FUNDRAISING HANDBOOK VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT ADELAIDE THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2018

Transcription

1 VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT FUNDRAISING HANDBOOK ADELAIDE THURSDAY 21 JUNE FRANKLIN STREET ADELAIDE SA CEOSLEEPOUT.ORG.AU

2 WELCOME Catherine s Story... At no fault of her own, Catherine has faced challenge after challenge in her life. As a single mother who escaped domestic violence, Catherine has raised three daughters on her own, and in recent years family illness and financial hardship have left Catherine struggling to get by. Thankfully, when Catherine needed it most, she found much-needed hope and support through St Vincent de Paul Society s Home Visitation program. Five years ago Catherine s middle child Lisa, now 20 years old, was diagnosed with cancer. Not long afterwards, a sudden back injury left Catherine unable to work. Quickly the medical bills started piling up and the emotional stress became too much. I found myself financially drowning. Having a child battling cancer, dealing with my own health problems and then having the financial stress on top of that the enormity of it was overwhelming. It s heart wrenching as a parent to watch your child go through illness. I would actually get sick with worry. I had many sleepless nights. When a neighbour suggested Catherine give St Vincent de Paul Society a call, it was the first step towards emotional and financial relief. The Home Visitation program is one of St Vincent de Paul Society s oldest services. Not only does it provide practical and financial assistance, it provides companionship and emotional support to families and individuals facing extreme hardship. The home visits from Margaret meant the world to me. She was always so compassionate and warming and it was amazing just knowing that someone was there to listen. She gave me food vouchers for the local shops, which got me through that month, and Vinnies even helped me enrol my youngest daughter into a good high school. While Catherine s middle daughter, Lisa, is now in remission from cancer, ongoing health complications continue to put financial and emotional stress on the family. But knowing that support and compassion are just a phone call away gives Catherine peace of mind. Vinnies has set me on a path to positivity. Even though I ve been hit with tragedy after tragedy, knowing that there are genuine people out there that are willing to help is a weight off my shoulders. Vinnies has given me a more positive outlook on life. They ve been my saving grace. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER I SPOKE AT THE 2017 VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT CATHERINE WAS SURPRISED TO RECEIVE A CAR ON THE NIGHT

3 FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES SO YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE 2018 VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT AND NOW YOU RE WONDERING WHERE TO START TO RAISE FUNDS. DON T PANIC; THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EASY AND EFFECTIVE WAYS! SET YOUR TARGET Set a target and tell people about it and why you have chosen that amount. It may seem obvious, but the higher you set your target the more money you are likely to raise. Use the examples on page 13 to explain how the money you raise will be helping support people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. You can also increase your target at any point on the website or by contacting the Vinnies events team. SHARE YOUR STORY Update your profile page with a photo and the reasons you re doing the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. It will only take a few minutes, but will reap big returns. In the many years we ve been running the Sleepout, those who update their profiles raise significantly more money than those who don t. If you would like to include a case study or statistics on your profile page we would be happy to assist. GET SOCIAL Social media is a great way to publicise your involvement. While a status update on LinkedIn or Facebook may bring in some money, a personal post on a friend s page or a private message will bring in even more. Don t forget to take advantage of your company s social media presence and your marketing team to promote your involvement using LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Encourage your staff to share posts on their social media networks - and follow us on LinkedIn at Vinnies CEO Sleepout SA. CREATE YOUR TEAM Encourage other people from your organisation or industry to join you and register as an executive team. That way you can split the fundraising between a few of you. Besides, if you re going to spend the night sleeping on cardboard, it s more fun having a friend with you. Let us know if there is someone you would like us to talk to and we can help convince them to take part. , , Most people self-censor when it comes to ing people asking for sponsorship. It s a simple equation though; the more people you , the greater your fundraising returns. If you follow up with a second , you ll have an even greater chance of raising your target. For an template, you can use the spread the word button on your Vinnies CEO Sleepout profile. ENLIST A SUPPORT PERSON Many of our participants recruit a support person to help them with their social media, requests or organise for ways to raise money like morning teas or soup days. It can take some of the pressure off you - and many people enjoy this task and the difference they are making. EA s, receptionists and marketing personnel often show keen interest! 3

4 BACK YOURSELF! It has been said You can spend a lot of time making money. The tough time comes when you have to give it away so lead by example and sponsor yourself. It gives people one less reason to say no when you ask them for support. PUBLICISE YOUR PARTICIPATION You are sleeping out not only as an individual who cares, but as a business or community leader. Your staff will be proud to see you sleeping out in support of the people experiencing homelessness. You can: Include a banner on your intranet or website homepage. Publicise your involvement in your staff newsletter. Include our signature on the bottom of all your s. Ask your team to help you fundraise. BONUS TIP DON T FORGET TO TALK TO YOUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION TEAM ABOUT HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR COMMITMENT AND GENERATE SOME GREAT PR IN THE PROCESS! SEE THE DOWNLOADS PAGE FOR A SAMPLE MEDIA RELEASE. GET SELLING If you sell particular products, offer services, or are about to launch an exciting development, consider dedicating a percentage of revenue to the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Research reveals that consumers like to reward responsible companies. In fact 53% would pay a 10% premium for products from a responsible company (Forbes). GOING ONCE, TWICE... Give your efforts an extra push with an ebay raffle. Auction an afternoon off work, a lunch with you and the executive team, or tickets to a corporate box. Maybe hold a re-gift store get staff to bring in items they ve been given but don t need or want and sell them to others in the organisation. It s recycling for a cause! GET YOUR STAFF INVOLVED While you and your executive team are sleeping out, there are lots of other ways that your staff can be part of the event. A company Sleepout is a great way for your staff to be part of the action. Otherwise a raffle, casual day, special lunch or a Vinnies swear jar are other ways of involving the company while raising money. Ask your staff, they will have lots of ideas of their own that they can put into action you can even make it a competition to see which department can raise the most money. BONUS TIP SPEAK TO YOUR HR TEAM TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY UPCOMING PROGRAMS THAT COULD BE TAILORED TO FOCUS ON YOUR VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT PARTICIPATION. PERHAPS YOUR STAFF WOULD BE WILLING TO DONATE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OR AMOUNT DIRECTLY FROM THEIR PAY EACH WEEK OR FORTNIGHT UNTIL THE SLEEPOUT? GIVE THEM THE FACTS A key element of fundraising is to engage with your potential donors by sharing stories and facts. We have a range of case studies from people we have helped and statistics around homelessness use videos to reinforce your message. We also have footage giving you an insight into some of the services we offer. Check out our YouTube channel - Vinnies SA. KEEP TABS ON THE COMPETITION Remember to regularly check for updates on who else will be sleeping out alongside you, and to gauge your fundraising progress. Our team will also send updates and additional fundraising tips along the way, and are happy to discuss any ideas or questions you have. ASK FOR HELP Still feeling nervous about reaching your fundraising target? Contact us and we can meet with you and your marketing and/or HR teams to help come up with some fundraising strategies that align with your business. 4

5 TOP 10 FUNDRAISING TIPS 1 SET A FUNDRAISING TARGET AND DONATE TO YOURSELF TO KICK OFF YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR POTENTIAL DONORS. 2 UPDATE YOUR PROFILE PAGE WITH AN IMAGE AND YOUR REASONS FOR PARTICIPATING. 3 DRAFT AN REQUESTING SPONSORSHIP FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES, SUPPLIERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. 5 UPDATE YOUR SIGNATURE USING OUR DOWNLOADABLE BANNER AND LINK IT TO YOUR PROFILE PAGE. 4 POST ABOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE SLEEPOUT ON YOUR PERSONAL AND COMPANY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS REQUESTING PEOPLE TO SPONSOR YOU. 6 MEET WITH YOUR MARKETING TEAM TO DISCUSS WAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT THROUGH POSTERS, CONTENT ON YOUR WEBSITE, YOUR NEWSLETTER, INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS ETC. 7 YOU CAN GET YOUR STAFF INVOLVED THROUGH A COMPANY SLEEPOUT, RAFFLES, SOCIAL CLUB EVENTS OR DONATION DRIVES AT WORK OR TAILOR ANY UPCOMING PROGRAMS TO FOCUS ON YOUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS. 8 DON T FORGET TO SEND A FOLLOW-UP TO PEOPLE YOU HAVE ED, MESSAGED, SPOKEN TO ETC. 9 ASK FOR HELP YOU RE NOT ON YOUR OWN, THE VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT TEAM IS ALWAYS HERE TO HELP. 10 FINALLY, YOU CAN BE CREATIVE. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WITH YOUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS! 5

6 SUCCESS STORIES HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS PEOPLE LIKE YOU HAVE DONE TO RAISE FUNDS. GETTING CUSTOMERS INVOLVED A retail CEO placed collection tins in her shops and shoppers were asked to make a donation. Staff wore pyjamas to get behind the cause. A business owner promoted their fundraising drive at the bottom of his company s invoices. GETTING STAFF ENGAGED A number of companies organised for their staff to support their CEO and held a company sleepout in their workplace. Other participants held morning teas or movie nights and asked for a donation. LEVERAGING WHAT YOUR ORGANISATION DOES BEST An event management and catering company organised for a mobile soup kitchen to sell soup to city workers with proceeds donated. They also organised an enormous staff soup lunch. AUCTIONING ITEMS FOR A CAUSE A number of CEOs have held auctions to raise money. Auction prizes have included a cricket bat signed by the Australian team, an afternoon off work and dinner with the CEO and other influential business leaders. DOLLAR MATCHING One CEO matched every dollar donated by her suppliers, another matched money donated by customers and another had his company match every dollar he raised. ORGANISING SPECIAL EVENTS A law firm hosted a beer and wine night, charged $50 entry and invited suppliers, clients, and co-workers. The night served as a platform for further fundraising and a networking evening. A public relations company held a fashion parade using vintage clothes bought from Vinnies shops. Money from auctioned outfits and entry fees were added to the CEO s tally. Consider a collection while in a corporate lounge or box at a sporting event. THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX A CEO formed an alliance with the local café recommending they donate $1 for every coffee sold on a specific day leading up to the CEO Sleepout. This translated to more sales for the café and more money for his tally! Be sure to promote this internally and to other surrounding businesses and tag us on Facebook (Vinnies SA). One participant pledged to wear a pink onesie to the event if he raised $10,000 (and yes he did end up wearing it). 6

7 SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GREAT WAY TO PUBLICISE YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND RAISE FUNDS TOWARDS YOUR TARGET. Provided are some ideas to get the conversation started on social media. No matter which channel you are using, it is an opportunity to take people on your Vinnies CEO Sleepout journey. Post updates and pictures in the lead up to the event of things relating to your participation e.g. buying thermals to keep warm on the night. One way to get noticed is to update your profile picture and cover photo so it relates to the Vinnies CEO Sleepout you could be dressed in your PJs, holding some cardboard seeking sponsorship. Get creative! LINKEDIN LinkedIn is a great place to reach out to your suppliers, customers and business connections. Why not: Publish a post about your involvement seeking support. Include a picture from the resources page of the CEO Sleepout website to get noticed even more. Send messages directly to contacts seeking sponsorship. Update your profile to show your involvement. Just go to Profile Edit Profile and then click on Volunteering and Causes on the right side of the screen. Get your marketing team to update your company page with the details of your involvement and send out a post from your company profile. Follow our page: Vinnies CEO Sleepout SA. FACEBOOK Facebook can be a great way to reach out to lots of people and is a channel where personal stories can mean great cut through. Here are some ideas for both your personal and company accounts. Publish a post about why you re sleeping out and what difference donations can make. Video can be a wonderful way to share your story. Video yourself explaining your motivations for taking part and your fundraising target all you need is a mobile phone to record it on. Try Facebook live! Post updates on key fundraising milestones, what your next goal is and how you hope to make a difference. 7

8 TWITTER If you are already a user of Twitter, then you will know that a timely post can generate engagement. Try one of these ideas: Include the Twitter handle of people who you are seeking sponsorship from. If you know anyone with a large Twitter following ask for their help by using their handle and requesting a retweet of your request for sponsors. Include the hashtag #CEOSleepoutAU so we can help your post reach more people. Send direct messages to people you know requesting support. Remember to ask for a cheeky retweet every now and again. INSTAGRAM If you have an Instagram account, it seems like you may have this social media thing under control but here are a few tips that make the most of the visual format: Post images with some key homelessness statistics or facts (see page 11 for information). Make sure in your picture description you include a link to your Vinnies CEO Sleepout profile so people can donate. Also place the link on your Instagram profile page to make it as easy as possible for people to support you. Note: website hyperlinks only work in Instagram profiles not in photo captions. Post images of any fundraising activities or events you are taking part in. Be creative in how you thank donors using images to encourage others to donate. Re post content from Vinnies CEO Sleepout accounts. BONUS TIP A LOT OF DONATIONS COME IN ON THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT AND THE FOLLOWING DAYS. BRING YOUR PHONE ALONG AND POST COMMENTS, PICTURES OR VIDEO THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. 8

9 WHAT TO POST AND WHEN IN THE LEAD UP TO THE EVENT I just signed up to take part in the Help me raise money to end homelessness at #ceosleepoutau Our CEO, <insert name> has signed up for the to end homelessness. You can support him/her at Help our CEO, <insert name> raise $<insert fundraising target> to end homelessness. Visit ceosleepout.org.au I ve just reached $<insert amount> in donations for the Thanks for your support! This June I m rising to the challenge by participating in the Help improve the lives of the 105K Aussies who are homeless. ceosleepout.org. au I need your help to raise much needed funds to help those without a safe place to live. Show your support of people experiencing homelessness by donating at ceosleepout.org.au Thanks to everyone who has donated so far. I still need to raise <$amount to target> to reach my fundraising target ceosleepout.org.au 60% of the homeless population is under the age of 35. Help me end homelessness. ceosleepout.org.au Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. Help me end homelessness. ceosleepout. org.au More than 17K Aussie kids don t have a permanent home. Help me end homelessness. ceosleepout.org.au People experiencing homelessness are more likely to suffer from severe mental health issues than the rest of the population. Help me end homelessness. ceosleepout.org.au Unemployment, family breakdown and drug and alcohol abuse are additional factors that lead to homelessness. Help me end homelessness. CEOSleepout ceosleepout.org.au 9

10 ON THE NIGHT Who said being a CEO was a life of luxury? Check out these pics of <insert name> roughing it for (be sure to include image from the night). I m about to spend a cold winter s night out for You can help me raise money for at ceosleepout.org.au This is all I have to keep warm tonight #ceosleepoutau #brrr <attach image> Tonight I m rising to the challenge by taking part in Sponsor me at ceosleepout. org.au This is my bed for the night. I ll be thinking warm thoughts! Sponsor me at ceosleepout.org.au <attach image> Our CEO, <insert name> will be joining the 105K Aussies experiencing homelessness tonight & needs your support. ceosleepout.org.au Help me shine the light on homelessness. Sponsor me at ceosleepout.org.au POST EVENT A massive thanks to everyone who supported CEO <insert name> raise <insert amount> for All money raised goes directly towards the ongoing provisions of Vinnies homeless services across the country. BONUS TIP - REPLACE THE CEOSLEEPOUT. ORG.AU WEBSITE WITH A DIRECT LINK TO YOUR VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT PROFILE PAGE. KEY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS Facebook: facebook.com/vinniesceosleepout YouTube: youtube.com/vinniesau LinkedIn: Vinnies CEO Sleepout SA 10

11 105,237 PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY HOMELESSNESS 56% MALE 44% FEMALE 25% ARE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS 30% ARE FROM OVERSEAS WHERE ARE PEOPLE STAYING? HOW OLD ARE THEY? 2% (2,028) 75 YEARS AND OVER 33% (34,637) YEARS 6% IMPROVISED DWELLINGS, TENTS OR SLEEPING OUT 17% BOARDING HOUSES 12% (12,823) YEARS 26% (26,991) YEARS 27% (28,758) 18 YEARS AND UNDER WHY ARE PEOPLE HOMELESS? 17% TEMPORARY STAY WITH OTHER HOUSEHOLDS 20% SUPPORTED ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS 11% INADEQUATE OR INAPPROPRIATE DWELLINGS 6% RELATIONSHIP OR FAMILY 5% HOUSING AFFORDABILITY 15% HOUSING CRISIS 20% OTHER REASONS 39% SEVERELY OVERCROWDED DWELLINGS 1% OTHER TEMPORARY LODGING 16% FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES 23% DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE References Australian Bureau of Statistics:Census of Population and Housing: Estimating Homelessness, 2012 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Specialist Homelessness Services , 2013 Homelessness Australia: Homelessness in Australia <accessed January 2015>

12 CEO SLEEPOUT SURVIVAL GUIDE CLOTHING It is likely to be cold and damp. Please bring some wet weather gear and wear warm, casual clothes. You may like to bring extra layers. We will provide a beanie on the night. A space will be available to store your bags when you arrive and prior to bunking down for the night. Please keep all valuables on you. BEDDING Cardboard will be provided for you to sleep on or to build a shelter. Please bring your sleeping bag, a pillow and torch. No airbeds, swags or luxury bedding items are allowed! DINNER ON THURSDAY You can t bring your own, sorry. Fred s Van will be serving a basic evening meal. Alcohol is strictly off limits. If you have any allergies or specific dietary requirements, please advise the Vinnies CEO Sleepout team. BREAKFAST ON FRIDAY Participants are encouraged to enjoy breakfast with each other at 6am. Checkout is however open from 5.30am for anyone needing to make an early departure. Please note that the event concludes at 7am on Friday. WEATHER This is an experiential event which includes the elements of sleeping rough. Regardless of the weather, the event will go ahead! CAMERAS We encourage you to bring cameras or mobile phones to the event so that you can share your experience throughout the night. Participants, however, are not able to bring extra people to film on the night, unless they are also registered for the event and satisfy the criteria for eligibility. Please note that any electrical devices are your own responsibility. Vinnies cannot not take responsibility for your belongings (including car keys). PARKING Parking will be provided free of charge in the Adelaide Oval North Car Park. This is located at Wilson Parking, Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide with entry from 5.30pm. AFTER THE EVENT Let your supporter know you followed through, thank them, and make sure people know they can still donate. 12

13 ABOUT THE VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT A MAJOR ISSUE FACED BY HOMELESS PEOPLE IS THE LACK OF COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS. THE VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT WAS CONCEIVED TO GENERATE IMPORTANT FUNDS AND AWARENESS IN SUPPORT OF VINNIES WORK WITH THE HOMELESS. The idea was to give business and community leaders a real opportunity to rise to the challenge by allowing them to experience a glimpse of sleeping rough for one night. With the support of business, community and government leaders, we can change lives and break the cycle of homelessness. The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is Vinnies SA s largest fundraiser. Funds raised enables us to provide each year: 17,155 safe nights sleep for homeless men at the Vinnies Men s Crisis Centre. Safe and supported accommodation for women and their children through our 20 room Vinnies Women s Crisis Centre. 40,000 nutritious meals via our Fred s Van service in 10 locations. More than 60,000 South Australians (including 20,000 children), who are disadvantaged with compassionate support through our home visitation program. This includes food, clothing, furniture and emergency funds tailored to personal needs. Collectively this event has raised over $3.5 million to assist South Australia s most disadvantaged men, women and children to rise above poverty and homelessness. 13

14 ABOUT VINNIES THE (VINNIES) FIRST BEGAN HELPING AUSTRALIANS IN 1854, AND WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY EVER SINCE. NATIONALLY VINNIES 40,000 MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS HELP OVER 540,000 PEOPLE IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES EVERY YEAR, PROVIDING SUPPORT, FRIENDSHIP AND RESOURCES TO PEOPLE IN NEED. Homelessness is a growing problem and the care of people experiencing homelessness is a primary concern of Vinnies. Moreover, in today s financial climate more people than ever are turning to Vinnies for help. Men, women, families, youth and people who often fall through the cracks, such as single dads, elderly women and women fleeing domestic violence, are sadly emerging as the new faces of homelessness. The message is clear: today, more than ever, homelessness is an issue that can affect anyone in our community. Vinnies provides a hand up in the form of homelessness prevention support and homeless services. These include Fred s Van, crisis accommodation, family services and education and recreation facilities offering life skills courses, training and access to medical, legal and financial advice. With more than 105,000 people experiencing homelessness in Australia, the task of providing support and rebuilding lives is immense. Thank you for rising to the challenge. 14

15 OVER 105,000 AUSTRALIANS EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS EVERY NIGHT AND MORE THAN 34,000 ARE CHILDREN.

16 THE TASK OF PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR LASTING CHANGE IS IMMENSE. THANK YOU FOR RISING TO THE CHALLENGE.