Team Captain Guide WHY WALK AGAINST HUNGER? Imagine, for a moment, not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Imagine having to decide between paying for heat and paying to put a meal on your family s dinner table. Imagine that week after week, you struggle to give your children enough food to thrive. This is the reality of hunger in Connecticut, affecting nearly half a million people in the state and 1 out of every 5 children. And this is why we walk against hunger! Hunger is often hidden in Connecticut and touches every community across the state; even the most idyllic appearing rural communities are hit hard by hunger. Nearly 700 critical, local grassroots programs depend upon Connecticut Food Bank as a lifeline to nutritious food. And through this lifeline, Connecticut Food Bank provides 46,000 meals a day across 127 cities and towns. Proceeds from the Walk Against Hunger support Connecticut Food Bank and a percentage of funds raised are also placed directly back into the hands of the programs supported by Connecticut Food Bank. That means shelters, soup kitchens and services that provide food to neighbors in your local community benefit, too! As a TEAM CAPTAIN for the Walk Against Hunger, you are leading the way to feed the hungry. With motivation and enthusiasm, you can spread awareness, raise funds and help your neighbor. Recruit your family, friends and peers to walk against hunger with you! The team at Connecticut Food Bank is thrilled to have you join us in our mission to provide nutritious food to people in need.
2015 Walk Against Hunger Dates & Locations BRIDGEPORT Seaside Park Sunday, April 26, 2015 EASTERN CONNECTICUT Chelsea Parade, Norwich Sunday, May 17, 2015 WATERBURY Library Park Sunday, May 03, 2015 NEW HAVEN East Rock Park College Woods Pavilion Sunday, May 17, 2015 NEW DATE! Please note: All Walk Against Hunger events are held RAIN OR SHINE! Questions or concerns? Let us help you! Phone number 203-469-5000 Events & Promotions Manager Sarah Morocco smorocco@ctfoodbank.org Events & Promotions Assistant Kerri Burgerhoff kburgerhoff@ctfoodbank.org 2
STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL TEAM CAPTAIN! 1. RECRUIT, RECRUIT AND RECRUIT. Successful Walk teams range from 10 to 20 people. Belong to a social group? Make a walk team! You can also recruit your family, friends and coworkers to join you in the fight against hunger. 2. USE THE ONLINE TOOLS. Register online at www.ctfoodbank.org/walk and take advantage of all the easy-to-use fundraising tools like the following: Create your own personalized team website! Send e-mails for online fundraising. Track online and offline donations. 3. BE THE BEST LEADER YOU CAN BE. Remember that you are the leader of your team. You should be the person to show enthusiasm in your efforts and keep your team s spirits high. Organize team meetings to discuss fundraising opportunities and ideas to make the walk the best experience for you and your team! 4. USE SOCIAL MEDIA. Social media platforms are a great way to communicate your message. Spread the word by posting fundraising events and progress on your Facebook/Twitter accounts. Use the hashtags #WAH2015 and #ctfoodbank in your posts. 5. SPREAD THE WORD. Let everyone know that you re walking against hunger! Where you go, and take every opportunity to ask everyone you know for their support whether it s giving a donation or joining your team. Distribute information, hang posters, anything to get the word out to the community! 6. AIM HIGH Team captains have the courage and leadership skills to work with their team to set a goal that reflects their determination and commitment to end hunger in Connecticut. Guide your team in setting and achieving fundraising goals. Each team member should aim to reach at least $100. 7. DOUBLE YOUR MONEY. Many employees offer matching funds programs. Your $100 donation can turn into $200! Inquire with your personnel department and remind your supporters about matching gifts. 8. GIVE A PROPER SHOUT OUT. Let your team members and donors know how great they are. Send personalized thank you notes expressing your gratitude for the involvement and hard work they contributed to the walk. Donor Checklist Did you Ask???? Mother/Father Sister/Brother Cousins Aunts/Uncles Dentist Doctor Manicurist Troop Leader Teachers/Classmates Coach/Teammates Roommates Veterinarian Brunch Buddies Lawyer Accountant Dog Walker Pharmacist Clergy Pen Pals Hair Stylist Boss/Co-workers Fraternity Bro./Sorority Sis. Book Club Yoga Class Mechanic Neighbor Babysitter Barber Real Estate Agent Personal Trainer Bus Driver YOURSELF? 3
Share your Why I Walk Story Web-style! You can use social media (Facebook, Twittter, YouTube, Instagram) to spread the word about the hard work you re already doing and why you participate in the Walk Against Hunger. Create a video and post it don t forget to share it with Connecticut Food Bank too! Tag us @CTFoodBank, using the hashtags: #WAH2015 #ctfoodbank Ask celebrities you follow on Twitter to Tweet about hunger, the Walk Against Hunger and what your team is doing to raise funds and awareness. Always include a link to your Personal Walk Page in your status updates and Tweets! Here are some messages that can help your efforts for fundraising, recruiting others to participate or to raise awareness about the Walk Against Hunger. Optimize your Status Updates I m participating in the Walk Against Hunger on (insert date/city). Please make a donation. With just $10, Connecticut Food Bank can supply enough food to feed a person for a week. Be part of the solution in the fight against hunger! Join me on (insert date/city) for Connecticut Food Bank s Walk Against Hunger. (insert URL to team page) Nearly half a million people in the state of Connecticut, including 100,000 children, do not know where their next meal is coming from. Please help by making a donation to my Walk Against Hunger team. (insert URL to team page) DON T FORGET TO LINK TO YOUR WALK PAGE Like us on social media! Facebook: www.facebook.com/ctfoodbank Vine: www.vine.co/ctfoodbank YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ctfoodbankevents Instagram & Twitter: @CTFoodBank 4
Content Get Started with Online Registration Take advantage of the online fundraising tools and track your team s growth and fundraising progress. Use the steps below to register a team for the Walk Against Hunger: 1. Go to www.ctfoodbank.org/walk on your internet browser. 2. Select which Walk location you would like to participate in and click on Start a Team. 3. Choose a team name and enter it into the Team Name field (get creative!) 4. Set a fundraising goal for your team. Don t be afraid to set a high goal! (Suggested goal: $1,000) 5. Select the type of Walker you would like to be. How to Customize Your Personal Page Did you know that Walkers who update their personal fundraising page with a story and a photo, raise at least 2x more than those who leave the pre-written text? Use the following steps to customize your webpage to increase your team s fundraising capability! 1: Log in using the username & password you chose when you registered for the Walk Against Hunger. 2: Select View Participant Center, the blue link underneath your name in the top right of the screen. 3: Select the Personal Page tab, update the message and add a photo. Click Save at the bottom. 1. Customize your Personal Page URL and Settings Click Edit. Type in a name that s easy for you to remember and click save. 6. Select whether you are a New User or Returning User. 7. Enter registration information. 8. Create a username and password for the Participant Center. This is what you will use to promote your Walk page to friends and family. 9. Read the waiver and accept the terms and conditions. 10. Registration complete! You can now begin your fundraising efforts by sending e-mails from your website, inviting people to join your team and encouraging everyone to donate for a good cause! 2. Give your page a name and tell us your story! Use some of the great features in Participant Center to format text, add colors to your text and add uniqueness to your page! Be sure to save your changes and updates frequently! Photos 1. To upload a photo that describes why you are Walking Against Hunger, select the Photo/Video button on the right of the navigation screen. 2. Click Browse. This will let you select the picture you want from your computer. Make sure you saved the photo to a folder or your desktop. Select your photo and hit enter on your keyboard, or click open. 3. Give your photo a caption and click save/upload. 5
Many companies will match their employees charitable contributions. Programs vary from business to business, but the most common match the employee s donation, dollar for dollar. Not sure if your company has a matching gift program?? Look for this icon during the on-line donation process. Click on the icon, and search for your company. In many instances this function will tell you exactly how to get a matching gift form!. Be sure to ask your employer about it! If your company does have a Matching Gifts program, carefully read and fill out the forms you get from your company before submitting it to Connecticut Food Bank. Submitting Donations Get your $$ in and Watch Your Thermometer Go Up! When submitting donations by check, please ensure that the donor s name and address are on the check, as well as the Walk team and a Walk location on the memo line. All donors who provide a completed address and name will receive an official thank you letter from Connecticut Food Bank, after the Walk Against Hunger is over. Each participant collecting donations must turn in his or her own contribution list! At the end of this handbook, and in the online Participant Center, there is a form that you and your donors can complete as you collect money. Use any kind of envelope to collect the donations. All Walk Against Hunger donations must be mailed to Connecticut Food Bank before June 30th, 2015. To qualify for the top fundraising awards, your donations must be submitted to the office before the close of business on the Friday AFTER your Walk. That means in Bridgeport the deadline is May 1; in Waterbury the deadline is May 8, and in Eastern Connecticut & New Haven the deadline is May 22. Please don t send cash in the mail!! You can turn that cash into a money order or check. Just make sure you include the donor s contact information. Mail all checks and money orders to: Connecticut Food Bank, Walk Against Hunger; 150 Bradley Street, East Haven, CT 06512. 6
Sunday, April 26 Seaside Park, Bridgeport Sunday, May 3 Library Park, Waterbury Sunday, May 17 Chelsea Parade, Norwich Sunday, May 17 College Woods Pavilion at East Rock Park, New Haven MY LIST OF SUPPORTERS Walker s Name: My Fundraising Goal: Team Name (if applicable): Email: Phone: Address: Please have supporters prepay with cash or checks payable to Connecticut Food Bank/Walk Against Hunger. Contributions are tax-deductible. Ask supporters to write your name and Walk location in the memo portion of the check. Please do not list online credit card donations on this form those should be made directly on the website and are tracked through the site. Please print legibly. SUPPORTER S NAME ADDRESS Donation Amount Cash Y/N Check # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Please send your completed form, along with all contributions to Connecticut Food Bank, 150 Bradley Street, East Haven, CT 06512 OR turn in on Walk Day. DONATIONS TOTAL $