Relay Team Captain Tip: Letter Writing

As a team captain, your job is to build your team, motivate and coach them to participate and raise funds to make your Relay event a success. You'll want to set a team fundraising goal of at least $100/person or $1000 for the team. Four to six weeks before your Relay event, make sure to put aside some time for letter writing - and remind your team to do this as well.

Compose a one-page letter that includes the following:

What is Relay For Life

Why you are involved and what Relay means to you

Details of your event (when, where, what to expect)

Where the money goes

Describe the luminaria ceremony and how they may purchase one

Encourage readers to find out about gift matching from their employer

Include a luminaria receipt and a luminaria sign up form at the bottom of your letter/email

Make your donation request early in your letter and send to everyone who has ever sent you something. For emails, enter the recipient emails in the blind copy (bcc) space -- you don't need your entire list seeing who you sent your email to.

You can find more helpful tips like these in the Team Captain Toolkit.

PS. You can keep your team excited and motivated by sharing the ABC's of Fundraising on a regular basis! For example: A: Anti-Complaint Day - charge co-workers $1 for each time they complain about anything.