Team Philadelphia Fundraising Guide

Transcription

1 Team Philadelphia Fundraising Guide 1

2 WELCOME TO Team Philadelphia A note from the President & CEO of Gift of Life Donor Program Dear Team Philadelphia Member, Thank you for helping Gift of Life Donor Program create a community that gives people a second chance at life through organ and tissue donation. Last year, Gift of Life Donor Program coordinated 1,133 life-saving organ transplants from 447 individuals; making this region the most generous in the U.S. This couldn t have happened without YOU lending your support as a member of Team Philadelphia. Founded in 1974 by the Greater Delaware Valley Society of Transplant Surgeons, Gift of Life is one of the oldest and largest of 58 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States. Since its founding, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 40,000 life-saving organ transplants and over 550,000 tissue transplants. At the 2014 Transplant Games of America, Team Philadelphia brought home more than 90 medals as the largest traveling team in Houston, TX. This year, the Transplant Games will be held in Cleveland, OH from June We need your help to become the largest team and bring home more medals! As the nation s leading organ procurement organization, Gift of Life Donor Program sponsors Team Philadelphia at the Donate Life Transplant Games of America where we recognize those who gave the generous gift of life and show that transplantation works! Thank you joining Team Philadelphia at the Transplant Games this year! See you in Cleveland! Howard M. Nathan President & CEO, Gift of Life Donor Program 2

3 Table of Contents Please also consult the FAQ s & TGA documents on the Team Philadelphia website at and share this information with your friends and family! Getting Started... 4 Why Fundraise?... 5 How do I Fundraise?... 6 Raffle Tickets... 6 Utilizing Social Media... 7 Fundraising Ideas... 8 Sample Fundraising Letter... 9 Sample Press Release About the Transplant Games About Gift of Life Donor Program

4 Getting Started The easiest way to manage your fundraising efforts is to create an online fundraising page. To create a fundraising page: Visit STEP 1: Register on the Team Philly website. STEP 2: Log into your personal fundraising page. STEP 3: Make it yours! Upload your own photo and add your personal story! STEP 4: Send s through your personal page to friends and family asking them to sponsor your journey to the Transplant Games. STEP 5: Watch your fundraising total rise! DON T FORGET TO ALSO REGISTER ON THE TRANSPLANT GAMES WEBSITE! THAT IS WHERE YOU WILL SIGN UP FOR EVENTS! 4

5 Why Fundraise? Fundraising will help defray the cost of the Games for you and at least one family member. What should my fundraising goal be? The goal of fundraising is to help cover the cost of your trip to the Games, which means you need a fundraising goal. Here is a breakdown of approximate costs to help you reach that goal. Travel (Bus) - $250 Lodging ($149/night +fees and taxes) - $1,072 Food ($50/day) - $300 TGA Registration (Athlete) - $160 TOTAL = 1,782 How your fundraising money can be used: Submit receipts for the following expenses by the deadlines to receive reimbursement from your fundraising bank. Please note that all food receipts must be itemized! Travel Lodging Registration Fee Food at the Games If you plan to coordinate your own travel, please know that Gift of Life will only reimburse for gas and tolls. We will not reimburse the cost of a rental car. Who benefits from my fundraising? Based on which category you are attending the Games as, will depend on how many people your fundraising dollars can help support. Athletes - You and one family member will benefit Donor Family - Up to 4 family members will benefit How do I get my reimbursements? We will issue reimbursements after the Games. If you have raised enough money to cover the costs of your trip, you can PDFs of the receipts to Lauren at ldranoff@donors1.org or mail them to Gift of Life, Attn: Team Philadelphia, 401 N. 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA Please submit a W-9 (if you have not done so before) with your first round of receipts. A blank W-9 form will be posted on the Team Philly website. Reimbursement checks will be mailed on a rolling basis upon when they are received. 5

6 How do I Fundraise? The best way to get individual donations is by writing a letter or to your family and friends asking for their support of your journey to the Transplant Games (see a sample letter on page 9). Keep in mind that a personal message is always best. Your supporters can send a check directly to Gift of Life that will be credited towards your fundraising goal. Make sure that your supporters note your name in the check memo line so the correct person is credited. Make all checks payable to Transplant Foundation and mail to: Transplant Foundation 401 N. 3rd Street ATTN: Team Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Or your supporters can go to the Team Philadelphia website, enter your name under sponsor participant and submit a secured donation directly through the website. Online donations are encouraging because you can watch your fundraising thermometer grow instantaneously! Follow up with family and friends in case they did not get your message and always be sure to thank them for their generous support! RAFFLE TICKETS! Selling Team Philadelphia raffle tickets to your sponsors is a great way to boost your fundraising total! Raffle tickets are $1 per ticket, or $10 for 12 tickets (1 book). Last year s top fundraiser, Todd Stickel (pictured with his family below), used raffle tickets to help boost his fundraising allowing him to cover the cost of his and his wife s trip to the Games! Raffle tickets are a great tool for you to engage sponsors and reach your fundraising goals! What will your sponsors be entered to win? First Prize: Two round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental U.S.* Second Prize: Flat Screen TV valued at $500! The winners will be picked at the 2016 Donor Dash held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. *Trip must be coordinated through Transplant Foundations' designated travel agency; some restrictions apply. 6

7 Utilizing Social Media Fundraise Using Social Media Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are perfect for fundraising. Invite all your Facebook friends and Twitter followers to support your journey to the Transplant Games. Post status updates about the event with a link to your fundraising page on the Team Philly site. Create a special profile photo and/or cover photo advertising the Transplant Games for all your friends to see. Post photos from last year s event so everyone can see how much fun it is! Include a signature line at the bottom of all your s with a link to your Team Philly fundraising page. Sponsors can be found everywhere... Family Friends Co-workers Sororities & Fraternities Book Club Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts Doctors Classmates Businesses Neighbors Facebook Friends Playgroup Civic Group Clients Houses of Worship 7

8 Fundraising Ideas What are some fundraisers I can do? Holiday Wishlist: Instead of asking for material gifts this year, ask for help with your journey to the Transplant Games! Bake Sale: Nothing tastes sweeter than meeting your fundraising goal. Whip up some delicious treats to sell at work or outside a local store. Car Wash: As the weather gets nice, help wash winter off cars and watch dollars flow into your fundraising bank! Change Jar: When you empty your pockets at the end of the day, where does all your spare change go? Create a Change for Change jar in your house or office, encouraging yourself, friends, family and co-works to donate spare change. This will add up! Dress Down Days: Work with your company on hosting a Dress Down day where employees can pay $5 to dress casual for a day and the funds can go to your goal. Facebook Photo Auction: Auction off your profile picture, where family and friends can win the chance to control your profile picture for a week. Letter Writing: This simple fundraising tool is a great way to get the word out about your participation in Team Philly. Check out page 9 for a sample letter. Pet Sit/Dog Walker: Help your neighbors out by watching their cat while they are on vacation or taking their dog for a walk. Tell them that the money they pay you will be going towards your participation in the Transplant Games. Spaghetti Dinner: Work with your local school or house of worship to host a spaghetti dinner. With small out of pocket costs, you can charge $5 per person for a plate of spaghetti and dinner roll. Yard Sale: Do some spring cleaning and donate a portion of your yard sale revenue towards your fundraising goal. 8

9 Sample Fundraising Letter Dear (name of potential sponsor): (Insert Date) Please consider sponsoring my journey to the Donate Life Transplant Games of America with Team Philadelphia being held in Cleveland, Ohio from June 10-15, The Transplant Games are a celebration of life. Thousands of recipients, living donors, and donor families will gather to honor those who have given the gift of life, raise awareness about the critical need for more registered organ and tissue donors, and show the world that transplantation works! Locally, over 5,800 people are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant while nationally the waiting list exceeds 121,000. Sadly, 22 people die each day because an organ will not become available for transplant in time. I know first-hand the importance of organ and tissue donation because (insert personal story). This is why I have decided to compete with Team Philadelphia at the 2016 Transplant Games. Team Philadelphia is organized by Gift of Life Donor Program, the non-profit organ and tissue donor program serving the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Gift of Life serves as the link between patients awaiting organ and tissue transplants and those who donate. Thank you for considering my request. Making a donation is easy using my online fundraising page. Visit from there, you can search for my fundraising page to make a secure donation. Please contact me with any questions. Your support is greatly appreciated. Together we can give hope to the thousands of people whose only chance at life is a life-saving organ transplant. Sincerely, (Your Name) Tips on Writing your Letter PERSONALIZE the note. Always start with a specific person s name. TELL YOUR STORY. Tell the reader your connection with donation and why it is important to you. Include a CLEAR CALL TO ACTION. Ask the reader to sponsor you with a monetary donation and explain the steps in the process. THANK THE READER! Our sponsors can t be thanked enough. Thank them in your initial letter and with a follow up letter after they donate. KEEP YOUR SPONSORS UP-TO-DATE. The people who care to help you with your cause want to know how you are doing. Let them know when you hit your fundraising goals! RESPECT people s privacy. If someone wishes to be taken off your contact list, it is polite to respect their decision. 9

10 Sample Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John Green June, 2016 (215) , ext Local Transplant Recipients and Living Donors Compete at Donate Life Transplant Games of America (Philadelphia, PA) Team Philadelphia is ready to go for the gold at this year s Donate Life Transplant Games of America that will be held in Cleveland, Ohio from June 10-15, Team Philadelphia is made up of transplant recipients and living donors who will compete against athletes from across the country to earn a coveted medal at the Olympic-style event. (City, State) native, (name) will be participating in the 2016 Games by competing in (name events). This is the (number) year that (name) has gone for the win as a member of Team Philadelphia, and has won (number) medals to date. The Donate Life Transplant Games of America is held every other summer to raise awareness about the necessity and importance of organ and tissue donation, and to celebrate the success of recipients. Organized by Gift of Life Donor Program, Team Philadelphia consists of an inspiring group of athletes of various skill levels, who compete to showcase the full life that recipients can live post-transplant. Organ, tissue, corneal, and bone marrow recipients are all eligible to compete, along with living donors. Gift of Life also welcomes donor families to join in the fun and attend the Games to cheer on Team Philly athletes. The Games is expecting more than (number) athletes to compete in sporting events including a 5K run/walk, basketball, golf, swimming, track & field and more! Team Philadelphia has been in existence since the Transplant Games was founded in Over the past 26 years, it has become the largest traveling team. In 2014, the team brought home more than 95 medals. This year, we are looking forward to continuing this success! Currently, in Gift of Life s region, nearly 5,800 men, women and children are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Nationally, more than 121,000 are waiting. The Games has been a great opportunity to highlight the critical need to register more individuals as organ and tissue donors. Just one organ and tissue donor can save and enhance the lives of up to 50 people. Since 1974, Gift of Life Donor Program has coordinated more than 40,000 organ transplants and an estimated 550,000 tissue transplants. Gift of Life serves as the link between donors and patients awaiting life-saving organ and life-enhancing tissue transplants in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Serving nearly 11 million people in the region, Gift of Life s coordination of over 44 donors-per-million-population ranks it among the highest in the world, and speaks to the compassionate and giving spirit of the region. For more information, visit us at donors1.org. ### 10

11 About the Transplant Games of America The Donate Life Transplant Games is a multi-sport festival event produced by the Transplant Games of America for individuals who have undergone life-saving transplant surgeries. Competition events are open to living donors, organ transplant recipients, bone marrow, corneal and tissue transplant recipients. More than an athletic event, the Donate Life Transplant Games highlight the critical importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation, while celebrating the lives of organ, tissue, corneal, and bone marrow recipients and donors. - Bill Ryan, President and CEO of the Donate Life Transplant Games of America. Athletic Events: 5K 10K Run / Walk Badminton Ballroom Dancing Basketball Bocce (New!) Bowling Cornhole (Bean Bag Toss) Cycling Darts Golf Racquetball Singing Competition (New!) Swimming Table Tennis Tennis Texas Hold em Poker Track and Field Trivia Challenge Virtual Triathlon Volleyball Youth Olympiad Special Events: Opening Ceremonies Transplant Games Village Donor-Recipient Bowling Transplant Expo Quarter Century Club Donor Tribute Ceremony Transplant Workshops Coffee Houses Closing Ceremonies 11

12 About gift of life donor program Gift of Life Donor Program, the non-profit organization serving the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware, is responsible for recovering and allocating organs and tissues used in life-saving and lifeenhancing transplants. Gift of Life serves as the link between patients awaiting organ and tissue transplants, and those who donate. Founded in 1974 by the Greater Delaware Valley Society of Transplant Surgeons, Gift of Life is one of the oldest and largest of 58 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States. Since its founding, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 40,000 life-saving organ transplants. In addition, Gift of Life coordinates life-enhancing tissue transplants for area residents who are in need of corneas for sight-restoring procedures, as well as skin, tissue, and bone to repair injuries. Gift of Life also serves as an educational resource and an advocate for organ and tissue donation awareness. Common Misconceptions MYTH #1: If a hospital finds out that I m an organ donor, they won t try to save my life. TRUTH: Doctors will always do everything they can to save your life. These doctors and the medical team involved in organ recovery are actually two separate entities, and the organ recovery team isn t even notified until all life-saving efforts have failed. MYTH #2: Organ donation will change the appearance of my body. TRUTH: There are no outward signs of donation, so it is possible to have an open casket funeral even if you have donated organs and tissue. MYTH #3: I am too old to be an organ donor. TRUTH: There is no age limit to be on the registry as an organ donor. Organs are evaluated for their suitability at the time of death. There have been organs donated by people well into their 80s! Donation Facts More than 121,000 people are waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the United States. Over 5,800 people await transplants in the Gift of Life Donor Program service region of the eastern half of PA, southern NJ, and Delaware. Tens of thousands of others are in need of donated corneas, bone, heart valves, and other tissues. Everyday in the U.S., 22 people die waiting for an organ that never becomes available. Every 10 minutes a new patient is added to the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant. The organs that can be transplanted are: kidneys, heart, lungs, pancreas, liver, and intestine. To register as a donor, there are no age limits or medical restrictions. 12