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Fundraising for a Cure
Fundraising Guide!
Create a Game Plan
SO YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A MARATHON?
Participating in philanthropic sporting events should be fun, enjoyable and
rewarding. This comprehensive guidebook is intended to make your efforts as
successful as possible. 1. PICK AN EVENT
Choose an event that gives you
What you’ll find in this tool-kit… ample time to train and involve
your network.
Our goal for this guide is to provide guidance, encouragement and ideas for
your fundraising efforts. The first thing to remember is that you’re not alone.
This guide is NOT meant to replace the always available support of the ALS 2. SET YOUR GOALS
TDI staff, whose support is never more than a phone call or email away. Remember that you’re setting two goals:
a fundraising goal and a personal participation goal.
We understand that fundraising can be challenging and that there are count-
less ways to support research - thank you for choosing us, at the ALS Therapy 3. TEAM UP!
Development Institute. Talk to your friends, family, co-workers... anyone! See if people
want to join you, help you fundraise, or support you.
This guide contains all of the tips and tricks to make your effort a complete
success, from Start to Finish Line!
4. PLAN YOUR FUNDRAISING
Think about how you’d like to fundraise. There are a ton of great
ways to raise money for research.
• The ALS TDI Team
bpage Guide
• Personalized We 5. TRAIN FOR YOUR EVENT
• Comprehensive Fundraising Guide Get yourself ready for the main event. Think about how and when
& Resource List
• Training Guides you’re going to train.
ip Package
• ALS TDI Sponsorsh
• And more… 6. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR DONORS
Always keep people engaged in what you’re doing... and why. Let
them know your story.
ADGF
DGF
DGF
7. GAME TIME!
Good luck, you’re ready!
8. RECOVER & REVIEW
Take some time off from training and see how you did. What
fy
would you do differently? Always be sure to thank all of your
supporters.
In the United States, walking, swimming, running, and cycling are at the top of This guide contains some great fundraising ideas and a
the list for most common exercise activities. useful training guide... Keep reading!
et 617.441.720
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
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Fundraising for a Cure
Getting Started!
2
$
• Registering is the first step and a great incentive to begin your planning.
• Start earlier by creating training and fundraising plans that will guide you
from now through the event.
• We can work with you to set 2 meaningful goals: a fundraising goal and a
Setting Goals
personal goal for the marathon. Think about a MARATHON GOAL you’d like to set for
yourself. It can be anything you’d like, consider the
If you haven’t picked an event, there are countless resources on following when setting your sights:
the internet and elsewhere to find events in your area...
• Time • Personal Bests
• The ALS TDI website, www.als.net, houses the Team TDI Network Events Page,
a great spot to search for events benefiting ALS research at ALS TDI. • Distance • Your Age Bracket
• Active.com is a great online catalog of events, it contains over 66,000 events and • Placing • A Podium Finish
listings for over 80 sports and 5,000 cities.
• You can also try www.mapmyrun.com, a great site for marathoners! • Finishing • or anything that motivates you!
• Your local recreation department, fitness center, or athletic shops (running store
or your area training club) might have great information on events near you.
For your FUNDRAISING GOAL, remember that every donation
yo
matters, every dollar helps fund the valuable research being
mat
And once you pick an event... conducted to accelerate the search for therapeutics.
To Do List:
1. REGISTER! No aamount is too great or too small, so set a target that moti-
vates you, seems realistic, and that your donors can embrace.
2. REGISTER!
3. REGISTER! $
35.00
250.00
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative Your personalized website can t
personalized
r
rsona your donations and update a “thermometer” w
track y d with
disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. There is no known your fundraising totals and goals! Check it out...
ndraising goals!
cure for ALS.
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
5 6
Fundraising for a Cure
Set Up Your Website!
Your ALS TDI Team member can work with you to create your comprehensive, goals are and track
and customizable, web page.
Your personalized website will be a Send and receive
Send
great tool for yourself, friends and
family, and anyone who’d like to
support you! Use your site to make
fundraising simple and successful!
re!
Donate right he
have to
You don’t even
leave the page!
Describe your event in detail!
Include the time, date, place, etc. Let people check out
Include pictures, links, and your favorite
documents to download! websites!
and
Include ave messages
pictures Friends can le
your fri
ends, an of yourself, uragement.
Support dy words of enco
ers can p our training!
ost pictu
res too!
L Sell a product to raise
the UR
Create ite!
rs money for research...
for you
.als.net
provide a description and let
obRuns ls.net
www.R de.a donors add it to their
ALtitu et
www.P ope.als.n shopping cart!
www .TeamH
Your personalized website can link to training websites and your other favorite sites,
There are over 150 million personal websites in cyberspace. Set yours up today! but it can also link to other event pages within the Team TDI network. Link your page
to other events in your area... build a network, build awareness!
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
7 8
Fundraising for a Cure
fundraising plan
6 steps to success!
We know that fundraising can be challenging, so remember two things: 1)
1. SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE GOAL
Every contribution is important and helps to accelerate the pace of
If you haven’t alreay set a fundraising goal - now’s the time! Keep
research at ALS TDI, 2) We are here to help, please use us as a resource.
your donors in mind when you’re setting your goal, come up with a
goal that is reasonable and appropriate, but also motivating.
We always encourage fundraisers to remember the basics: start your fundrais-
ing early, have a plan, and provide your donors with as much information as
2. IDENTIFY YOUR DONORS
possible to help them feel like part of your team.
The obvious candidates are friends and family, but if you think
about all the people you have contact with, you’ll find that you can
A fundraising plan is easy to create and will pay dividends as you start the
create quite an impressive list of potential donors. Keep in mind
process. We’ve outlined the steps on the facing page, keep in mind that there are
their different backgrounds and abilities to give, but the bigger the
multiple ways to fundraise and they can all be incredibly successful.
network the more success you’ll have.
Letter Writing Campaign 3. CHOOSE HOW YOU’D LIKE TO FUNDRAISE
Remember to Host
Ho a party at a bar or restaurant Choose fundraising techniques that will be easy to execute and fun
for your donors. You can use as many, or as few as you’d like. Each
use your website to Ask
As for pledges per mile or minute can be very successful in their own ways. Check out the list on the
announce fundraising Have a yard or bake sale previous page for some great ideas.
events and your Organize a raffle or auction
4. INSPIRE YOUR DONORS... ASK, ASK, ASK!
mission to your Seek out Matching Gifts If you’re excited about supporting ALS TDI, your supporters will feed
donors! Look for sponsors off of that energy. Let people understand why you’re fundraising,
Sell a product tell them your story and they will want to be a part of your success.
Remember, they won’t give if you don’t ask.
Form a Team
5. KEEP YOUR DONORS INFORMED
Always track your fundraising progress and update your donors
on how you’re doing. Once they support your efforts, consider them
part of the team. You can use your personal website to keep everyone
in the loop. Send email updates with pictures and fundraising
totals, post messages on your website, make sure everyone has the
link to your page!
6. SEND THANK YOUS!
Always recognize the good will and support of your donors.
Personalized, hand-written thank-you notes are excellent and go a
long way toward showing your appreciation. It’s also fun to include
a recap of the event you participated in, including your results, and
the total money that you raised for research.
At ALS TDI:
Every minute of research costs $100
More than 86% of every dollar donated to ALS TDI goes into the lab for research.
Each viral vector costs $20,000
Each gene therapy study costs $200,000
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
9 10
Fundraising for a Cure
sample
Letter Writing Campaign letter!
The Big Introduction. Friends & Family,
• Set the stage and get the attention of your reader. gnosed
As most of you know, Julie Everest was recently diagnosed with ALS. Julie has
• Tell your story, explain your connection to ALS. been my best friend since 1st grade ande my running partner since shortly
ing
• Tell people about the event you are participating in. thereafter. As Julie has always been a fighter, so too must we be as her friends and
• Tell them why you’re fundraising and how. family members. I’m going to commit to running this year’s Boston Marathon in
yea ’s Bosto Ma atho i
• Tell them about ALS and ALS TDI. her honor, and I hope to raise money for ALS research in the process.
ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative
Appeal to your donors emotionally and practically. disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. There is no known
• Relay your experiences and those of today’s patients. cure for ALS. ALS will prevent Julie from running, the sport that we all know she
• Use language that helps convey how devastating ALS truly is. loves so much. And although this awful disease will steal her freedom, it will never
take her spirit. That is why I will run and run and run, until there is a therapeutic
• Provide hard facts and statistics to help them understand this disease. for Julie and the other 350,000 people living with ALS today.
Ask, ask, ask! I have chosen to join thousands of other supporters, from all over the world, to fuel
• If you don’t ask, they won’t give; ask directly for support. research being conducted at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI), in
Cambridge, Mass. ALS TDI uses entrepreneurial spirit and techniques to
• Providing suggested donations can help donors commit to giving.
aggressively seek out, develop, and deliver promising therapies to slow, arrest, and
• Remind your donor what their contribution will support. cure ALS. By identifying and filling gaps in the development process they can
- 1 minute of research, 1 hour of research, 1 gene therapy study, etc. then define and deliver resources required to transform ideas into concrete therapies.
• Provide deadlines for giving to help motivate your donors.
• Remind them that all contributions, big or small, make an important There exists no doubt in my mind how devastating ALS truly is. A team of over 30
scientists and technicians is tackling the work of overcoming this disease. ALS
difference.
TDI not only has the largest full-time team of researchers in the world working to
cure ALS, but the most experienced and interdisciplinary. This unique approach is
Be sure to thank your donors in advance! already producing results and advancing the field of study in ways never before
• Let your donors know how grateful you are for their support. thought possible.
• A simple thank you can go a long way.
Donations from passionate supporters around the world drive the Institute’s
research. The pace of research can be accelerated with your help. Please consider
Get this into your network’s hands! making a donation to ALS TDI. Your donation is 100% tax deductible and over
• Post it on your personalized website. 86% of all funds generated go directly into researching a treatment or cure. The
• Suggest that donors visit your event website. 30,000 patients living with this disease today and tomorrow need our help. Every
dollar and every donation will help ALS TDI get closer to the finish line.
• Print it out and mail it to your entire address book.
• Include a return envelope, donation form, and instructions. 26.2 miles will not be easy, but neither is living with ALS today. I hope to run the
• Email the letter to your network with a donation form attached. entire race in under 3 hours and raise over $5,000 for ALS TDI. I will keep you all
• Carry a few copies of your letter and donation form with you to hand posted on our fundraising and my training at www.run4julie.als.net. Feel free to
out in person. upload pictures of yourself and Julie, send messages, download info on my efforts
and donate to our cause easily and directly on my site. Please consider making a
ite.
donation.
What are the next steps?
• Direct them to your personalized website for more information. Thank you for joining in our fight.
• Let them know how they can donate online – and that it’s easy.
Sincerely
Christina White
Runnin
g with Ju
vacation lie on
in Verm
Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get. You make According to Giving USA, individual contributions ont
a life by what you give.” to non-profits reached nearly $200 billion in 2007.
t info@als net 617 441
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
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Fundraising for a Cure
Host a Fundraising Party!
Pick a Venue and a Date
• Contact local restaurants or bars to find a venue that will host your party. Join Me...
• The venue can decide whether you should use a cover charge, or a percent-
age of drink sales, to help your fundraising efforts. Buy From Me...
• Ask the venue to donate food or beverages to help support your cause.
• Avoid picking a date that may conflict with your network’s schedule.
• Get space donated for your event, or host it at your house.
or Match Me...
Here are some other great ideas:
Add to the Fun
• Incorporate a door prize, 50/50 raffle, live or silent auction, etc. Form a Team
• Contact local merchants to help arrange for sponsored prizes. • Enlist your friends and family to join you!
• Contact a local radio station about setting up a booth and playing music. • Fundraising as a team can increase the size of your network.
• We are happy to provide bid sheets, credit card forms, and other items to help • Pool your team’s donations and set a higher goal.
you execute an auction, raffle, or other fundraising idea. • Having teammates makes training fun and social.
Fill the Room Sell a Product
• Invite your entire network to the party, ask them to invite their network. • Use your personalized website to post a product.
• Send invitations, save-the-dates, and updates electronically. • All of the proceeds will be sent right to ALS TDI using the
• Announce the party on your personal website. helpful shopping cart feature.
• Include a save-the-date in your letter writing campaign. • Products can be donated goods. (e.g. artwork, t-shirts, bracelets,
• Suggest that donors make a donation if they cannot attend. etc.)
During the Event Matching Gifts
• Make sure to have information on your event, ALS TDI, ALS, and • Corporate matching gifts are a great way to maximize personal
anything else you think you donors might like to see. contributions and the impact of a donation. A company's
• Have donations and pledge forms on hand. matching gift may be able to double or even triple the amount of
• Make a speech, thank everyone for coming, explain again why everyone a contribution.
is there, what you’re doing, and why. Thank any sponsors or supporters. • In general, the process is as follows:
• At the end of your speech, ask again that everyone make a contribution, 1. Check with your company's human resources or payroll
no matter how small, every bit matters.
r department to see whether it offers a matching gift
program.
2. Ask for donation guidelines and check to make sure
ALS TDI is on their approved charities list. If not, ask
to fill out the appropriate paperwork.
3. Donate through the matching gift program, filling out
the appropriate forms to ensure that the match is
donated.
ALS TDI’s Finance Team will help
y’s 501(c)3 list and
ensure that TDI is on your compan
on our end, and yours!
that the paperwork is filed properly
In the United States, ALS is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease because it It is estimated that there are at least 350,000 people living with ALS throughout the
took the life of the popular Yankee slugger just two years after he played his last world today; 30,000 of whom live in the United States. This year there will be 6,000
game. newly diagnosed cases in the United States alone.
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
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Fundraising for a Cure
Secure Sponsorship
Draft a letter asking for sponsorship.
• Asking for sponsorship isn’t that different from a letter writing campaign.
Extra! Extra!
• Providing information on ALS TDI and its research will help establish your cause.
• Include ALS TDI’s 501(c)3 number in your letter. Ask your ALS TDI staff
Read All About It...
member for the number. A great way to raise awareness for your event is to reach out to
• Be sure to include a specific ask in your letter. Doing so, will help you establish a your local newspaper. The more people that see what you’re doing
professional tone. the better. People you don’t even know might see your article and
• Regardless of the amount you choose, it will provide the company with a frame make a contribution on your behalf. This is a great way to get into
work to decide how they can best support you and at what financial level. the public eye at no cost!
• Provide sponsors that cannot make a financial donation an alternative option, like
a gift certificate. Draft a press release or pitch letter.
Provide Incentives! • Write a title that is exciting and as succinct as possible.
• Be sure to include the entitlements that the company will receive in return for • Like your fundraising letter, this article is intended to tell
their support. your story to an audience that doesn’t necessarily know what
• Here are a few suggestions: ALS is, or why you’re fundraising for ALS TDI.
1. Name and logo placement on your personalized webpage. • Discuss your connection to ALS and why you’ve decided to
2. Inclusions of links from your website to their’s. participate. Provide a quote to help readers identify with you.
3. Inclusion in all of your press releases and media opportunities. • Stress that you are part of the community and want to let
other members of the town know what you’re doing and that
Get your message into the company’s hands! they can help.
• If there is a manager contact them and ask to schedule • Be sure to include information about the event itself.
a brief meeting to discuss your efforts. • Be sure to include a link to your personal website
• Dropping off your letter in person can help a company
pany for those looking to donate to you directly.
put a face to your name.
Invite sponsors • Include contact information for those looking for more
• Mailing your letter can provide the ability to reach a
h to donate
large number of companies. information.
to your efforts a • Attach a picture with your article.
nd have
Take advantage of existing relationships. their company re
• Leverage relationships with local stores that you presented Distribute your release.
frequent regularly. on your Team T • The best place to start is with your local paper.
• Start with your employer!
DI
t-Shirt. • Contact the editor by phone or email and explain what you’re
• Corporations that you have a connection with doing and why you’d like to include your piece in the paper.
might be willing to support you. • Attach a copy of your letter.
• Be sure to follow up with the
editor or journalist to help ensure
e
that your article gets printed.
• In most cases, you can find the
contact info for local or area
papers online, at their respective
papers.
• Reach out to any paper you’d like,e,
501(c)3 it can never hurt to ask.
Corporate giving, including grants from corporate foundations, increased The incidence of ALS, one in one hundred thousand, is roughly equivalent to that
to $13.8 billion in 2008. of Multiple Sclerosis and five times higher than that of Huntington’s Disease.
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
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Fundraising for a Cure
Ask an ALS TDI staff member for a training
This is a suggested beginner
Marathon Training Guide
guide that better suits your level of fitness: we
have training guides for beginner, intermediate, training schedule. It assumes
you have been running for
and advanced runners.
at least 6-10 weeks and
can run for 30 minutes
Coolrunning.com says it quite well, “befitting it’s Greek roots, the
Training
without stopping.
marathon unfolds as a unique drama, carrying equal doses of
comedy and tragedy, euphoria and agony.” Revived during the
1896 Athens Olympics, the marathon had, until recently,
remained a sport for elite athletes or running fanatics. But in the
Schedule (in miles)
last two decades marathons have become a part of the average
runner’s life, as both a phyical challenge and a vehicle for chari-
table efforts.
Marathon training can vary
from one program to the next, but
they all have one thing in
common: miles and miles and
miles! The best training guides
are those that will train and
condition your body to be
prepared for the strain and stress
of an endurance event. 26.2
miles is an excellent goal - use the
following guide to help get you on
your way.
Your mileage should gradually increase each week. The
longest run you’ll do during your training is between 18-20
miles. Having completed a 20-mile run should give you a
great deal of confidence on marathon day. We suggest
tapering off the mileage in the final weeks leading up to
the marathon. This will allow your body to recover from
training to be your strongest on marathon day.
Running can be an excellent method of increasing aerobic/cardiorespiratory fitness The world record time for the marathon is 2 hours 3 minutes and 59 seconds, set in
as well as muscular endurance. Always warm-up and stretch before running to the Berlin Marathon by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia on September 28, 2008.
improve performance and prevent injuries.
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
17 18
Fundraising for a Cure
Marathon Training Guide
Listed below are the basics. Successful marathon training is about
staying motivated, staying safe and healthy, and staying focused!
Keep a Running Journal
Keeping a personal journal of your runs can help you track
Equipment your progress, avoid past mistakes and inspire you to
The experts suggest investing in a good pair of running shoes. Your sneakers strive to new heights. Your journal can be as simple as a few
will be the most important piece of equipment you have. Running shoes are very dashed notes on the distance and time you ran each day or
diverse and have been designed to fit feet with different arches, pronation, and you can keep track of the details of your route, the way you
more. We suggest that you visit your local running store to find the best shoes
feel, and what kind of a paces you used throughout your
for you.
run.
Nutrition Some great running resources:
Carbohydrates provide the fuel runners need. Coolrunning.com reports that
during marathon training, 65% of your total calories should come from carbohy- Running Clubs Always feel comfortable
drates, 10% should come from protein, and 20-25% of your total calories should Running Stores asking an expert if you
come from unsaturated fats. Always remember to get the nutrients your body Runner’s World Magazine
needs. Eating right will keep your energy levels up and allow your body to have a question during
adequately recover from workouts. www.coolrunning.com training.
www.mapmyrun.com
Recovery www.runningnetwork.com
Recovery is as important as the hard work you’ll put in logging those miles. Your
training guide has built in rest days, you should not be running every day. Your
body needs to rest between runs so it can recover from one day to the next. Be
sure to take recovery days as seriously as your running days because that’s
when you get stronger!
Stay Hydrated
On runs of an hour or more consider carrying fluids with you. If not be sure to
plan your running route so that you can consume 6-8 oz. every 20 minutes (use
water fountains, convenient stores, etc.). A great way to manage your hydration
level is to weigh yourself before and after each run and get your body weight
back to your starting weight by drinking water or a sports drink after your run.
Marathon Day!
Remember to taper in the weeks leading up to your mara-
Avoiding Injury thon, this will help your body recover from training and
Use your non-running days to rest and recover! If you have any soreness in your ensure that you’re strongest on the big day. Also consider
joints or shins make sure to ice those areas down. Common injuries include carbo-loading the week leading up to the race. Don’t get
knee pain and soreness in the shins. The key to training for, and finishing, a
marathon is staying healthy and training hard. overly excited at the starting line, marathons are about
endurance and pace is critical. Maintain your pace
throughout the event and save something for your big
finish!
The “marathon” is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a
In 2007, there were one billion pairs of running shoes sold worldwide.
messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200
19 20
Fundraising for a Cure
ASSIGNED TO:
You
MISSION: Fundraise for a Cure Alicia Favicchio
Event & Program Manager
Derek Breau
Northeast Regional Director
Driving4Life Director
Joining Team TDI
The Team TDI Network is a community of ALS patients, their
families and communities dedicated to funding research at ALS
Email: afavicchio@als.net
TDI. The TeamTDI program brings together ALS patients and Phone: 617.441.7209 Email: dbreau@als.net
Phone: 617.441.7224
friends who have chosen to join forces with ALS TDI to find effec-
tive treatments for ALS patients today. Vanessa Plant Amy Whipple
Event & Program Manager Midwest Regional Director
Faced with this devastating disease, many families and friends of
ALS patients take positive action by raising money to fund ALS
TDI research.
Email: vplant@als.net Email: awhipple@als.net
Phone: 617.441.7230
This is Our Lab, Make it Your Lab. Phone: 617.441.7257
A world-class scientific research center, built by and for ALS
Lou Kobbs Jo Tanzer
patients, ALS TDI is a nonprofit biotechnology company that Southeast Regional Director Southwest Regional Director
combines the proven methods and best practices used in industry
with the passion of a nonprofit mission. Amyotrophic Lateral Scle-
rosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease that
attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. There is no
Email: lkobbs@als.net
known cure for ALS. Our research team is executing the largest Phone: 617.441.7262
Email: jtanzer@als.net
Phone: 617.441.7222
discovery biology and drug development project possible today to
combat ALS.
MEET THE TEAM!
Mike Shannon
West Regional Director
It is the mission of ALS TDI to use entrepreneurial spirit and Do you want to get
involved? Do you have
techniques to aggressively seek out, develop, and deliver promising
a question?
therapies to slow, arrest and cure ALS. We are driven by a single,
profoundly important goal – to discover viable treatments for ALS Email: mshannon@als.net Contact us anytime!
as quickly as possible. Phone: 617.441.7258
ALS has no prejudice. It occurs without regard to age, ethnic, economic, or Since 2001, the ALS TDI scientific team has grown from 11 to 33 members, including 9
geographic boundaries. with advanced degrees (Ph.D. / M.D).
For more information email us at info@als.net or call us at 617.441.7200