a Family Promise Metrowest Night and donate the cover charge to you?


REACHING YOUR FUNDRAISING GOAL IS SIMPLE Follow this technique to help get you to your goal:

Sponsor yourself for $25 $25Ask 3 family members to sponsor you for $20 each

$60

Ask 3 friends for $5 each $15Ask 2 businesses you frequent for $50 each $100Total raised $200


ONLINE REGISTRATION To register your team, you must first register as an individual and then create the registration for the team.

REGISTER AS AN INDIVIDUAL

Go to: http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org.

Click on Register and then click on Register Now.


Complete the Online Registration Form and click on Complete Registration.


REGISTER YOUR TEAM

Go to: http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org.Click on Register and complete the registration.


JOIN A TEAM

Go to: http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org. Click on Register and complete the information requested in the Event-Related panel. Then click on Complete Registration.


PARTICIPATE AS AN INDIVIDUAL

Go to: http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org. Click on Register and complete the information requested in the Event-Related panel. Then click on Complete Registration.


CHECK YOUR TEAM’S PROGRESS Go to: http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org and click on My Account.Log in with your credentials.

You can then spread the word to send emails to your team and friends.


On the My Account page you can also customize your team page, add pictures, and check donations. Check all the tabs in My Account for this cool stuff and more!For help, contact Family Promise at 508-318-4820.


CAN’T WALK BUT YOU STILL WANT TO RAISE FUNDS? Here's what you can do:Be a virtual walker or create a virtual team. Using this feature will enable you to create an "ask" to all your friends and family thus allowing them to make a donation to support you and your cause. By creating a team you can extend your reach by inviting friends to reach out to their friends. Go to http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org/default.asp and Click on the Virtual Team tab This is a great way to support and spread the word about Family Promise Metrowest!


TEAM FUNDRAISING IDEAS

Here are a few ideas about how you and your team can raise money for the Walk Away Homelessness Event.

Have a food sale – Breakfast foods, lunch, baked goods, soft pretzels, and snacks are always a good way to raise money.

Fill a jar full of candy or another kind of display and have people guess the amount of contents or weight for $1 or $5 per guess – the winner gets the jar.

Host an auction – Ask for donations of unique items, then display the items at the auction and have your friends, family, and neighbors bid on them.

Host a yard sale – Do you have items cluttering up your home? Ask everyone to gather their items, put up signs, and get rid of those extra items, all while raising money for Family Promise.

Dine Out for Family Promise Metrowest – Ask a restaurant you frequent to donate a portion of their proceeds one day, or create a special Family Promise Metrowest item on their menu.

Cut-a-thon – Ask your hairdresser to donate $5-$10 per haircut. Host a 50-50 – Have everyone donate $10 and give them a raffle

ticket. At the end of the night pull a winner – they get half the money and you get the other. (Raffle license may be required)

Host a dinner party and have everyone bring a donation in lieu of a hostess gift.

Host a book/movie/game sale – Gather gently used books, movies and games and re-sell them for $2-3 each

Save your change – Put your spare change in a jar and watch it grow.

Make arts and crafts and sell them to family and friends. Re-gifting Party – get guests to bring unused gifts to sell. Host a Talent Show – Hold an organization wide talent show to raise

money. Set a fee for attending that will be donated after the show.


SCRIPT FOR ANNOUNCEMENT TO WORKPLACE, WORSHIP PLACE OR SENIOR CENTER

Good morning/afternoon, I’m _______ and this is ________ and we are the (your team’s name) leaders forming a team to Walk Away Homelessness. Our team will participate in a walk-a-thon on Saturday, April 9th from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the Natick Common. We will be one of many organizations forming teams. With your help we can get the largest team. Family Promise Metrowest is an organization that helps homeless families transition to a home of their own. Family Promise’s goal is to keep the family together while offering stability and support to families with children. The average age of a child helped by Family Promise Metrowest is 6 years old. It should be a really fun day on the Natick Common, walking to the high school and back (about 3 miles). They’re going to have a DJ, games, and prize drawings and it’s all to support a really great cause, so please contact us (your names) to join our team. Thanks!

TEXT, EMAIL OR LETTER TO RECRUIT TEAM MEMBERS

I am writing to ask you to join the (name of team) Walk Away Homelessness Team on April 9, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the Natick Common. There will be a DJ, drinks and food, games and prizes and other fun activities.Family Promise Metrowest (FPM) is a cooperative, interfaith partnership offering hope to homeless families with children through safe transitional shelter, meals, and supportive case management as they seek permanent housing. The average age if a homeless child served by Family Promise is 6 years old.To join our team, please go to http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org and search for (our team’s name), then register. If you need help with registration or any other part of the process please contact me. Your participation will help families and children who are homeless to reach the goal of having a home of their own. Thank you.Your name and any contact information you want to share with your team.


SCRIPT FOR FOLLOW-UP EMAILS AND LETTERS

Team Name ____________________________________________I am writing again to encourage you to join our Team to walk away homelessness on April 9th from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. on Natick Common. The walk is only 3 miles (to the high school and back), and your participation would mean a lot to me and to the families you will be helping.Did you know:

Family Promise gets no government funding. It relies on donations from people like us.

The average age of a homeless child served by Family Promise Metrowest is 6 years old.

Most homeless shelters separate fathers and boys over 12 from the rest of their family. Family Promise Metrowest keeps families together.

25% of homeless people are children under the age of 18. Children experiencing homelessness are sick 4 times more often

than other children. A family of 4 grossing more than $2,114 per month is NOT eligible

for state shelter assistance.Please come and walk and join in the fun. There will be a DJ, drinks and food, games and prizes and other fun activities.To join our team please go to: http://walk.familypromisemetrowest.org and search for (our team’s name), then register. If you need help with registration or any other part of the process, please contact me. Your participation will help families and children who are homeless to reach the goal of having a home of their own. Thank you.Your name and any contact information you want to share with your team.


Documents

Family Promisewalk.familypromisemetrowest.org/.../teampkt_2016feb13.docx · Web viewThis is a great way to support and spread the word about Family Promise Metrowest! Team Fundraising