Join 100 s of volunteers and fill a Cabin of Dreams without leaving your computer. Camp Virginia Jaycee is a year round residential outdoor recreation and educational facility for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Camp, a 501 (c) 3 organization, is located on 90 acres in Bedford, Virginia. Originally sponsored jointly by The Virginia Jaycees and ARC, the Camp now functions as a separate non profit corporation. Children and adults with special needs can be helped physically, mentally, and emotionally by an outdoor education and recreation experience. Yet the National ARC has pointed out that only a small percentage of the citizens with these disabilities have actually been involved in existing tax supported public recreational facilities and programs. Camp Virginia Jaycee is a privately funded opportunity to bring these special people such an experience. From April 1 May 15 you can provide special people with a special experience. All you need is a computer and the desire to fill the cabins. Dreams can come true when people care and come together to make it happen. From April 1 to May 15, you can fill the Cabin of Dreams and send 160 special needs children and adults to Camp Virginia Jaycee for one week. By filling the cabins, you can provide a life changing experience that will change the lives of campers, families, and the community. Will you be part of making dreams come true? Why are we doing it? The idea of establishing a camp for children with special needs first originated in 1969 when a young Jaycee from Roanoke, Bill Robertson, saw the need and convinced The Virginia Jaycees to sell apple jelly in order to build a camp. In one day, $60,000 dollars was raised and the Camp was born. Since that time, the Virginia Jaycees, Knights of Columbus, Corp. of Virginia Gentleman and many other organizations and individuals have partnered to raise funds for land acquisition, buildings, renovations, and camperships. Each one week session fulfills the dream for 160 special needs adults and children and costs $112,000. Image the possibilities of a 45 day Cabin of Dreams campaign How Do I fill a Cabin of Dreams? Sign up online as a team captain or individual fundraiser, create y our personalized fundraising page, start fundraising, and celebrate! All the information you need to be successful is included in this kit. Page 1
Thank you. Before we go any further, thank you. By volunteering to be a fundraiser you are ensuring that at least one cabin will be filled! We are here to help you reach your goal and have fun doing it. We want to make this easy and even rewarding for you. Most of us aren t professional fundraisers but we all know that people we care about will respond to the things we care about, so long as we have the courage to give them the opportunity. Choose your role. Be a team captain or join a team as an individual fundraiser. The easiest way to raise money these days is online. Even your grandmother knows that. If you know how to send an e mail, you have the ability to fill a Cabin of Dreams. Can you raise money by yourself? Sure. But will you and some friends raise even more money as a team? Absolutely. Teams create a friendly, competitive spirit. Teams provide support and encouragement. Teams communicate with each other frequently and regularly. Teams use a variety of fundraising techniques, including online and events. Teams celebrate each other. Special recognition for all Team Captains that fill a cabin!! What s the most successful form of team and individual fundraising? A personal ask through email or letter. Include a personal story and why you are passionate about the camp. List your goal and how they can help you achieve it. Include information about the camp and a link to www.campvajc.org. Give a deadline for their response. What s included in this kit: Motivating incentive gifts Steps to get started and build fundraising pages Promotion and fundraising tips Confidence builders and asking for donations 50 contacts in 5 minutes 10 ways to raise $100 Page 2
Additional resources. Cabin Directors choose the cabin you want to support! Your Cabin Directors will provide you with the resources you need to succeed. And we re open to ideas on how we can help you even more. If you have additional ideas on the kinds of resources that would be helpful to you, send your suggestions to your Cabin Director. 1. Bears Den Kyle Jacocks, kyle.jacocks@prosperitymortgage.com 2. Beaver Hutch Ariel Jones, arieljone@aol.com 3. Beehive Elissa Grantham, egrantham@rcps.info 4. Dollhouse Donna Yenney, dpyvpi@comcast.net 5. Eagles Nest Troy Anderson, tlyort@gmail.com 6. Fishpond Kay Faries, teechme00@gmail.com 7. Panthers Lair Lee Wolfe, mikeandleewolfe@yahoo.com 8. Robins Nest Trish Tyler Ferrett, trishtyler68@hotmail.com Fundraising tips and resources at www.turnkeywow.com/campvajc Email/Letter Templates available online at www.turnkeywow.com/campvajc Camp information at www.campvajc.org Like us on Facebook: Camp Virginia Jaycee and Camp VAJC Cabin of Dreams Page 3
Need additional motivation? In addition to your own personal fulfillment, we want you to feel the appreciation for all those impacted and thank you for your efforts! As you raise dream dollars, you can earn limited edition items to continue to spread the message about Camp Virginia Jaycee year round. Each item will have the Cabin of Dreams logo and we hope you will wear/use it to share your message and the mission of Camp Virginia Jaycee. Check out the Cabin of Dreams stuff you can earn: Page 4
Get Started. Build your team or individual fundraising page. Personalize your page with the reasons why you care, why it s important, and ask people to support you. Identify potential team members. Take ten minutes and write down all the networks you are part of (school, work, church, friends, family, old jobs, hobbies, clubs, sports). Invite them to join your team or support you. Email or telephone to explain what you are doing and why you need their help. Your teammates will help you fill the Cabin of Dreams because of the mission, but mostly because of you. Tell them why you care. Tell them why you are sharing this opportunity with them. o I have committed to raising $700 to sponsor a camper. But I need 7 people to help me do it, 7 people to be on my team and raise $100 each. Will you consider being one of them? It s easy to set up a page and we just need to e mail and ask. Email the Link. All team members can join your team through the link to your page. Ask them to set up their own fundraising page as part of your team. Ask for donations. E mail everyone you know or ever knew, ask them to donate. Everyone who donates online gets an e mail thank you and tax receipt automatically. Send reminder e mails at least three times during the campaign. Even the people who want to support you receive e mails at bad times and then forget to take action. Statistically, most people need to receive your ask three times before they respond. Encourage your team members. Send emails to your team members to encourage them to reach their goal, form their own team, and remember the purpose. Build your fundraising page. An online fundraising page allows for customizable Web pages for teams and individuals, email communication tools that send personalized messages to potential donors, all donations processed online, easy set up, fast and simple thank you messages to those who donate. To register as a Team Captain and set up a team page: Go to www.firstgiving.com/campvajc 1. Click the Get Started button and select Cabin of Dreams event 2. Select "join a team" or "raise money" 3. Sign in or create a new profile 4. Select a team to join or add a new team. 5. Create your own fundraising page, personalize it, and invite anyone to support your efforts! To register as an individual fundraiser: 1. Follow Steps 1 3 2. At the Select a Team page, click skip and continue 3. Create your own fundraising page, personalize it, and invite anyone to support your efforts! Page 5
Promote through Social Media Facebook status updates are a great way to build awareness about Camp Virginia Jaycee and the work you are doing to raise money for camperships. Not to mention, it s a great resource to recruit team members to help you from all over the world! Twitter lets you keep in touch by exchanging quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What s happening in 140 characters or less. On average, the first tweet sent by a participant generates over 14 clicks back to the participant page. The audience extends beyond friends and family. The average Twitter user has 70 followers and the average fundraising participant sends 23.5 e mails. Sending one tweet can nearly triple the audience for an average event participant who uses Twitter. YouTube is a great way to give folks a live view of the impact of the camp. Create a video about the power o f the camp experience and the impact on your life and upload it to YouTube. Include the web link to your video on your fundraising page, emails, and any letters to request support or team members. Ask them to pass it on to all of their contacts and watch it grow! Fundraising Tips and Ideas Matching gifts Many employers have matching gift programs to match charitable contributions made by their employees. Find out if your employer, or one of your donor s employers, has a matching gift policy. E mail signature Include a line in your e mail signature (at work and/or at home) letting your friends and family know about the Cabin of Dreams. Include a link to your fundraising page. Workplace giving Post a donation sheet in high traffic areas, take to meeting or send an e mail with a link to your fundraising page. Find out if your company can make a donation or match the money you raise. Be sure to check your company s policies first. Voicemail fundraising Add a line to your voicemail at home or on your cell phone letting callers know you are participating in Cabin of Dreams and need their support! Special occasions If you have a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion coming up, why not ask for donations instead of gifts? Host a benefit garage sale or lemonade stand Clean out your closet, attic or basement, and generate funds for the Cabin of Dreams. This is a great activity for your team! Your children can participate by setting up a lemonade stand. Dinner party Cook dinner for your guests and ask them to donate what they would pay in a Restaurant for a similar meal. Talk it up! Ask your doctor, dentist, hairdresser, grocer or favorite business owner to support you. Page 6
Be confident. As you engage in fundraising activities for any purpose, it s important to have some master tools in place t o ensure success. Most seem like common sense and we encourage you to print and keep as a handy reminder throughout the campaign. Refreshers are always important. Believe in yourself. You are the most important contributor to success. Believing is the most fundamental element of successful fundraising. Have a purpose. In order to maintain motivation (or even get motivated in the first place), you and your team need to be clear on why you are putting time, energy and effort into raising money. Then, you must keep this reason at the forefront. Many people want to make a difference but don't know where to get involved. Ask them to join your team and raise $100! Set a goal. Pick a cabin and the number of beds you will fill. Paint the picture to your team and donors of what it means to fill a bed and even a full cabin! Ask. Someone asked you to be involved, share that opportunity with someone else. Remember that you re giving people a chance to do something that will make them feel good. Don t give up. How many times were you asked to participate before you agreed? Make sure you are prepared with responses for those that may need a little extra convincing. Implement FAST and OFTEN! Set up your page and send your first e mails now. We have 6 weeks to reach our goal. Don t decide for others. Ask everyone. The reality is that people will want to help you for a good cause, and they will feel good about it. Many will be flattered that you asked them to be part of something important to you. Some might say no, but at least give them the chance to. Get outside your comfort zone. Reach beyond your typical circles of family, friends and co workers. Tap into social media, personal or professional connections, alumni organizations, old summer camp friends, and other networks you can discover as you think creatively. Celebrate. Every donation and new team member is cause for celebration! Don't underestimate what you can accomplish! Remember that you and your team will make a real difference in the lives of many. Page 7
Be prepared. Asking for support, whether financially or participation, you need to be prepared for those impulse responses. As I m sure you recall, you likely had some of the very same responses below but were overcome with conviction to get involved. Below are some examples of what you may encounter and some possible responses. Reason: I don t have time. Response: Do you have one hour? The reality is this, setting up my page took me about 15 minutes, and the other 45 minutes is spread out over time when I get the chance to send emails. That s it! This is the easiest fundraising I ve ever done. Reason: I really don t like asking people for money. It makes me very uncomfortable. Response: I know how you feel. Once I took a look at what the camp is doing to change lives, I couldn t say no. We are giving special needs individuals who face uncomfortable situations every day the chance to experience something incredible. I can handle a few weeks of uncomfortable e mails. Reason: I don t know anything about Camp Virginia Jaycee Response: Perfect! That s why I want and need you on my team. Not only are we raising money, we are also spreading awareness about Camp Virginia Jaycee. I ll give you all the information so you are comfortable sharing the mission, history and goals of the camp. Reason: My friends are all students or unemployed. Response: Yeah, it s tough for everyone right now. That s why we don t want them to donate; we want them joining your team. As another fundraiser asking others to contribute we can reach more people with the mission of the camp. Reason: I just asked my friends for money last month for something else and so can t ask for more. Response: I get it, ask your friends to be on your team and send emails to their contacts to raise $100 each. With 7 team members raising $100 you just filled a bed at the camp! And, if that still doesn t spark their interest in getting involved, try this: You can earn limited edition Cabin of Dreams stuff to demonstrate your impact on special needs individuals. Page 8
50 Contacts in 5 Minutes Not sure who to ask to support you? All you need is 5 minutes, pen, and paper (or excel spreadsheet) and you ll find you know A LOT more folks that you ever imagined.try this: List 5 relatives List 5 friends List 5 co workers List 5 former co workers List 5 neighbors List 5 former neighbors List 5 church members or organization contacts List 5 people that take care of you (hairdresser, doctor, dentist, mechanic, etc) List 5 people who invited you to a party, wedding, anniversary, etc. List 5 spouse s/significant other co workers or their spouses List 5 contacts through your children s associations (niece, nephew, grandkids count) So now what? It s simple, through your online fundraising page send all these folks an email with the link to your page and ask them to join your team or make a donation to support you. And, we even give you a sample email to use to make it so easy and quick, how could you not do it? Watch the donations roll in.it s easy! Page 9
10 Easy Ways to Raise $100 1. Donate $20 yourself and ask 4 friends for $20 each. 2. Ask 20 friends for $5.00 each. 3. Ask 10 friends for $10.00 each. 4. Send a letter to family and friends describing the camp and ask for a donation. 5. Send a letter from your pet to family and friends. You might also want to send this out to your veterinarian. 6. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Knock on doors and ask your neighbors for their support. 7. Arrange a dress down day at work. Anyone dressing down will have to pay. Be sure you have a sign that says, Please excuse our appearance today, we are dressing down to benefit Camp Virginia Jaycee. You could charge anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 per person to dress down. You could arrange these on a weekly or monthly basis. 8. Arrange with the principal of a local school for baseball cap day. Usually caps are not allowed, however, for $1.00, once a month a student could wear a baseball cap in class. Be sure to have a sign ready that says, Caps for Camp, you will see students today sporting baseball caps as a fundraiser to benefit Camp Virginia Jaycee a camp for special needs individuals. 9. Hold a can and bottle drive. 10. Host a Night Out at a local restaurant that will give a % of sales back to Camp Virginia Jaycee. Page 10