FUND RESEARCH RAISE AWARENESS CHANGE LIVES Walker Manual
Welcome P.1 Why We Fundraise P.2 Let s Get Started P.3 Online Fundraising P.4 Take It to the Next Level P.5 Turning in Donations P.7 FAQs P.8 Pre-event Activities P.9
1 Raising Funds to Find a Cure! Thank you for joining forces with the Crohn s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) in our fight to raise money and find cures for digestive diseases! Thousands of people across the country will participate in the nation s largest fundraiser dedicated to supporting our mission to cure Crohn s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. In only three years, Take Steps has raised $21 million. The foundation has provided more than $150 million for Crohn s disease and ulcerative colitis research. Now that you are registered, here are the steps to take to make your experience a success! 1. Form or join a team! Ask others to join you it s more fun to walk with friends, family and coworkers. 2. Set a goal. 3. Start your fundraising with a self-donation. 4. Raise funds throughout the year. 5. Ask your company to get involved by forming a corporate team or sponsoring the event. 6. Join your team at the walk and celebrate the difference you are making in the fight to end digestive diseases! 7. Have fun! Take Steps participants can look forward to an evening filled with entertainment, food and festivities. All fundraising participants who raise $100 or more will receive a Take Steps T-shirt. Celebrate the hard work and dedication that you and your team members have put into finding a cure for digestive diseases.
2 WHY WE FUNDRAISE One in every 200 people suffers daily with digestive diseases. With the support of communities nationwide, CCFA has raised much-needed funds that, through research, have brought us closer to a cure. More than 80 cents of every dollar raised through our signature Take Steps campaign goes directly to fund research and patient programs in your local community. Together we can achieve a better quality of life for patients and those who participate in their care. Better therapies and prevention are only a few steps away. 2008 Allocation of Expense Dollars Program Services: 79.3% Administration: 10.2% (Management and general) Fundraising: 10.5% Since its inception, CCFA has invested approximately $150 million in research worldwide and funded more than 1000 grants. We invest our dollars wisely, funding the best IBD research anywhere in the world and implementing a peer-review process that insures that only the most promising and relevant grant applications are funded. CCFA has played a role in every major scientific breakthrough in IBD, from generating data that led to new therapies to the discovery of the first gene for Crohn s. We are not done yet! We still don t know the causes of Crohn s disease or ulcerative colitis No existing medication induces remission in all patients. We can t prevent relapses of disease. We don t know how to prevent complications of IBD (abscesses, fistulae, obstruction and cancer) We don t know how to predict who will develop IBD or how to prevent high-risk individuals from developing symptoms and progressive disease. It is for reason like these that your support and your fundraising are so important to CCFA. It allows up to continue to support our mission critical research and programming to hopefully find a cure to these terrible problems.
LET S GET STARTED 3 Set a Goal: Make the most of your fundraising by setting a goal and putting a plan in place to achieve it! Work with your team and contact your local CCFA staff member for ideas and support. Whether your goal is to beat our national fundraising average of $250 or raise $1,000 or more as a member of our Loud & Proud Top Fundraisers Club, we are here to help. Number of Team Members Amount Raised by Each Member Total Raised 8 $250 National Average $2,000 12 $250 $3,000 20 $250 $5,000
4 ONLINE FUNDRAISING When you registered for Take Steps, a Participant Center was created just for you. It s an easy and proven way to raise funds! You can customize your fundraising page with your own personal story, message and photos, or use the content we ve provided. Use the email center to contact everyone you know and then watch as each donation brings you closer to your goal. Online fundraising is a great way to make your fundraising efforts a total success. Here are some of the benefits of using your Participant Center. Save money on stamps by sending emails instead of solicitation letters through the mail. Continue to spread the word by telling your personal story on your web page. Keep track of donors and send thank you notes via email upon receiving donations. Provide donors the benefit of automatic confirmation email receipts for tax purposes. Skip the paperwork of donation forms and receipts. Take advantage of our Boundless Fundraising tool. Be sure to utilize your Facebook page in your fundraising efforts. Have fun setting up your Web page!
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL! 5 In addition to online fundraising, there are other ways to fundraise. Ask and Receive! The #1 reason people donate is because they are asked. Tell everyone you know that you are walking to cure digestive diseases and need their help. The key is to ask! Letter-writing Campaigns: In addition to emails, sending personal letters is a great way to invite your friends, family, coworkers or business contacts to donate to the Crohn s & Colitis Foundation. Ideas of people to ask and sample letters are available through your Participant Center. Team Fundraising Events: Team fundraising events are activities that your team can do in addition to online fundraising or letter writing. As a team or an individual, there are no limits to your creativity as you earn big bucks for research, education and support! In addition to raising more money, fundraising events like these can also build team spirit. Dress Down Days Theme Parties Garage Sales Bake/Book Sales Car Washes Pancake Breakfasts Candy Sales Softball/Bowling Tournaments Club Donations Coin Canisters or Collections A-Thons Donate Your Services Guest Bartending Craft Shows Bingo Nights Potluck Dinners Brown Bag Days Raffles Auctions Bar/Restaurant Benefit Nights Wine Tastings 50/50 s Matching Gifts: No matter how you are raising funds, be sure to take advantage of corporate matching gift programs. If these programs are available to you or to your donors, this is an easy way to double or even triple donations! Ask your company s HR department to see if they participate. Social Media: Utilize our Boundless Fundraising application to raise money through your Facebook! Make posts on your Twitter account and include CCFA and Take Steps on your LinkedIn account.
6 TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL! Loud & Proud Top Fundraising Club Join the Loud & Proud Club and become a leader in the fight to cure digestive diseases. The Loud & Proud Club is an exclusive club for all Take Steps for Crohn s & Colitis participants who raise over $1,000 as individuals or teams who raise over $5,000. By joining the Loud & Proud Club, you are making the commitment to become a top fundraiser. You are helping to fund critical research, education and support in a big way! In return, you will get all the support you need to reach your goals, and some great benefits! Individual Levels Noisemaker: $1,000 and up Make Some Noise: $2,500 and up Pump Up the Volume: $5,000 and up Let s Get Loud: $10,000 and up Team Levels Noisemaker: $5,000 and up Make Some Noise: $10,000 and up Pump Up the Volume: $25,000 and up Let s Get Loud: $50,000 and up National Camp Oasis Team Joining the Camp Oasis National Team is a great way to make a difference in the lives of the 1.4 million Americans living with IBD. It s also a fantastic way to see your camp friends one more time before the summer fun begins again! Prizes will be awarded to the top fundraising camp in the country and the top fundraising team at each individual camp. In the last three years, we have raised almost $1 million for research and patient programs from our camper walk teams. Not only does this help provide funds for programs, but having a walk team teaches philanthropy at a young age. Below are some easy and fun ways to get your school involved with CCFA: Pass out information about the Take Steps Walk at your PTA/PTO meeting Get on your school calendar to hold a fundraiser
TURNING IN DONATIONS 7 How Do I Turn in the Money I Raised? Walkers: Turn any cash you receive into checks or money orders. Place all offline donations (checks and money orders) in a collection envelope, which must be filled out completely. Include any applicable matching gift forms. The total amount of donations inside the envelope should match the total written on the outside of the envelope. The waiver on the back of the envelope must be signed by the walker and the parent/guardian (if needed). Team Captains: Double-check to make sure that all information is complete on each envelope and that the waiver is signed. The total amount of donations inside the envelope or bag should match the total written on the outside. Direct your team members to registration and check in tent to drop off donations on Walk Night. Methods of Submitting Offline Donations: Attend one of your local chapter s Bank Days and pick up your team banner. Bring your funds to the registration tent at the walk. Mail funds to the local CCFA chapter office. Note: All donations raised online are automatically submitted to CCFA for you.
8 FAQs Is there a registration fee to participate? There is no registration fee to participate in Take Steps, although all participants are highly encouraged to raise our national average of $250. Only participants who raise $100 or more will receive a Take Steps T-shirt. Please keep in mind that it does cost some money to host the Take Steps walks. Are pets, bicycles, strollers or in-line skates allowed? Strollers are welcome at all walk sites. Bicycles and in-line skates are not allowed. Pets are welcome on leashes at most walk sites, but please check with your local chapter. Can my child participate in the walk? The walk is a family event for all ages. Keep in mind that with a little help, children have the potential to be great fundraisers. How long is the route? Take Steps for Crohn s & Colitis is a non-competitive walk event with routes that average about two miles in length. What if it rains? Take Steps for Crohn s & Colitis will take place rain or shine! If there is dangerous weather, the local chapter will notify participants to make alternative plans. Why should I be a team captain? Team captains are the liaison between team members and CCFA. They are responsible for recruiting and motivating other team members to participate and raise funds for Take Steps for Crohn s & Colitis. Teams account for about 80% of the monies raised in walks. Teams represent companies, organizations, families, schools and clubs that walk together for a cure! Forming teams is a great way to build company morale and camaraderie among coworkers. Families and friends can join together to walk for a common cause and increase community spirit. How is the money used? More than 80 cents of every dollar raised directly supports our research, education and support initiatives. Is my online information secure? Yes. As a customer, you can be certain that the information you provide us with during the registration process stays private. We ve partnered with Verisign to create a secure server, which provides the highest level of privacy on the Internet. I forgot my user name and password. Go to www.cctakesteps.org and click on the Forgot my Password link located under the log in area. You will be prompted to enter your email address to retrieve the password associated with your account.
PRE-EVENT ACTIVITIES 9 Join Us at a Kick-Off Each chapter will host a Kick-Off celebration for all walkers, team captains, sponsors and those wanting to learn a little more about Take Steps. These are fun and energetic events that allow everyone to get together before Walk Night and hear some great fundraising tips, inspirational stories, meet other team captains, and learn what you can expect on Walk Night. It is a great way to get to know some of your fellow walkers and ask any questions you may have about Take Steps. Check with your local chapter to find out the time, date and location of your Kick-Off. Bring Your Money to a Bank Day Bank days are held in the week leading up to the walk, and are a great way for you to turn in off-line funds, pick up t-shirts, wrist bands, team banners and other incentives you may have qualified for. Also, it helps you to avoid the lines on Walk day! Check with your local chapter to find out the date and location of their bank day. To find out about other Take Steps related events, or for additional fundraising ideas, visit www.cctakesteps.org
10 NOTES
We thank our corporate partners for committing to help make Take Steps for Crohn s & Colitis a success! w w w. cc takesteps. o rg