1.888.HSF.INFO (473.4636) www.heartandstroke.ca/help

1.888.HSF.INFO (473.4636)
www.heartandstroke.ca/help
HEART MONTH CAPTAIN’S HANDBOOK
1
CAPTAIN GUIDE
Thank you for volunteering for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut (HSFA). February
Is Heart Month is one of our most important fundraisers: last year we raised more than 1.2 million! We are
grateful that you have accepted the leadership role of Captain. With thousands of volunteers working on this
campaign, your role is essential to our success and ability to effectively organize so many volunteers.
This package includes the information you need to complete your role as Captain. We encourage you to
bookmark our website, www.heartandstroke.ca/help, for even more information. Our 2010 website even
includes a training video for additional support to everyone on your team.
In this guide you will find:
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Position Responsibilities
List of Supplies
Task Checklist with campaign dates to remember
Description of Your Role to help you with Kit delivery, reminders to Canvassers, and Kit collection
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Answers
Things You Should Know About HSFA and Heart Month
Thank you for putting your heart into it! By volunteering, you help to make a real difference in the lives of
the people in your community and across Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. For additional
information, contact us through our website (www.heartandstroke.ca/help), by phoning your local HSFA office,
or call 1.888.HSF.INFO (473.4636).
Position Responsibilities
As a Captain, you help organize a team of Canvassers in your neighbourhood, with the support of a Zone
Leader or your local HSFA office. You are an important link in the chain that helps us manage thousands of
Canvassers who participate in our campaigns every year. We can’t think of a better group than our Captains to
welcome and prepare Canvassers for the campaign. When you deliver the canvassing kit, share your
knowledge and experience through a brief orientation with your Canvassers – it is just what they need to have
a successful experience.
The Task Checklist (page 2) included in this package will help you stay organized and ensure that each step is
completed. Keep it handy throughout the month of February to keep your team on track.
List of Supplies
Each Captain receives:
This Captain Guide
A kit for each Canvasser in your district (Canvasser’s name appears on the outer envelope)
One extra Canvasser Guide. Review the guide so you are better equipped to answer questions from the
Canvassers on your team. As well, direct them to our website (www.heartandstroke.ca/help) to view our
new training video.
A Captain Report Sheet with Canvasser contact and route assignment information, as well as your local
HSFA office/Zone Leader’s contact information
Thank-you cards to be handed out to Canvassers when they return/receive their kit (there’s room on the
inside if you would like to sign them and write a short personal message)
Copies of the Volunteer Feedback Survey for Canvassers who can’t complete it online are available from
your Zone Leader (Calgary/Edmonton) or from your local HSFA office.
NOTE: If you need more supplies, phone your local HSFA office.
Task Checklist (Keep this handy to help you stay organized!)
Late
January
After receiving the kits for your district, take the time to review the Canvasser Guide so you are
prepared to answer questions.
Contact Canvassers to arrange for them to pick up or receive their kits.
Your Captain Report Sheet includes Canvassers’ names, phone numbers, addresses and routes.
Review the Canvasser Guide and Kit with the Canvasser. Please open the kit and review the
contents with each Canvasser.
Give volunteers their thank-you cards, unless you prefer to distribute when kits are returned.
Either way, please hand-deliver the thank-you cards whenever possible.
Canvassers have been told that they should receive their kits by January 31, so please
schedule your kit delivery accordingly.
The Heart Month campaign in your area launches on February 1
Mid
Contact Canvassers to:
February
Ensure they have started canvassing and answer any questions they may have.
Set up a time for them to return their kit to you.
Remind Canvassers to return their kits when their route is finished. Canada Revenue
Agency regulations require that all tax receipts, whether they are used or not, be returned
to and kept by the Foundation.
Early
March
Returning Canvasser Kits – please check with your local Area Office for return dates.
This includes donations, receipt books, and all left-over materials.
When Canvassers return their kits:
Count donations and verify their totals.
On your Captain Report Sheet, complete the “Is the receipt book returned?”
and “Amount” (total amount collected including cash, cheques, and credit card slips) columns
for each Canvasser.
Tear off the Canvasser Receipt from the front of the receipt book and fill it in
for the Canvasser to keep.
Stack all receipt books in numerical order.
Fill out one deposit slip per Canvasser, and put cash and coins in the provided envelope/bag.
Keep all post-dated cheques and credit card slips separate – DO NOT include them in the
Deposit Slip total. DO include them in the “Overall Total” on your Captain Report Sheet.
Thank the Canvasser and give them the HSFA thank-you card, if you haven’t already.
Return kits and donations to Zone Leader or local HSFA office.
Encourage your Canvassers to complete the Volunteer Feedback Survey. Paper copies are
available from your Zone Leader or local HSFA office. We also hope that our Captains
will complete the survey.
Your Role
Read the Canvasser Guide and review the Canvasser Kit so that you can answer questions from your team
of Canvassers. The kit envelopes are not sealed, so feel free to open one to review the contents.
To stay organized, follow the Task Checklist (above).
Leave yourself about 5 minutes to review the kit with each Canvasser Kit delivery:
Contact each Canvasser to arrange a convenient delivery or pick-up time. Personal contact is important: it
provides the opportunity to explain the materials and put a face to the organization. As a Captain, one of
your most important roles is to be the official HSFA representative who helps our Canvassers.
Try to arrange all deliveries or pick-ups for one evening or one day on the weekend, being specific about the
date and time. This will help minimize the time you spend distributing kits.
Allow for at least five or ten minutes with each Canvasser, so that you have the time to review the kit, route,
contact information, and Guide.
If arranging a personal meeting is impossible, leave the kit in the Canvasser’s mailbox on the designated
delivery day, then follow up by phone to confirm that they have received the kit and understand their job.
Phone reminders:
Phone reminders are critical to the success of the campaign. This is your team of Canvassers and
everything you do to encourage them helps.
Contact Canvassers one week after the campaign has started to ask if they have started their route or
have any questions.
Ask Canvassers to call you when they complete their route, to arrange a time for the kit to be returned.
When you speak with Canvassers, be certain to remind them to do their callbacks. Callbacks can result
in an extra 40% in donations!
Kit collection:
Try to arrange collection of all kits over 1 or 2 afternoons or evenings. Most Canvassers will be happy to
bring the kit to your home.
Reconcile the donations collected in the presence of the Canvasser. Total donations (cash, cheques and
credit cards) must meet or exceed receipt book totals. Discuss any discrepancies with the Canvasser on
the spot.
Ask Canvassers for any post-dated cheques or credit card slips. Put these in a separate
envelope. Put all cash and cheques into the deposit envelope.
Check the receipts in the receipt book for credit card information. If credit card information is recorded
on a receipt, transfer the information to a mail-back brochure.
Please don’t wait to return your kits, even if you are missing one or two. Our staff will follow up with
any late Canvassers.
Thank the Canvasser for their efforts, and give them the thank-you card provided (hand-delivered
whenever possible). It is important that each volunteer feels appreciated, so that they will continue to
canvass in future campaigns. Consider adding a social aspect to the campaign, by having your Canvassers
return their kits and donations at the same time, and share a cup of tea, a snack, or just some good
conversation with the whole team. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbours and add a little fun.
Questions & Answers
How much time will it take to fulfill the Captain role?
It will really depend on how many Canvassers are in your district. Your local office should be able to provide
specific advice on how much time you can expect to give, but generally this is a 2 to 5 hour commitment.
Can I recruit Canvassers for my district?
We appreciate any help recruiting Canvassers. Some Captains like to gather the neighbours they know they can
count on to join their team. People are much more likely to say yes when they are asked by someone they
know, like a neighbour. Word of mouth is a very powerful tool in a campaign like this. If you are not
sure how to ask people to volunteer, we recommend explaining that you are the Captain for your
neighbourhood, tell them why volunteering for HSFA matters to you and that canvassing only takes a couple of
hours, but makes a big difference for our cause.
Remember: Contact the local office or toll-free at 1.888.HSF.INFO (473.4636) to register new volunteers. You
will need to provide their name, address, phone number, and email address, and confirm with your local HSFA
office if routes are still available in the area.
Will all the Canvassers in my district complete their routes?
Some Canvassers may not complete their routes or collect any donations, while others may lose their kits. By
following the instructions provided in this guide and keeping in touch with your team of Canvassers, you should
see the number of incomplete routes minimized. Since each returned kit raises, on average, over $100, it’s easy
to see that by reducing the number of incomplete routes, we have the potential to really improve the success of
the campaign to raise more life-saving funds!
What do I do if a Canvasser doesn’t collect any donations?
This should not happen often, but if it does, ask if they canvassed at a time when people are home, if they
made at least one call-back, and left mail-back brochures. Be sure they still return their kit to you.
If, at the half-way mark, Canvassers report that their neighbours are not receptive, or they haven’t had time to
canvass, suggest that they take their kit to work with them. Remember to thank each Canvasser for their efforts
and remind them that they have helped us increase awareness of heart disease and the Heart and Stroke
Foundation. In addition to raising funds, we consider canvassing to be a wonderful opportunity to deliver our
healthy living information, and to give a very personal thank-you to our past donors.
What if a Canvasser refuses to accept their kit or is otherwise unable to fulfill their commitment?
You may encounter someone who refuses to accept their kit, suggesting that there’s been a misunderstanding,
or a Canvasser who, for a variety of reasons, can no longer fulfill the commitment. If this happens, ask if they
can help with the campaign in another role, or if they would use the kit to canvass family, friends, or coworkers. If the individual is unable to fulfill the role in any capacity, please explore the following options:
• Ask if someone else in his/her family or neighbourhood can fill in
• Consider whether you, as a Captain, can complete the route, or whether one of the Canvassers on your team
might consider taking on a second route • Contact your Zone Leader or local HSFA office to see if they can help recruit a Canvasser for the route What should I do if a Canvasser doesn’t return their kit on time?
It is important to set up a time with each Canvasser to return their kit to you. Remind them that it is important
to get this done on time. Please don’t wait to return your kits, even if you are missing one or two. On your
Captain Report Sheet, please note any receipt books or kits that were not returned. This will help our
staff contact any Canvassers who have not returned their kits. If anyone returns a kit to you after you have
turned everything in, contact your local office or toll-free at 1.888.HSF.INFO (473.4636).
What if a Canvasser complains of an unpleasant experience?
1. Encourage the Canvasser to complete the Volunteer Feedback survey (also available online)
2. Collect the Canvasser’s name and phone number
3. Contact your local HSFA office to report the incident
4. Our staff will contact the Canvasser involved
Things You Should Know About HSFA and Heart Month
What is Heart Month?
Heart Month is one of our most important campaigns of the year. It includes fundraising, community
engagement, and raising awareness in neighbourhoods across Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
How many volunteers are involved with HSFA campaigns? Do you need more?
This year about 30,000 people from Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut will participate in our Heart
Month and Stroke Month campaigns, but with more volunteers our campaigns will be even more successful! If
you know anyone who might be interested, encourage them to go online at www.heartandstroke.ca/help and
sign up today, or phone us at 1.888.HSF.INFO (473.4636). Every volunteer makes a difference!
Is canvassing still effective?
It is true that there are more charities than ever for people to choose from, but giving at the door remains one
of the most popular ways that Canadians choose to make a donation even during tough economic times. It is
also one of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s most successful fundraisers, with the February Is Heart Month
campaign raising over $1 million and the June Is Stroke Month campaign raising more than $600,000.
It is true that not everyone wants to open the door and donate. Yet many people do enjoy this personal way to
contribute, especially when they’ve gotten to know their local Canvasser because of their ongoing involvement
in the campaign. This is the essence of a successful February Is Heart Month campaign: neighbours asking
neighbours to help us build healthier communities.
Why does HSFA canvass in February and June?
By canvassing in both months we are able to cover more areas more completely, to offer volunteers a chance to
canvass at different times of the year, and to highlight heart disease and stroke separately. Both campaigns are
critical to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s ability to achieve its mission-related objectives - research, health
education, health promotion and advocacy. Last year we directed more than $5 million to research alone! By
canvassing twice every year, we can allocate more money to these key areas.
Why does HSFA have several different fundraisers?
Simply put, with each additional dollar we are able to raise, we can make a bigger impact for everyone in
Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Individual donors make up the majority of our supporters, so we
want to be sure that we offer a variety of ways for people to show their support – since everyone prefers to
contribute in their own way. It is important to let people know that we appreciate every hard-earned dollar
they give us, and that their donations will be used responsibly.
For more information go to http://www.heartandstroke.ca/help