Girls on the Run NYC - SoleMates Participant Guide

Girls on the Run NYC - SoleMates Participant Guide

Welcome to the Girls on the Run NYC SoleMates Team for 2015! Thank you for joining SoleMates in support of Girls on the Run NYC! Your participation and fundraising will allow more girls to experience our program, helping them to feel confident, joyful and healthy. Currently, more than 60% of the girls in our program come from low- income communities. Funds raised by SoleMates allow these girls scholarship and subsidy support to participate in our life- changing program, empowering them to be confident, healthy and joyful. Your support will help Girls on the Run NYC maintain our commitment to serve all girls, regardless of financial need. In this Guide: Creative Fundraising Tips & Ideas for SoleMates How to Make the Girls on the Run NYC Fundraising Ask Matching Gifts Training Opportunities Frequently Asked Questions Sample Email/Letter SoleMates Rewards: Welcome packet when you join Racing singlet when you hit your goal Special goodies along the way! SoleMates Run Options and Fundraising Commitments: Please see contract for more details regarding deadlines and requirements NYC Triathlon Guaranteed Entry: $2,500 (individual) or $3,000 (relay team of 2-3) NYC Marathon Guaranteed Entry: $3,000 Hamptons Half Marathon Guaranteed Entry: $1000 Half Marathon of your choice: $500 Triathlon of your choice: $750 Marathon of your choice: $750 Contact Information: Girls on the Run NYC, 42 Broadway, Suite 1827-35, New York, NY 10004 Phone 212.401.6380 Alyssa Anderson, Volunteer Director of SoleMates alyssa.anderson@girlsontherun.org Allison Hauser, Executive Director allison.hauser@girlsontherun.org Dorothy Chen, Administrative Coordinator dorothy.chen@girlsontherun.org Girls on the Run NYC Who We Are We believe that every Girls on the Run NYC can embrace who she is, can define who she wants to be, can rise to any challenge, can change the world. Can.

Creative Fundraising Ideas & Tips for SoleMates Start Early! Give yourself time to reach your goal. Most donations arrive several months before the event. Ask supporters to spread the word. When you reach out to family and friends, ask them to also share the mission of Girls on the Run with their friends. You ll probably need between 15 and 20 donors to meet your fundraising goals! Customize and Personalize your Fundraising Page. The personal fundraising page is an opportunity to customize a message to friends, family, co- workers and other donors. It is important to spend some time customizing the page - people are more likely to contribute to a cause if they have a good understanding of the organization s mission and outreach. Email Campaign. Send letters to friends, neighbors, family members and business associates. Make sure the local contacts know that their donations will impact their community. Let the donors sponsor a mile. Decide what the event is worth per mile, and let donors buy a mile. Keep the online fundraising page up- to- date regarding how many miles are left to sell so they can make sure they contribute before they are all spoken for 13 miles x $100 = $1300! Matching Gifts. Many employers will match gifts to non- profit organizations such as Girls on the Run. Ask donors to check with their human resource department when they make their contribution. Girls on the Run can provide supporting documentation when requested. Use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites. Add the fundraising page link to a status update, comment or profile pages. Post pictures of your training and progress updates so donors can follow you. Use a creative hashtag in all your posts and encourage your donors to share that they donated on their own social media sites. Email signatures. Include your fundraising link in your email signature, with a reason about why to give! Involve Others! Ask local businesses if they can support your efforts. Suggest a night where a local gym will donate $1- $3 for every person who works out from 5-9pm, or ask to have a table with information during peak times where you can educate and ask for donations. Host a fundraising brunch or cocktail hour. Invite your friends and ask for a donation of what they would have spent had they gone out to eat instead. Encourage them to invite additional friends. Reach out to your favorite bars or coffee shops to see if they will donate an event space or a drink special. Sweet and profitable!

How to Make the Girls on the Run NYC SoleMates Fundraising Ask! The key to a successful online fundraising campaign is writing a great letter that will convey your passion for SoleMates and Girls on the Run NYC. Educate potential donors about Girls on the Run and our mission, and why you are involved. Here are some tips to start you on the SoleMates journey: Make it Personal A customized message to friends, family and co- workers is the best way to go. Let potential donors know why you are personally involved with Girls on the Run build your own case for support. Introduce them to Girls on the Run Be sure to include information about Girls on the Run - what we do, who we serve, etc. Keep this impactful, yet short and to the point. Feel free to direct them to the Girls on the Run website site at gotrnyc.org. Be Positive If you are excited about being a SoleMate, your friends and family will be excited to read about it. Get them Laughing Unique, funny and personalized letters will catch the interest of the donors. Make the letter stand out by being yourself! Keep it Short and Sweet! Keep it to one page in length. Suggest Giving Levels Don t be afraid to ask for a specific amount, or suggest ranges. See the SAMPLE EMAIL/LETTER in this guide as a template for suggested giving levels that represent different aspects of our program. Set a Goal Let potential donors know your goal be it $1,310, $2,620, or more! Identify what donors you think would be willing to give more and tailor your donation requests. The most popular giving bracket is $25-75 but don t be afraid to ask for more! Set a Deadline We recommend that you give donors a deadline for your fundraising efforts. Setting a final date and following up will motivate donors to give sooner rather than later. MAKE THE ASK! Asking for money isn t easy. Make sure the letter or email includes an actual ask, such as I hope you will join me on my SoleMates journey by making a donation no gift is too small! To make a contribution online, visit my fundraising page at ww.raceplanner.com/donate/yourname. Make Sure Your Donors Know HOW to Donate Be sure to include information in your letter/email about how to make the gift online or with cash or check. Making it as easy as possible for the potential donors to give is a sure way to increase the success rate! And, ask about matching gifts! Send Updates Send the donors updates on your progress via email, Facebook, blogs, etc. Include funny stories, training accomplishments and things that will keep them interested in the progress. Give your donors shout- outs in these online spaces, also! Send a Reminder Ask, and ask again! Don t be afraid to follow up with a Thank You to everyone on the list two weeks after the first request. Saying thank you to those who have made a donation to my SoleMates effort is also a nice (and easy) way to remind those who have yet to give be sure to mention that you still have X amount to raise! Send a Thank you Card People want to know that you are aware of their contribution and that they are appreciated. It is always great to send a final message to all donors following the completion of the event even if this is in the form of a mass email. They will enjoy hearing more about the SoleMates journey!

Matching Gifts Below are some tips to help you optimize corporate matching gifts: Do not be afraid to ask - When you ask donors to make a contribution, ask them if their company provides a matching gift program. Stay on top of the fundraising - If a donor tells you they have a matching gift program, follow- up with them to see if they need any information about Girls on the Run! o Tax ID: 27-0131315 o Contact Information: Girls on the Run NYC 42 Broadway, Suite 1827-35 New York, NY 10004 info@gotrnyc.org 646-543- 5092 Tell us at Girls on the Run. Most often the donor must submit something to their workplace who will then forward something to Girls on the Run to confirm and return to the organization for payment. *Please note that once a matching gift is submitted to an organization it may take several weeks or months for payment to be received by Girls on the Run. Be on the lookout in your emails and our Facebook Group for other special training opportunities!

Frequently asked Questions: Fundraising: Where do I send any cash or check donations? All checks should be made out to Girls on the Run NYC and sent to Girls on the Run NYC, 42 Broadway, Suite 1827-35, New York NY 10004. No cash please; you may send a money order. Include your name and your run in the Memo section of the check. What if my company wants to match my donations? Wonderful! Work with your company s matching gift contact to determine the procedure to have this done. If you need any paperwork filled out by Girls on the Run NYC, please contact us at info@gotrnyc.org with the paperwork needed and the deadline. Are donations tax- deductible? How do I get a receipt? Yes, all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allow by law. Donors will receive an acknowledgement letter from Girls on the Run NYC. What is RacePlanner? RacePlanner is the fundraising platform we are using to collect donations. See the Girls on the Run NYC SoleMates RacePlanner Instructions document for more information on setting up and managing your fundraising page in RacePlanner. What are my fundraising deadlines? The goal is to reach the fundraising minimum before the event so we can send you a special gift as a thank you for your support that you can wear in your race! However, we request that you reach your fundraising commitment the day before the event. You can continue to fundraise on the day of your event and for the following month. Who should I ask? Anyone and everyone! Your immediate family and friends are a good place to start, but also reach out to coworkers, your college friends, professors or your workout partners at your gym or yoga studio. You can t ask enough people! How else can I get involved? Find out more at gotrnyc.org/volunteer. Coaching Teams of volunteer coaches facilitate our easy to follow curriculum with groups of 8-20 girls over the course of 10-12 weeks. Committees Volunteers are the heart of our organization, helping us with development, sponsorship, program growth and our 5K. Use your skills to help us reach more girls with our life- changing program! Running Buddies Join us at the 5K each season to help a girl reach the finish line; dance, run, skip with her!

SAMPLE EMAIL/LETTER Dear friend, At Girls on the Run, we teach life skills through dynamic, conversation- based lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event, one of the most special days of the year for all of the Girls on the Run participants and volunteers. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Your generosity can fund our program in many ways, including: R $35 can sponsor a pair of running shoes for one girl. R $50 can fund a pair of running shoes and program snacks for one girl. R $140 can fund running shoes for four girls. R $250 can support a full season scholarship for one girl. R $1,000 can support full season scholarships for four girls. My goal is to raise, and with your support I can get there. Donate now at. I am so excited to compete in the (name of event/race) this (month of event/race) as part of the Girls on the Run NYC SoleMates team. Your help will allow Girls on the Run to deliver their curriculum and empower more girls across NYC to believe in themselves and all they can do. Thank you so much! Your friend, Girls on the Run NYC Who We Are Mission: We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience- based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Vision: We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. Our Core Values: Girls on the Run honors its core values. We strive to: Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent Stand up for ourselves and others

Girls on the Run NYC SoleMates Offline Donation Form SoleMates Name: Address: Phone: - - Event: Instructions: This donation form must accompany every offline donation (check/money order, no cash please) you receive and forward to Girls on the Run. This form is NOT needed for any online donations made through your personal fundraising page. Proper completion of this form ensures that you get credit for the donation(s) and allows us to send thank you letters to these offline donors to use for tax purposes. All checks should be made payable to: Girls on the Run NYC Donor Name: Address: Company (if applicable): Donation Amount: $ Type: Check Money Order Note: Donor Name: Address: Company (if applicable): Donation Amount: $ Type: Check Money Order Note: Donor Name: Address: Company (if applicable): Donation Amount: $ Type: Check Money Order Note: Donor Name: Address: Company (if applicable): Donation Amount: $ Type: Check Money Order Note: