MARCH MADNESS Coaches Guide

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1 Charlotte Latin Alumni MARCH MADNESS Coaches Guide Latin s Third Annual March Madness is here (and it s a little bit different). We re getting ready to kick off a month-long tournament that will challenge you to increase your class s participation in the Latin Fund. It s structured much like the collegiate basketball March Madness we all know and love. Alumni classes are seeded into the tournament in pairings based on last year s Latin Fund participation percentage. They advance, round by round, as they defeat other classes and move toward the championship. Take note: Classes will advance based on total points earned, as opposed to participation percentages. In addition to having one primary set of brackets for Latin s class years, we will also host a separate tournament for College-Aged Alumni ( 11, 12, 13, 14). The primary bracket will be divided into 4 quadrants made up of the four decades of CLS alumni (70s vs. 80s, 90s vs. 00s), so the Final Four will consist of a team from each decade! Remember, it s all about giving at any level. You make a gift, you re counted in. Get off the sidelines and into the game! How does your class earn points? A gift to the Latin Fund made from July 1, 2014 through the March Madness Challenge will count for your first point. In addition, starting with the 2nd round of play, there will be weekly opportunities to weight your score. An extra point will be awarded for each of the following: 2nd round Sweet 16 Elite 8 Final 4 & Finals Updating alumni profile on MyLatin Making first ever gift to the Latin Fund Upgrading gift amount from previous year Making a second gift to the Latin Fund during this fiscal year

2 The role of Class Agents, or Coaches. Latin s class agents or coaches are the most critical part to the success of March Madness. 1. We ll provide the lists, contact information, and giving history: it s up to you to call, , text, post on Instagram, Facebook message, tweet (and so on!) to explain the effort, underscore the importance of participation, and ask for your classmates support. It will be important to start this as soon as March Madness begins on Monday, March 2 so your class does not get knocked out early. 2. Go viral! We will provide text or images for weekly or multi-weekly status updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Please post and link them to the CLS alumni page (by CharlotteLatinAlumni on Facebook on Instagram, in your post). Toward the end of the effort, we ll also create a profile picture for you to use. We ll ask all of you to switch out your existing photo in a show of CLS solidarity! Charlotte Latin Alumni on Social Media Use #CLSMarchMadness! 3. Don t get discouraged. Remember, even if your class gets knocked out, you can still come back to win the Underdog Award. This award will be given to the class who makes the biggest leap in points from the beginning of the tournament to the end, no matter when they can no longer advance. 4. When all is said and done, and your class is declared the winner (right?), we ll ask you to thank those classmates who participated. Again, you can call or to offer your appreciation. Every gift adds up and it s important to relay our gratitude for all they do. Of course, Latin will send our own acknowledgement letter, but it s even more impactful coming from you, their coach.

3 Charlotte Latin Alumni MARCH MADNESS Finals April st Round March 2-8 2nd Round March 9-22 Sweet 16 March Elite 8 March 30-April 6 Semi-Finals April 7-9 Semi-Finals April 7-9 Elite 8 March 30-April 6 Sweet 16 March nd Round March st Round March 2-8 Charlotte Latin Alumni MARCH MADNESS 2015 College Years March 23-April 6 April 7-12

4 What is March Madness? You got questions? We got answers. March Madness is a month-long tournament that challenges Charlotte Latin alumni classes to increase the number of classmates who contribute to the Latin Fund. It is structured much like March Madness: Classes are seeded into the tournament based on their participation percentage; they advance, round by round, as they defeat other classes and move toward the championship. You make a gift, you re counted in as participating. It s as simple as that. When does March Madness begin and end? March Madness starts on Monday, March 2 and winners will be announced on Monday, April 13. The timeline is as follows: March 2-8: Round One 14 classes for spot in the 32 team bracket March 9-22: Round Two 32 classes each updated alumni profile on My Latin March 23-29: Round Three Sweet classes first time Latin Fund donors March 30 April 6: Round Four Elite 8 8 classes *Extra point for each upgraded gift from previous year April 7-9: Round Five Semi-Finals 4 classes each second gift to Latin Fund during this fiscal year April 10-12: Round Six FINALS 2 classes each second gift to Latin Fund during this fiscal year April 13: Winner Announced College Years Bracket March 23-April 6: Round One 4 classes each first time Latin Fund donor and for each updated alumni profile on MyLatin Why are we doing this? April 7-12: Round Two Finals 2 classes each upgraded gift from previous year AND each second gift to Latin Fund this fiscal year April 13: Winner Announced March Madness is a good way to have some fun, be recognized for your efforts, and give back to Latin. The past two years March Madness competitions resulted in tremendous growth for alumni giving and participation in the Latin Fund, which benefits Latin s faculty and students. Within the last two years, 382 gifts were a result of the March Madness effort. Latin s alumni raised a total of $215,690 in , representing 13% growth from the previous year. Participation grew by 69 alumni supporters from to and finished at 19%. All gifts will go toward the Latin Fund, with 25% allocated to the Alumni Endowment which was created by the Alumni Governing Board in 1990 to support Latin s faculty.

5 I don t have a lot to give. Why does participation matter? Let us count the ways! 1. Broad alumni participation helps establish a culture of philanthropy that, over time, is vital to the success and sustainability of Charlotte Latin School. 2. There is strength in numbers and Latin is only as strong as the people who support it. 3. Alumni participation is often viewed as a barometer of alumni satisfaction with their school experience. 4. Corporations and foundations, along with other constituencies like current parents, grandparents and alumni parents, consider alumni participation when making philanthropic decisions. 5. It s a great admissions tool: prospective students and parents compare rankings when making enrollment decisions. 6. Perhaps most importantly, your support helps the teachers, coaches and mentors who played an important role in your education, and helps the next generation of Hawks. How do the brackets work? The brackets illustrate the structure of the rounds, the tournament seedings, and the time frame that each round will cover. Every week, the winning class will move on to the next round. Once I have my bracket, how can I make a gift to the Latin Fund? Simply go to to make a gift online. You can also mail your gift to Charlotte Latin School s Development Office at 9502 Providence Road / Charlotte, NC / Call Sally Gray Smith 82 at with any questions. How can I keep track of my class in the brackets? Brackets and results will be posted at Or you can check out our Facebook page at or Instagram #clsmarchmadness. Updates will be posted at least one time per week. Lastly, you ll hear from class agents, or coaches, with updates. How can I find out which classes win? We will announce two champions a class-wide champion and a College-Years champion on April 13. The two winning classes will receive the following: bragging rights, recognition in Latin s Annual Report (published Fall 2015) and your class s inscription on the March Madness Latin Loving Cup.

6 What if my class gets knocked out early? Don t despair! We also have an Underdog Award for the class year that has the highest percentage growth from the beginning of the tournament to the end no matter WHEN the class gets knocked out of the running. What if I have more questions? No problem! Latin staff is here to help. Just call or Sally Gray Smith 82 at or ssmith@charlottelatin.org. Are YOU in?