PHI GAMMA DELTA BOWLAPALOOZA. Appoint a person in your chapter to take the lead on this project.

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1 PHI GAMMA DELTA BOWLAPALOOZA WHAT IS BOWLAPALOOZA? Bowlapalooza is an easy and fun way for Phi Gamma Delta chapters to raise funds to support the USO. Bowlapalooza is a fundraising event to raise money and awareness to support the troops and their families. The formula for raising funds through Bowlapalooza is simple! Your chapter will recruit bowling teams, and the team members will then raise money to benefit the USO. CHECKLIST FOR ORGANIZING A BOWLAPALOOZA Appoint a person in your chapter to take the lead on this project. Find a bowling alley to host your event and pick a date. Register your event on TEAM USO (teamuso.org). Recruit bowling teams. Each bowling team can set up a page/become a member of your Bowlapalooza through teamuso.org. This will allow them to send out s to their friends, family and alumni asking for donations to support their team. Find sponsors. Obtain donations, including food, drinks, prizes, etc. Market your bowling event on campus banners, campus radio, newspaper, etc. Invite local celebrities and your favorite professors to attend the event. Host your bowling event. Send thank you notes to all the bowlers, donors and sponsors (be sure to thank the bowling alley) Deposit money and send check(s) to USO. 19

2 This packet of information includes more details for each of these items. You will also find a sample budget and timeline to help you stay organized during the planning of your bowling event. BOWLING TEAM RECRUITMENT: HOW MANY TEAMS SHOULD I RECRUIT? Match one team to each available lane at your bowling alley. How do I recruit teams? Call the presidents of other organizations on campus and ask to speak at their next meeting about forming a team. Speak at the IFC and Panhellenic meetings. It is important to speak to the entire group so you are able to reach more people to form a team. Bring a bowler kit with you to leave with the president, so anyone in the group can get the information. Each Bowler Kit should include: Event overview one pager USO one pager Fundraising Ideas one pager How to Raise $300 in One Week one pager Sample fundraising letters/ s Awards categories (top bowler, top fundraising team, highest scoring team, craziest t-shirts, most spirit, etc.) Have extra bowler kits on hand in case the organization is interested in creating more than one team. Remind them that each bowling team needs six team members, including the team leader. Teams can include SGA, fraternities, other sororities, honor clubs, band, spirit groups, or even groups of friends. Each team will have a team leader. He or she will be your contact person to communicate information about the event. Fun prizes can be awarded to the teams with the best bowling shirts, highest and lowest score, the team that raises the most money and the individual who raises the most money. Bowlapalooza is a community service project for every organization involved. 20

3 TALKING POINTS WHEN RECRUITING TEAMS With the extended and multiple deployments, our military families need our support more than ever. Many of our troops are leaving behind children who have only seen them in pictures. Others serving in forward operating bases in war-torn Afghanistan are looking for any bit of normal life or piece of home. That s why Phi Gamma Delta has decided to join the USO in supporting our brave men and women in uniform. By participating in Bowlapalooza, we are raising money to help the USO support our troops and their families - $15 can provide one care package with the comforts of home - $50 can provide 140 phone calls to loved ones back home - $50 can help five deployed parents read their children a bedtime story - $100 can provide 40 troops with a warm meal and a place to rest in our centers on the frontlines Phi Gamma Delta is proud to be partnered with a charity that is so responsible with the funds it raises. Nearly 90% of resources and donations received goes directly to support the troops and their families. Bowlapalooza is a fun way to get multiple groups on campus together. Remember to talk about rewarding teams for things such as the team with the craziest bowling shirts. Encourage other members of the organization who are not going to bowl on the team to come and cheer for their team. 21

4 FUNDRAISING Ask each bowling team to raise a minimum of $600. $600 is easy that s just $100 per bowler on each team! Make sure you collect all the money by the night of the event. This allows you to announce how much money was raised at the event and recognize top fundraising teams/individuals It is much harder to collect money from volunteers after the event. And remind teams that this is the minimum to participate there will be prizes for top fundraising teams! Have a donations jar/jug the night of the event for spectators attending the event. You may want to set up a way for people to improve their score by making a donation similar to what happens in a golf tournament with a golfer buying a mulligan to get another shot. Only those who had raised their minimum required would be allowed to buy in. For example: $1: adds one pin to their total score. $25: turns their score into a strike. USO will recognize the top fundraising chapters at your FIJI Leadership Academy. Don t forget to use TEAM USO! By registering on TEAMUSO.org, your chapter will be able to set up a web page to promote the event and send out s to your contacts asking them to sign up to bowl or make a donation or give updates to them about the event! FUNDRAISING IDEAS ONLINE CAMPAIGN Each bowler registering using TEAM USO (teamuso.org) will be able to set up their own fundraising page. Bowlers can send s out to friends and family with the webpage as a link to announce this exciting way to donate. They can also let them know what they are doing, why, and how they can help. Visitors to the site can type in the bowler s name and make a donation to that bowler s goal. Bowlers will be able to track how much money has been donated to them online. (See chapter 3 tools and tips for a sample .) 22

5 COIN COLLECTION IN DORMS Place a coin collection jar in a secure location of each team member s dorm for one week. Ask students to drop in their spare change to help your team. Or set up a table in the dorm to collect change/donations. COIN COLLECTION ON CAMPUS Have members of your bowling team stand in popular areas on campus with a coin collection jar. LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN OR REGULAR MAIL Send a letter to your friends, family, alumni and everyone else you know, asking them to sponsor you. Letters are an easy and effective way to raise money. (See chapter 3 tools and tips for sample letters.) The key to a successful letter is asking for a specific dollar amount. Each team can set up their own page on TEAM USO to collect donations and then send out s directing friends and family to make an online donation this makes the money counting much easier! Other ideas: Bake Sale, Car Wash, swear jars, late to meeting jars, and Jar Wars. I just wanted to thank the USO for the USO2GO that our unit received. It has been great for morale and our unit has used it very frequently. It can be difficult out here sometimes, and it can be these types of things that can make a difference for our service members- Capt USN MC 23

6 Donations Helping to Keep Your Costs Down! Find a bowling alley willing to host your event for no cost your bowling alley on campus would be a great place to host the event. Get food donated from area restaurants or grocery stores (make sure it is OK with the bowling alley first). The soda distributor for your campus would be a great place to start, or the bowling alley may be willing to provide snacks and soda. You can get movie passes or restaurant gift cards donated as prizes. See Sample donor request letter in tools and tips. Sponsorships Helping to Increase Your Revenue! Sponsors are a great way to increase your bowling event s fund-raising dollars! Brainstorm all the businesses your chapter would like to approach to be a sponsor. Think about all the establishments where your members shop, dine and visit. Split the list up among chapter members. Have the brother that knows someone at the business or visits the business often take the sponsorship proposal in person to ask for his or her support. The brother that takes in the sponsorship proposal into the business should also follow up with a phone call within a few days. Send a thank you note right away if they agree to be a sponsor. Ideas for Sponsors Greek store Pizza places that deliver to campus Gyms Barbers/hair salons chapter members go Clothing stores near campus The bank your chapter has its account with A restaurant or hotel where your chapter hosts functions Local businesses owned or managed by alumni A sample sponsorship proposal is in chapter 3: tools and tips. Stay on top of all the benefits the sponsor should receive. Make sure someone is collecting the necessary items from the sponsor, such as banners. Recognize your highest-level sponsors by adding them to your TEAM USO event page! Don t be afraid to ask! 24

7 SAMPLE BUDGET: BOWLAPALOOZA Revenue from Sponsors 1 Strike Sponsor $500 5 Supporter of the Troops $750 (5 X $150) Revenue from Bowling Teams 10 Teams -$600 each $6,000 Revenue from Night of Event Collection Jar $50 Total Revenue: $7,300 EXPENSES Trophies $100 Bowling Alley DONATED Bowling Shoes DONATED Sodas and Water DONATED Snacks $100 + DONATED Supplies misc. $100 Total Expenses: $300 NET REVENUE $7,000 25

8 BOWLAPALOOZA TIMELINE EIGHT MONTHS OUT Determine the role each brother will play in planning the event like chairperson, accountant, logistics etc.. Secure a bowling center that is willing to donate lanes and shoes. Select date and time of event with bowling center. Send out sponsor proposals. Start recruiting teams SIX MONTHS OUT Chairperson secure team leaders. Create flyers and sign up sheets for the event. Make sure team leaders have materials they need to recruit bowlers info sheets, envelopes for bowlers to collect money and a sign up sheet to list bowlers on their team THREE MONTHS OUT Work with campus newspaper, and radio and TV stations to promote the event. Confirm with team leaders that they have recruited 10 bowlers to bowl on their team. Get food, drinks and prizes donated TWO MONTHS OUT Have chapter members sign up to volunteer at the event. You will need volunteers to pick up donated items, work the registration table, help the bowling center with any needs, help determine winners and clean up after the event. ONE MONTH OUT Determine that all team leaders have filled their teams. Hang posters, banners or flyers around campus to promote the event. POST EVENT 26

9 Send thank you s to all donors, participants, team leaders, sponsors and the bowling center. EVENT DAY OUTLINE: BOWLAPALOOZA Volunteer Duties Pick up donated food & drinks Set up food & drinks at the bowling alley Set up registration area Hang any sponsor banners Man registration table as bowlers arrive Collect and count money from bowlers Stand at door with donation jar for attendees to drop money in as they arrive and leave Clean up after event MC Duties Welcome everyone Introduce teams Introduce sponsors and donors and thank them (including the bowling alley) Announce winners Announce amount raised for USO Bowling Alley Duties Pass out shoes to bowlers Make sure lanes work properly throughout event Help with scoring as teams finish Provide trashcans and bags Special Guests You can invite a USO volunteer, veteran or someone from campus ROTC to event and explain how the USO helps support troops and families. 27