HOW TO ORGANISE A FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN AMONG SUPPORTERS OF OTHER RUGBY CLUBS
‘SPONSOR AND WIN THE SHIRT OFF MY BACK!’
These notes are designed to help those who want to get the supporters of other teams to join in with our fund-raising efforts. To make life simple, samples that you can 'cut & paste' are contained within the detailed steps.
In short, you get hold of another team's shirt, you persuade someone to get the playing squad to sign it for you. This done, you publicise that you will be prepared to undertake the SWH Walk wearing it, in return for dollops of sponsorship from that team's supporters. Finally, when the walk is over you participate in a raffle to select one of your sponsors to receive ownership of the shirt.
To complete this task, you w ill need -
good communication skills to be persistent a little time each couple of days to keep moving your sponsors' effort along.
Step One - Get The Shirt
Rugby Clubs are incredibly generous. Normally you just have to choose the one you want to approach and phone them during midweek office hours. Keep an eye on the SWH message board to see which clubs have already been 'taken' by other fundraisers. You might need to go to a second choice club.
Ask for the Commercial Manager or Club Manager and explain what you are up to. The chances are they will agree to help on the spot. Don't forget to send them a personal e-mail confirming your bona fides, and giving your contact details. Agree when the shirt w ill be ready and how to get hold of it.
If you can't get one free - consider buying one and off-setting the cost against your sponsorship income. It could still be cost effective - but before you do, contact one of the SWH organisers, we might have a rugby 'mafia' contact who can unlock doors for you.
Step Two - Make Contact with Your Chosen Team’s Supporters
The Sportsnetwork message boards are really helpful for this! Select the message board of your club and compose your opening pitch. Here is a sample -
Dear Coventry Supporters - It's enough to make a Saint turn Blue! Will Your Please Support 'Saints With Heart 9'?
Every year, a fairly sizeable chunk of 'us' over on Come on You Saints.com do a little bit of fund raising for the British Heart Foundation. It all started eight years ago when several of our number were afflicted by heart attacks. Since then we have topped £71,000 in proceeds and we want to do it again.
On 2nd October, we will follow a route along the Grand Union Canal towards Franklins Gardens in time to watch our home game against Exeter. I will be walking from Blisworth and aim to walk the 8 miles to the ground.
I'd be very happy to invite you to walk with me - and if you want the exercise, you're very welcome. But why not sponsor me instead? To make life interesting we have a special sponsorship deal to offer you - here's how it goes....
If I get more than £50 in sponsorship from Coventry supporters I undertake to walk the route proudly wearing a Cov 2010/11 Home Shirt. For every £5 sponsorship pledge I get you will receive one entry in a draw to win that shirt after the event. Every £5 you pledge gets you another entry (for example £20 on my back gets you 4 chances to win the shirt off my back).
If you would sponsor me I'd be very grateful. All you have to do is post a message below this one saying "Right Herbert - you're on! Put me down for £ squillions" and then send me a private message so that we can swap e-mail addresses and I know how to collect your pledge when the walk is done. I will look after the raffle and the results will be posted on this board.
Just two more links for you - Our picture gallery from previous years >> www.saintswithheart.org.uk The BHF Website - where the money goes, and how it gets used >> www.bhf.org.uk
Many thanks, from yours in sport ....
Step Three - Set Up Your Sponsorship
You need to be ready to control the promises of money coming in so you know how much you will be raising and who is entered into the raffle.
Most of us use the original message thread to confirm entries. on top of this, we use the Private Messages option to exchange details with our sponsors on how to contact us with their payments, and so forth. Don’t forget Gift Aid - make
Hi personal name! - thanks very much for the reply which is very much appreciated. Some early impetus encourages others to donate. I've already added your pledge to my Signature summary.
You can contact me at your_name @ your_email address. Only when the walk is done, will I ask you for your money but by then I hope to have set up an on-line donation account with justgiving.com, so you should be able to pay from your home desk.
Please would you be prepared to tell me your home address and postcode? If you are a UK taxpayer,
the BHF can collect the tax you paid on your sponsorship to make each £1 you contribute worth
£1.28, armed with this simple information!
SWH is always good fun, with lots of banter from the supportive clubs and you're very welcome to
come & join in the posting on our SWH Board - just look for the button at the top of our main
message board.
Best wishes, from yours in sport ...
Step Four - Keep the Publicity Going!
This is the slightly time-consuming element. Each couple of days, go back to that thread and make sure it is near to the top of the list of threads. You do this by adding your own new 'reply' to the original. At times it can feel like you are talking to yourself for an eternity, but IT DOES WORK IF YOU KEEP AT IT! Once you get some promises you can update the thread with details of your kind sponsors and your running total and this too 'bounces' your message up the Board.
Step Five - Do The Walk
Yep, simple enough but don't forget to get some pictures taken of you wearing the shirt. Later on we can arrange for these to be posted on your chosen club's Message Board - donors always like to know how you got on, and it's a bit like leaving a warm 'calling card' ready for next year.
Step Six - Collect in Your Sponsorship Money
Simple really. One or two might need a bit of a prod, but I've not known anyone yet not keep their promise. Rugby folk are like that. Again you can use their Message Board to record progress and to chivvy the slowcoaches.
Step Seven - The Raffle
Keep your eyes & hears open and stay tuned on the COYSDC Message Board for news of the Shirt Raffle Evening. You should publicise those details on your chosen club's own message Board because people like raffle draws to be very public events. As soon as the draw is made, contact your lucky sponsor and tell them the good news. Please make arrangements to get the shirt to them ASAP - again make sure the winner is announced on the Message Board.
Step Eight - Tidying Up
Get your monies into the BHF office. A sign off from your chosen message board is always appreciated.
Bits & Pieces
This can be a really effective way to raise buckets of cash. Thanks to the Tigers and Quins we've raised over £2,000 with just 2 shirts. But you might be unlucky and might have to work really hard just to get £50. But every penny helps - don't be demoralised.
We can give you lots more advice and help - just ask the SWH organisers by posting a message on this Board. Most of the regular posters there will be ready to offer advice, I'm sure.
A little bit of PC skills w ill help your campaign - cutting, pasting, embedding weblinks, customising your 'signature' attaching photos and so forth. If you need help with this - ASK!
Oh - and this is a great way to make friends at other clubs for away fixtures. Shirt wearers often end up as best beer buddies with their sponsors. You were warned.
Saints with Heart is organised to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation (Registered Charity No 225971) by supporters of Northampton Saints Rugby. Contacts: Simon Robinson, 8 Newport Road, Northampton, NN5 7DZ (07708 462414), Paul Flatt, 33 Stimpson Avenue, Northampton, NN1 4LP (07841 104396)