This is my second email to my "mentees":
Hello, Great TNT Participants,
It is I, your Artful Mentor, with another message for you, and also with my personal thanks for you wanting to make a difference in the world by doing Team in Training.
Fund Raising Clinic: I’m sorry that none of you could make the fundraising clinic last night. Please contact Jen for any electronic copies of information that she presented. You missed a good session, with some good brainstorming. I will be glad to meet with you one on one or in small groups
Training: I am fighting a nasty cold but hope to be at training Saturday. If you cannot make it, please, please contact one of the coaches: Vicki, Chuck, Kristi, or Cathy. If a last minute illness or emergency comes up and you get a chance to call them the morning of training, I know that they would appreciate it.
Web Pages: Almost all of you have customized your TNT web pages. This is so important, because potential donors can get a sense of why YOU are doing this. Each one of us has our own reasons, and we will be more successful if we can get those reasons across to potential donors. Several of you have extremely moving stories of your own personal patient honorees that you have written about, enough to make one to have to wipe their eyes a bit, and they were a great reminder to me of why I do TNT. So thank you for sharing the stories of your loved ones.
So far, you have raised $1,875 towards your collective goal of $16,300! That is a great start! Keep up the great work!
The Number 4: There are 4 main ways to raise money while doing TNT:
1. Letter writing campaign
2. Email / web site campaign
3. Team fundraisers
4. Individual fundraisers
Team Fundraiser: I am going to concentrate this message on the letter writing campaign, since Jen is eagerly waiting to pay postage on your first 100 letters. I do want to mention, though, the Silent Auction Team Fundraiser, to be held early in 2009. It is not too soon to begin contacting businesses to donate items – the sky is the limit. If you personally know people who own companies, so much the better. But even if you don’t, start thinking about businesses you patronize, or that your friends and family patronize. Start thinking about this, because the auction will be here before you know it.
Letter Writing Campaigns: For the rest of my note today, let’s talk about letter writing campaigns. Personally, I use this as a secondary means to online fundraising, but for many people, this is there primary method and they are very successful at it. I am just going to throw out some ideas:
* Gather addresses – who do you know? Friends, family, business contacts, wedding invitation list, Christmas Card list, your mom’s Christmas Card list, college and high school alumni?
* Organize your contacts
* Prepare your letter. It should always have the following:
Ø Your name and address
Ø A statement about what you are doing
Ø A customized message that is grammatically correct
Ø Your financial goal
Ø Your webpage URL, because people may want to check that out, get more information, and donate online
Ø Your fundraising goal
Ø A date when you would like to receive the check by, and a statement that the check should be payable to LLS
Ø Always thank people in advance
Ø Include the fact sheet for LLS
Ø Consider stressing that LLS is a highly regarded charity and that at least 75% of their revenues goes directly to their mission: ”To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.”
* You may want to remind people that checks and online donations made through 12/31/2008, even if charged to a credit card, can be used to get a final tax deduction for 2008.
* Depending on who gets your letter, you may want to have separate versions: one to family and close friends, one to acquaintances, one to work business / contacts.
* You might want to do something a little different with your letter. A couple ideas I have seen (a) one participant wrote a thing about TNT for each letter of the alphabet, and called it the ABC’s of Team in Training. She included one of these “letters” with each letter that she mailed. (b) Ed did a newspaper idea, calling it The Editorial. He had little columns with photos, each a separate little story to get his message across.
* Consider including a self-addressed and stamped envelope, using a privacy envelope. It will cost a little more, but is considerate of your donors. And think how exciting it will be when you start seeing them show up in your mail!!!
* Get your notes to Jen and she will pay outgoing (but not return) postage.
* If you live in a neighborhood with newspaper boxes, write a “Dear Neighbor” letter with all pertinent information and put it in the paper boxes (but never in the mail box!!!!).
I am really excited about the upcoming season, and about working with each of you. Once we get past Thanksgiving (and I get over this cold) I will start calling you on a regular basis, and also see if we can get together, either one on one, or in small groups. In the meantime, please email me or call if you have questions or need assistance with anything.
I will leave you with this quote from Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), which I think applies to endurance training and fundraising: Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
So let’s do great works, and persevere! GO TEAM!
Art
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