HOLIDAY FUNDRAISING PACKET

Introduction
Dear Miracle Maker,
Thank you for registering to be part of Texas
THON and make miracles For The Kids! We
could not be happier that you have decided
to join this movement. The road ahead is full
of opportunities to make a difference in the
lives of those treated at Dell Childrens Medical
Center of Central Texas. We invite you to
embark on this journey with determination,
the motivation to fundraise, excitement for
what is to come, and hope for what we will
accomplish.
We need every single one of you to to reach
our goal and help the families . Without you,
we cannot fulfill our new goals and we would
not have been able to reach out past ones. We
understand the time and effort this can take,
but it does so much for the kids we support.

What you are

doing is making
a difference.

Last year we were able to help pay off a

Magnetoencephalography machine, a
non-invasive brain imaging system. This
year, our funds will be benefiting the Family
Fund at Dell Childrens Medical Center. This
fund will allow for comfort and care items
for the families at DCMC. It covers items
such as family sleep sofa replacements in
patient rooms, furniture in the family lounges,
and other items that make a family more
comfortable while in the hospital. Not only
that but the fund will also provide emergency
provisions. This can include taxi or bus fare, or
medicine and medical accessories for children
and families hit with financial hardship.
As many people know, having your family
near you during a hospital stay or time of need
means a lot. What you are doing is making a
difference. This packet was created to help you
fundraise now just over the holiday break but
also any time of the year. The fundraising and
miracle making never stops, so utilize these
tips and facts all year around. Welcome to the
Texas THON family! We cant wait to see what
you will achieve this year.
For The Kids,
Texas THON Leadership Team

Cause & Purpose

The Cause
Texas THON is the largest student run
philanthropy in the state of Texas. We
raise funds and awareness for Dell
Childrens Medical Center of Central
Texas, our local Childrens Miracle
Network Hospital in Austin. Our year
round efforts will culminate in a 12 hour
stand on March 5, 2017, For The Kids!
We ask that you, our student members,
also known as miracle makers, raise a
minimum of $100, in order to attend the
spring event. Although this minimum
may seem intimidating at first, we
provide several resources to help you
reach your goal including this packet!
Most students raise above and beyond
this minimum $100 goal. There are
several incentives for raising more
money including things such as stickers
for raising $250 or more, buttons for
raising $500 or more and comma club
t-shirts for raising $1,000 or more.

What is the purpose

of this packet?
We know that college students often dont
have a lot of money to donate and asking
family can be awkward. However, in the
past, Miracle Makers have been successful
raising money during the holiday season. This
packet is designed to help you utilize this time
of year, when people are feeling giving, to
reach your Texas THON fundraising goal. We
hope it provides information, inspiration and
motivation to raise money For The Kids!

Helpful Contact Information

Website: texasthon.org
Donor Drive: http://events.dancemarathon.
com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.
event&eventID=1101
Michaela Howell
Director of Fundraising
texasthonfundraising@gmail.com

Share the Stories | miracle kids

Need some inspiration while fundraising? Want some easy to share miracle stories? We love our miracle kids and
want everyone to know their strengths and successes. Here are just a few of our miracle kids and a little bit about
each of them! You can also find more details on our website!

COLTON
Colton is a
smart, silly, and
outgoing
5-and- a-half
year old boy. He
loves baseball,
movies, science,
stuffed animals,
and playing with
his friends in the
park. But at just two days old, he was
diagnosed with Hydrocephalus and has
already undergone a total of 6 surgeries.
Yet in the face of all this, Colton remains
strong and ready to take on the world.
He is currently loving kindergarten and
playing on his baseball team!

STEPHANIE
Stephanie loves
gardening, softball,
baseball, and the
UT football team!
Her favorite color?
Orange, of course,
because she is the
biggest UT! When
she was born, she
needed a shunt inserted in her head to
drain excess fluid. Then at age one, she
was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegia
Cerebral Palsy and uses a Gastronomy
Button because of how fast she loses
calories. Stephanie is now 18 years old,
recently graduated from high school, and
is becoming very interested in makeup.
She often refers to those in Texas THON
as her brothers and sisters because of
how happy they make her! They also
remind her what it is like to be a kid again.

KNOX
Knox is one year
old and was
born with sever
lip, tongue, and
cheek tie, and
also suffers from
acid reflux. He
was diagnosed
at just 1 month
old and his
family was told he would fail to thrive.
But today, he is doing great with his oral
therapy and is growing, running, and
walking! Besides eating, Knox also loves
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and his two
older siblings.

Facts & Figures

EMAIL TEMPLATE & TIPS

Want to send an email but not sure how to word it? Then
check-out this sample email that you can use! Simply insert
your personal message and send it on to family and friends!
Dear (name of family member, friend),
Hope you are doing well. (Insert personal message: example It was great
seeing you at Thanksgiving this year! or Hope the kids are doing well!
etc.)
Im writing to let you know about this incredible organization that I am
a part of called Texas THON here at UT. We are the largest student-run
philanthropy in the state of Texas that works all year round to raise money
for our local Childrens Miracle Network hospital here in Austin. Our efforts
culminate into a 12-hour dance marathon in March where we stand for 12
hours straight For The Kids.
Last year we raised over $175,000, which was used to completely pay off
a Magnetoencephalography machine, a non-invasive and innovative brainmapping technology that makes brain scanning easier and much more
comfortable for the kids. Having paid that off, we are now focusing on the
families of Dell Childrens Medical Center; the money we raise is going to go
towards the Family Fund that ensures families have what they need when
spending days on end in the hospital with their children.
(Write a few sentences about why you are participating in Texas THON;
consider including one of your favorite experiences.)
This year my fundraising goal is (insert amount here) and I would be so
grateful if you would consider donating to the cause. THON has done some
really incredible things in the past and can continue to do so with your help.
To find out more about Texas THON and donate to my goal please visit this
link: (insert Donor Drive link here).
Best Wishes,
(insert name here)

6
Other Helpful Tips:
Personalize the emails and send them to
recipients individually.
Include pictures or videos to show potential
donors what you are doing for THON every day.
Outline your personal THON journey
and why you stand For The Kids.
Always send a big thank you after you
receive a donation!

Step 1: Share Your Story

Customize your Donor Drive
by explaining why you
participate in Texas THON
Use social media to share
your Donor Drive and
reach more people

Step 2: The Ask

Step 3: Thank Yous

Send letters and emails

to your friends and family
with your story and ask for
donations

Make sure to send

Thank You emails
to those who donated!

Send follow up emails if you

have not gotten a response
after a few days

Tips & Tricks for Fundraising

Here are some holiday fundraising ideas and activities you could do in
return for a donation!

Here are some other general ways to fundraise

all year around!

Send out your DonorDrive link and a little bit about THON
with your family Christmas cards
Wrapping presents
Requesting donations instead of presents
Helping put up and/or take down lights
Clean up, do dishes after holiday parties
Rake leaves, mow lawns, or shovel snow
Give safe rides to people going to and from parties, especially on New Years
Cleaning up yards after New Years fireworks
Take Christmas card or holiday pictures
Decorate stockings, make ornaments or
other decorations and sell them by donation
Go caroling and bring a bucket/sign with you to encourage donations

Baby/pet/house sitting for donations

Selling unwanted clothes, books, or other items
online or at Platos Closet
Offer tutoring
Collect all of your spare change and donate it to yourself
Do housework/chores for your parents or other family members
Be a designated driver for friends
Dog walking for family and neighbors
If youre good at hair/makeup, offering to do this for
family/friends for an event
Creating a Facebook event and inviting family/friends to keep them
updated on your journey and give donor shoutouts
Creating a Facebook event for your birthday and
requesting donations instead of gifts
Delivering food/coffee to friends on campus
Forgoing your Starbucks and donating that money instead
If you can craft, make art and sell it by donation
Run a marathon and ask people to pledge a donation for every mile
Post funny raps, poems, or embarrassing pictures
for every donation you receive
Ask your parents to share your social media posts with their friends
Drive friends places for donations
Set a goal and complete a challenge when you reach it (run a
marathon, eating a whole pie, serenade all of Greg Plaza,
get creative!)
Accept dare donations and allow your friends to dare you to do
something if they donate a certain amount
Save $1 every day leading up to the Day Of

Incorporate THON/donating into holiday games:

Instead of having a normal white elephant party, put a certain amount of money
along with the white elephant gifts that the players end up with and have them
donate that amount. (amount of money can range from $1-15)
Help get rid of peoples Christmas trees:
If you have a space, you could host a bonfire with the old trees and accept
donations as the entry fee.
Have an instagram Christmas Countdown (12 days of Christmas):
Post Christmas related photos 12 days before Christmas, incorporate asking for
donations in the post.
Make a THON New Years Resolution:
Pledge to raise a certain amount of money for the new year and publicize your
resolution on all social media.

PERSONALIZING YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE

Why should I personalize my page?

People are more likely to donate to you if your fundraising

page is personalized. It gives you the chance to share your
personal story on why you stand For The Kids and your
experience with Texas THON.

Step One

To start, log into your Donor Drive and you should be taken to Texas
THONs dashboard. From there, click on Edit Your Page on the right
hand side and you will be taken to where you can edit your page!

Step Two

Theres a lot you can do personalize your page. A good place to start
is adding your personal story on why you stand. You can reference
the example here to get some ideas. Do you have any pictures with
our miracle kids or you volunteering at an event? You can try adding
pictures as well! This will really give donors an idea of what youre
doing and how THON makes a difference.

Step Three

You can also edit you goal on Donor Drive anytime you want. If you
reach your set goal, raise it! This will show everyone who visits your
page that we are constantly striving for more FTK.

Step Four

Utilize websites like http://tinyurl.com/ or https://bitly.com

to create a shorter, easier to share link for your Donor Drive. This
way you can remember and easily recite your link! All you have to
do is copy and paste the link to your Donor Drive in the designated
box to create a smaller and shareable link. You can also edit the link
to incorporate your name, initials, or other THON buzzwords like:
tinyurl.com/MiraclesFTK or Miracles17