Welcome, BFKS Team Captains!
Thank you for participating in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake. Bowl for Kids’ Sake, or BFKS, offers everyone in our community a chance to positively impact a child’s life. The children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are among America’s most vulnerable, often living in a single parent household, growing up in poverty, or coping with parental incarceration. By participating in Bowl for Kids’ Sake, your team helps children reach their potential and, through them, transform families, schools, and communities.
As a Team Captain, you are responsible for recruiting individuals to your team and making the connection between them and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri. You are the heart and soul of Bowl for Kids’ Sake. We’ve developed this Team Captain guide to help your team be successful. This short guide will help you speak knowledgeably about Big Brothers Big Sisters, answer questions, and, encourage others to become involved. More importantly, you’ll be ready to show your passion for changing how children grow up in Central Missouri. If you have any questions, please call Kristan Gannaway at 573-874-3677, ext. 219.
What is Bowl for Kids’ Sake?
Bowl for Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters’ signature fundraiser. Each year half a million people across America come together to have fun and raise money to support Big Brothers Big Sisters as we change how children grow up! Bowl for Kids’ Sake is the perfect way for individuals to make an impact on our community- it only takes a little bit of effort to raise the money that is vital to our program’s success.
As a “thank you” for your support and enthusiasm, Big Brothers Big Sisters host a celebratory party at your local bowling center. No bowling expertise is required, only the willingness to share in our heartfelt and sincere thanks for helping us transform our community.
Where does the money go?
Thanks to our corporate sponsors, 100% of your donation goes directly to help serve local children. Big Brothers Big Sisters depends on donations to conduct background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety; and provide ongoing support for children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships.
Your role in this effort to help local children cannot be over stated: We need your help to raise community awareness of the challenges faced by local children and to ask for the financial support need to help change the trajectory of a child’s life.
What Does A Team Captain Do?
Step 1: Click on 'Start a Fundraising Team' on the menu to register your team.
Step 2: Set a team fundraising goal- AIM HIGH! We suggest $350, but some of our top team’s raise $1,500 or more!
Step 3: Recruit 4 people to join your team. It could be friends, family, or co-workers. You’ve set an ambitious goal, so choose people who will help you exceed it!! Want to get your place of worship, your club, or your workplace involved? Call Kristan Gannaway at 573-874-3677, ext. 219 and we will help you get that organized!
Step 4: Motivate your team, friends, and family to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
- Use social media to spread the word about BFKS.
- Share information about the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters on your community.
- Keep your team informed about incentive prizes, rules, games, contests, etc.
- Communicate their success (Katie just got a $50 donation! Joel has already exceeded his goal of $200! Our team just surpassed the $1,000 mark!).
Step 5: Have Fun! After fundraising, join us at AMF Town & Country Lanes to celebrate your team’s success! Click Register to Bowl on the menu to register your team for the bowling party. Remember, it’s not about how good a bowler you are, it’s celebrating the impact the money your team collected will have on your community!
Step 6: Say THANK YOU! Thank your team members for their time and commitment to participate! Don’t forget to say thank you to the people who donated to you! Call or e-mail them after the event to let them know how much money your team raised and thank them for supporting local children!
Fundraising 101
It’s easy to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters! Individuals want to invest in programs proven to change lives and break cycles of poverty. As our community struggles with juvenile delinquency, drop outs, and increasing numbers of children growing up in poverty, you can trust that Big Brothers Big Sisters will leverage your donations into a solution.
Keep in mind:
- It’s true: every dollar helps. Though we encourage you to ask for donations of $50 or $25, no donation is too small.
- Aim high! Ask for $100 and settle for $50. Gear the amount you’re requesting to your audience. As long as you are respectful and sincere about your motivation (changing the lives of children, right here, right now, in yourcommunity) many people gladly give at a level that is comfortable for them. Whether its $25 or $100, what’s important is that they support Big Brothers Big Sisters.
- Involve family and friends in your awareness and fundraising. Share these tips with them and see if they can ask their own friends and colleagues to support your fundraising effort.
- You can ask in person or via a letter, email, or voice mail.
- Make your own contribution and let others know that you are donating not only your money, but also your time.
- Ask at your regular meetings. If you belong to a service club or religious or social group, request time to ask for support.
- Ask everyone you meet. Carry a collection envelope with you so that when you talk to people about Big Brothers Big Sisters and Bowl for Kids’ Sake, you can ask them to contribute right then.
- Personalize, personalize, and personalize! Whether you write a letter, email, or call, relating your own Big Brothers Big Sisters story or an experience you had with a mentor while growing up, success will come from making the ask personal.
- If they decline the chance to support your agency, thank them sincerely for listening and giving you their input. In many cases “no” means, “not now.”
- All donations are 100% tax deductible
- All donors receive a letter/email confirming their donation and providing all necessary information for their tax deduction.
And remember: Say Thank You.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is very appreciative of every dollar raised and hour donated to help children, each and every day of the year. Please remember that as a Bowl for Kids’ Sake participant you are an ambassador of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. We sincerely appreciate your help in continuing our efforts to make people feel good about their connection to our work
These tips and ideas are for your use to help make your Bowl for Kids’ Sake Team successful! If you have any questions or need further support, please contact Kristan Gannaway at 573-874-3677, ext. 219.
Thank you for your commitment to help change the lives of children right here in Central Missouri!
