Participant Toolkit and Goal Guide
Transcription
Participant Toolkit and Goal Guide
STEP UP You’re about to do something amazing. This summer, you will be one of 100 Over the Edge fundraisers to step onto the roof of the Westin Cleveland Downtown, strap into your harness and lean out over the Cleveland skyline. For 23 unforgettable floors, you will have the wind in your helmet and Northeast Ohio at your feet. Your participation as an individual fundraiser or as part of a team will raise $1,500 for the children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities Hattie Larlham serves. For more than 50 years, Hattie Larlham has provided comfort, joy and achievement to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This participant toolkit will prepare you to go Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham and get your successful fundraising campaign started. 4 STRAP IN Go Over Hattie Larlham Community Support Get Started Teamwork Stay Grounded The Ropes Fundraising Go Online Donations Offline Donation Form Go Social Sample Plan Sample E-Mail Details About the Company Thank You Contact 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 15 17 21 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 5 GO OVER There are many reasons people choose to go Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. Some want to conquer a fear of heights. Others want to do something they never thought they would. Some love the thrill. Many rappel to support a worthwhile mission: Hattie Larlham. Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham is about pushing yourself, about doing something you may never have thought you’d do. It’s about being part of an elite corps of dedicated fundraisers, bound by a common cause and united in the experience of rappelling a Cleveland landmark. So, get ready. Strap in. Step to the edge. And get ready to go over. 6 HATTIE LARLHAM For 55 years, Hattie Larlham has inspired people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to dream and achieve. Your fundraising directly benefits these children and adults with disabilities. Hattie Larlham’s services support the lives of 3,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities. These essential programs assist people with disabilities with everything from daily tasks like getting dressed to the aspirational goal of independent living. Hattie Larlham delivers comfort, joy and achievement to the people it serves. Thank you for being a part of our mission. 7 COMMUNITY SUPPORT Community support has long been a tradition at Hattie Larlham. You participation in Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham continues this tradition. Thank you for raising money to help the people we serve. Your contribution to our mission makes a lasting difference in the services we provide and the lives we change. Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham is a fundraising and awareness event. Hattie Larlham is committed to making our communities a better place for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, work, thrive and grow. With your support and the support of communities in and around Northeast Ohio, we can make this dream a reality. 8 GET STARTED Getting started is easy. The first step is to go to the event’s website, overtheedge.hattielarlham.org, and register. You can sign up as an individual fundraiser or you can create a team or join an existing team. The cost to sign up for Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham is $35 per person. This is non-refundable. INDIVIDUAL RAPPELLER Register as an individual and begin fundraising. Be among the first 100 rappellers to reach your $1,500 goal and guarantee your spot to go Over the Edge. Remember, you can increase your goal and continue fundraising even after the event. CREATE A TEAM Get together with family or friends and form a fundraising team. Gather your coworkers to form a team and fundraise to toss your boss, another coworker or friend Over the Edge. Teams will have to raise $1,500 per person they wish to send Over the Edge. Creating a team is a great way to come together to support a great cause. 10 TEAMWORK Teams are a great way to participate in Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. Teams can set goals, create excitement, share responsibilities and support each other when they go over the edge. There’s no required number of people to establish a team. You can have two people on a team or four or as many as you like. Each team does require a team captain. Each team is required to raise $1,500 for each person it chooses to send over the edge. A team of four people fundraising to send one person over the edge could split the $1,500 goal evenly amongst its members. A team of two who both wanted to rappel, conversely, would be required to raise $3,000 or $1,500 per each team member who wants to rappel. CHALLENGE ANOTHER TEAM Go head to head with another team. Teams can select a prize and compete to see which teams reaches its goal first. The winning team might have lunch paid for by the other team or a week without household chores. The possibilities are endless. CORPORATE CHALLENGE Does your company have a friendly cross-town rivalry? Want to finally see which sales team is best? Issue a corporate challenge. When companies compete to Go Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham, people with disabilities win. TOSS YOUR BOSS Teams can select a person who is not a team member to go over the edge. This type of tribute fundraising can be intentional or it can be a surprise. Groups of employees that form a team can elect to toss their boss Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. It doesn’t have to be a boss, either. Some teams may choose to send a friend or family member Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham, too. 11 STAY GROUNDED If you’d like to support Hattie Larlham’s mission, but prefer the idea of keeping both feet on the ground, there are many ways you can be a part of Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. BECOME A FUNDRAISER Individuals who might not wish to rappel, but would like to raise funds can become a fundraiser for Hattie Larlham. This is a great option for Hattie Larlham supporters who live outside of Northeast Ohio. VOLUNTEER It takes many dedicated people to make Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham happen. There are many volunteer opportunities for you, your family, company or organization. Hattie Larlham needs help with rappeller registration, directing rappellers and cleaning up. MAKE A DONATION Visit overthedge.hattielarlham.org to make a donation to an individual rappeller or team of rappellers. CORPORATE PARTNERS AND EVENT SPONSORS Many Northeast Ohio companies and organizations elect to support Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham with an event sponsorship or by becoming a Hattie Larlham corporate partner. To learn more about these promotional opportunities, contact Hattie Larlham. 12 rappel \r -`pel, ra-\: to descend a rock face or other vertical surface using mechanical descent devices and a double rope system affixed at a higher point. 13 THE ROPES TRAINING AND SAFETY • Hattie Larlham will host practice rappelling events before Over the Edge to help you become familiar with the equipment. • On the day of the event, you receive your equipment and will be trained how to use it and practice rappelling. • Rappel practice is an opportunity to feel the harness, find a comfortable position and practice using the descender. • You may practice as often as you like before going Over the Edge. THE RAPPEL • You will wear a full-body industrial harness and use an industrial descender. Squeezing the handle makes you go down; releasing it halts your descent. • It will take between 5 and 15 minutes to reach the bottom. • When you are within 20 feet of the ground, an Over the Edge staff member will assist your landing. THE EXPERIENCE • While you cannot take your own camera or phone on the roof, photos will be taken throughout the event and posted on Hattie Larlham’s social media. • You will receive additional information on accessing online photo galleries and instructions on how to purchase prints. • Everyone’s rappel is recorded. In the weeks following the event, you will be given instructions to access your video. • Invite your supporters to watch you rappel. A viewing area with seating will be available to anyone who wants to cheer for you. • The event is also on a live stream. Family and friends who cannot be there in person can watch you rappel online. 14 FUNDRAISING Some people don’t relish the idea of fundraising. To help you, we’ve listed some ideas and provided some samples. This will make attaining your goal easier. Many previous rappellers have said raising the minimum $1,500 was easier than expected. In 2015, one Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham participant reached her goal in only three days. Some rappellers reached their goal and continued to fundraise for Hattie Larlham. This extra effort is greatly appreciated. The proceeds from Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham support programs and services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There is a brief description of the services Hattie Larlham offers near the end of this toolkit. To learn more, visit www.hattielarlham.org. MATCHING GIFTS Your supporters may work for companies that match employee donations. When an employee makes a charitable donation, a company that matches gifts makes a donation to the same charitable organization, usually for the same dollar amount as the employee donation. Ask your supporters if their employer has a matching gift program. If a company matches gifts, all you typically need is to obtain a matching gift form from the company’s human resources department. A matched gift essentially doubles a donation to your fundraising campaign. SOCIAL MEDIA Follow Hattie Larlham on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Share our posts and create your own. Encourage your friends to make a pledge to your Over the Edge campaign. Post frequently as the event date approaches. Use the hashtag #OTEforHattie in your posts. 15 E-MAIL AND LETTERS Send a thoughtful letter or e-mail message to your contacts. Printed letters take time to mail, but may capture your reader’s attention more than an e-mail. Some people, however, prefer the ease of clicking on an e-mail link to donate online. Add a link to your fundraising page in your e-mail. This helps people find your page and contribute to your goal. ASK FOR SHARES It is helpful to ask your supporters to forward your e-mail, re-tweet your tweets and share your social media posts. This increases the number of people who see your message. The more people who receive your message, the more likely you are to reach your goal. REMINDERS Some people may need more than one request to donate. It’s okay to send your invitation to donate more than once, but don’t overdo it. FOLLOW UP Always follow up. People will appreciate the reminder. Include an update on how close you are to your goal and going Over the Edge. Once you’ve reached your goal, post an announcement on social media. Be sure to invite your supporters to watch you go Over the Edge on July 2. SAY THANK YOU This simple tactic goes a long way. Be sure to send a thank you e-mail or letter to your supporters. Their generous support will help you go Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. 16 GO ONLINE BUILD YOUR PERSONAL FUNDRAISING PAGE The Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham participant center is a great tool for communicating with your donors and supporters. It’s important to take time to personalize your message and tell people why you are going Over the Edge. The participant center is easy to use. You can view the changes you make to your page before they become public. PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGE Start by changing the title of your personal fundraising page. Tell your story. Explain why you have chosen to fundraise for Hattie Larlham. 17 ADD A PHOTO You can upload a photo or video to your personal fundraising page. This photo or video can be changed as often as you like. Have fun with your photos. You can hold a sign or wear a costume. ADD A VIDEO If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video has to be worth even more. In addition to writing your message, a video may help explain your fundraising goal. Take a few minutes to write a script or an outline of what you might like to say. Rehearse out loud a few times. This preparation helps prevent unwanted “ums” and “ahs” in your video. 18 SEND E-MAIL The Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham participant center is a useful platform to send e-mail to friends, family and coworkers. Use these e-mails to ask for donations to reach your goal. You can send an e-mail to more than one recipient at a time. There are templates you can choose from to help you create your message or you can start from scratch. Remember, if you use a template, it’s important to personalize your message and always direct your supporters back to your personal fundraising page. 19 IMPORT YOUR CONTACTS You can type in individual e-mail addresses into the Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham participant center or you can import a contact list from your existing e-mail account. Importing your contacts is quick and easy. Doing this will allow you to keep track of who you’ve reached out to for a donation as well as who you have thanked. WEBSITE HELP If you need help using the Over the Edge participant center, contact: Wendy Voelker Hattie Larlham Events Manager (330) 274-2272, ext. 3087 [email protected] 20 DONATIONS ONLINE DONATIONS Your personal fundraising page in the Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham participant center will help you collect and manage your donations. Online gifts made to your personal fundraising page are processed and recorded when the donation is made. You won’t have to collect any credit card information. The process is simple and secure. OFFLINE DONATIONS During your fundraising, you may receive a check (or cash) donation. You will need to add the offline donation to your online fundraising activities on your fundraising page. Log into your Participant Center on the Over the Edge website and click Enter New Gift. 21 Then, follow the instructions to enter offline donations. Promptly send the donation and your fundraiser information to the address below. Once Hattie Larlham has received and processed the offline donation, the donation amount will be credited to your personal fundraising page. Due to delivery and processing time, please be diligent about logging and sending Hattie Larlham offline donations. All checks should be made payable to the Hattie Larlham Foundation, and should have your name (the fundraiser) on the memo line. Send checks to: Hattie Larlham Attn: Wendy Voelker 7996 Darrow Road Twinsburg, Ohio 44087 Do not send cash through the mail. You may either write a personal check to Hattie Larlham for the amount of cash you receive, or you may drop off the cash donation to the address above. You may also send offline donation forms to potential donors. 22 OVER THE EDGE OFFLINE DONATION FORM Print this form and give it to supporters who prefer to donate to Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham with a check, money order or credit card, rather than making an online donation. OVER THE EDGE PARTICIPANT INFORMATION NAME DONATION $ OR TEAM NAME DONOR INFORMATION NAME DATE ADDRESS CITY STATE PHONE E-MAIL* ZIP o I LIKE WHAT HATTIE LARLHAM DOES. PLEASE INCLUDE ME IN FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS. PAYMENT INFORMATION PAYMENT TYPE o CHECK o VISA o MASTERCARD o AMERICAN EXPRESS o DISCOVER CREDIT CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE CVV (3-4 DIGIT CODE) SIGNATURE By signing this form, you give Hattie Larlham permission to debit your account for the amount indicated on or after the indicated date. This is permission for a single transaction and does not provide authorization for any additional unrelated debits or credits to your account. Mail this form and your payment (please, do not send cash) to: Hattie Larlham Foundation Attn: Wendy Voelker 7996 Darrow Road, Suite 10 Twinsburg OH 44087 *An electronic receipt is automatically generated for all donations and sent to the e-mail address provided. The IRS will accept a canceled check as a receipt for all donations under $250. Donations of $250 and greater will receive a written acknowledgment to the address provided. 23 GO SOCIAL Share your Over the Edge fundraising on social media. Below are sample social media posts you can use on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to include a link to your personal fundraising page so friends can make a donation. You can use the posts below, modify them or write your own. FACEBOOK Send me Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. This is a great cause. With your support, I’ll rappel the Westin Cleveland Downtown for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Hattie Larlham on Sat., July 2. [LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE] #OTEforHattie I’m going Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. See me rappel the Westin Cleveland Downtown Sat., July 2. Support my campaign: [LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE]. Proceeds benefit people with disabilities at Hattie Larlham. Thank you. #OTEforHattie TWITTER I’ve pledged to go Over the Edge for @HattieLarlham. Donate on my page. [LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE] #OTEforHattie I’m raising money for people with disabilities. Over the Edge for @HattieLarlham: [LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE] #OTEforHattie 24 SAMPLE PLAN Fundraising doesn’t have to be intimidating or overwhelming. Break your fundraising goal into small, easily accomplished tasks. Below is a sample fundraising plan. DAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WHO TO ASK PER DAY TOTAL Donate $50 to your own fundraising page $50 $50 Ask two family members to match your donation $100 $150 Ask two of your friends to sponsor you at $50 each $100 $250 Ask your boss for a company contribution match $250 $500 Ask five local friends to sponsor you at $20 $100 $600 Ask five out-of-town friends to sponsor you at $20 $100 $700 Ask five businesses you frequent to sponsor you at $20 $100 $800 Ask three coworkers to sponsor you at $10 $30 $830 Ask two neighbors to sponsor you at $10 $20 $850 Ask five people from your club, church, school, gym for $50 $900 $10 each You’re almost there. Now that you have a strong start, go back to those closest to you for the last $600. 11 Ask five more family members to sponsor you at $30 $150 $1,050 12 Ask two more out-of-town friends to sponsor you at $25 $50 $1,100 13 Ask two more coworkers for a $25 contribution $50 $1,150 14 Ask six more friends to sponsor you at $50 $300 $1,450 15 Return to your social group to ask 10 people for $5 $50 $1,500 contributions Don’t stop at $1,500. Keep going. Your fundraising efforts benefit the children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities Hattie Larlham serves throughout Northeast Ohio. You can increase your goal at any time. 26 SAMPLE E-MAIL Dear [INSERT FRIEND, FAMILY MEMBER, OR COWORKER NAME], On Sat., July 2, I will rappel 23 stories off the roof of the Westin Cleveland Downtown hotel to support children and adults with disabilities. The event is held by Hattie Larlham, a nonprofit organization that, for 55 years, has delivered comfort, joy and achievement to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There are only 100 places available to do this, so I’m writing to you for your support. Please make a donation to my fundraising page at [INSERT LINK TO YOUR OVER THE EDGE PROFILE]. Each rappeller has been asked to raise $1,500. With your support, I know I can reach this goal. The money you donate supports Hattie Larlham’s programs. If you haven’t heard about the work Hattie Larlham does for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I encourage to you to check out their website at www.hattielarlham.org. This is a worthwhile organization that does good work for people with disabilities in our community. Your support is greatly appreciated. You can donate online at [INSERT LINK TO YOUR OVER THE EDGE PROFILE] or write a check to Hattie Larlham. In the memo section please write, “Over the Edge donation for [INSERT YOUR NAME].” You can send checks to me or mail them to: Hattie Larlham Attn: Wendy Voelker 7996 Darrow Road, Suite 10 Twinsburg, Ohio, 44087 Your gift is 100% tax deductible. Thank you for sending me Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. Sincerely, [INSERT YOUR NAME] 27 DETAILS Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham Saturday, July 2, 2016 The Westin Cleveland Downtown 777 Saint Clair Avenue NE Cleveland, Ohio 44114 overtheedge.hattielarlham.org Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham raises funds for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Hattie Larlham. The first 100 participants to raise $1,500 or more will earn a spot to rappel down the outside of the Westin Cleveland Downtown. 28 ABOUT THE COMPANY Over the Edge is a special events company that provides signature rappelling events for non-profit organizations. The Over the Edge staff possesses an outstanding safety record, and provides the technical expertise, training and equipment needed for the event. The company requires every rappelling site to have a comprehensive site inspection and safety plan. Over the Edge employs IRATA- or SPRATcertified industrial rope specialists to train and prepare participants the day of the event. Visit www.overtheedgeusa.com to learn more. 29 THANK YOU Thank you for being a part of Over the Edge for Hattie Larlham. Your participation in this event will have a lasting impact on the lives of the children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities Hattie Larlham serves. Everything you do makes Northeast Ohio a better community where people with disabilities can dream and achieve. Thank you and we’ll see you on the roof. 30 Wendy Voelker [email protected] T: (330) 274-2272, ext. 3087 Tonnie Alliance [email protected] T: (330) 274-2272, ext. 3069 Hattie Larlham 7996 Darrow Road, Suite 10 Twinsburg, Ohio 44087 overtheedge.hattielarlham.org www.twitter.com/hattielarlham www.facebook.com/hattielarlham www.youtube.com/hattielarlham www.linkedin.com/company/hattie-larlham