Commodores Luncheon and Kickoff Best Practices

March 15, 2012

Commodore’s Luncheon

• Increase participation by area yacht clubs– Not meant to be a stand-alone or wraparound

fundraising event• Michigan Chapter concept• Who to invite– Created an honorary committee to serve as hosts

• Past/present commodores and sailing community leaders

• Invitations from honorary committee members, who followed up RSVPs via phone

Commodores Luncheon• The Michigan “hook” – invitation-only private lunch with Gary Jobson

– Maryland – local celebrity sailor• Luncheon Agenda

– Intro of honorary committee members– LCR overview PPT– Lunch– Jobson remarks – why host a regatta or join with an existing event in

Michigan• Benefits for the yacht club

– Info sharing from clubs currently hosting LCRs– Call to action by honorary committee members

• Fill out “interest card”

Commodores Breakfast

• Follow-up– Photos with Jobson at event – emailed to

attendees– Info packets to attendees– Emails to attendees one week later

Michigan Results

• Contact leading to LCR new market development at exclusive club

• Slip donated for raffle for major race viewing• Honorary Committee now invested into the

strategic growth of the LCR campaign• Event Replicated in Maryland• San Diego planning

Conducting Highly Effective Kickoffs

The Components

• Where/When• Who To Invite• Marketing the kickoff• Following up on RSVPs, non-RSVPs• Experiences with/without Jobson• Correlation between kickoff attendance and

fundraising results• Plans to improve/tweak kickoff

Keeping Participants Engaged

• Always Cultivate!• Stewardship– Developing Personalized Fundraising Plans• 3-year results• Number of participants with personalized web pages

• Stop Light System– How to spot a rising star

• Leveraging Fantasy Sailors to spread the fundraising gospel

Kickoff Objectives

• Get sailors fired up!• Stimulate registration at the kickoff and

encourage an early start to fundraising – deter “last-minute” syndrome

When Should It Be Held?

• 2-3 months prior to Leukemia Cup Regatta date

• Be sure to check the racing calendar of ALL local groups – not just your host venue - before choosing a date. You want the entire area water community to attend.

Where Should It Be Held?

• Leukemia Cup Regatta Venue• Alternate Locations– West Marine– Marine Manufacturing Facility

• Make It Fun– Keep it casual - people want to come to a fun party. They

may not be interested in giving up a weekend evening for a formal event

• No matter what your overall format, leave a lot of time for open socializing and hanging out. This is part of the overall sailing experience.

Spreading The Word• ExactTarget

– Past participants• Snail Mail

– Sailing World List• Get to word out to EVERYONE and get it out early - best if you

send a Save the Date months before, followed by an invitation.

• Invite all past/present/future captains/fundraisers, commodores at other area YC's, media, local sponsors and local contacts for national LCR sponsors.

• Publicize in advance– Press releases– Local sailing calendars

RSVPs

• Follow up on all prospects via email and phone

• Confirm and reconfirm attendance!

At The Kickoff• Capture Attendee information! • Be sure to have everyone sign in and give you at least

their email and phone number. You want to be able to follow up with people who were interested but not proactive enough to call you first.

• Offer incentives at your kickoff for signing up to participate (and making a donation to themselves that night to kick it off!). Give free drawing tickets to those who sign up at kick off and then draw for a Mount Gay Rum hat or T-Shirt or other items attractive to sailors

AgendaAll Agenda items should be presented by volunteers, as feasible

• Welcome/Opening Remarks– Publicly thank

• your hosts!• Local and National sponsors

– Publicly recognize all clubs that are represented there. Sailors are proud of their club affiliations and appreciate the shout-out in front of each other. Set up a challenge for which club will have the highest funds received and give a shout-out or prize to that club at the event.

• About LLS• LCR Video• Introduce Committee• Fundraising Success Stories• Mission Moment• 2011 Results and 2012 Goal • Review of fundraising incentives and Mount Gay Rum Party Pack• Comments/Closing• Registration/Set Up Online Fundraising Pages

Jobson/Celebrity Component• Meet with Gary/celebrity before kickoff to coordinate his

remarks within overall kickoff agenda• Signed incentives for registering/starting an online fundraising

page with $100 at kickoff• Considering a ticket/fee to charge attendees for a celebrity

participant. • If no celebrity participant, consider a free admission unless

there will be costs for dinner, etc. This will keep anyone from being discouraged about coming out to learn more about the series. Then, you can still make it a fundraiser by selling door prize drawing tickets, a cup for Mount Gay Rum drinks, Jobson books, vintage LCR T-Shirts, etc.

Incorporating The Mission

• This is your first chance to really inspire people to be working hard for the following months to actually RAISE FUNDS.

• Invite your honored patients, have them speak, have them mingle, and be sure to connect the fundraising efforts of the group to the success of the organization and these families.

Information For Attendees

• Event Brochure• Fundraising Kit• Information about LLS

Supplies

• Leftover T-Shirts from prior years• Door prize drawing items and Tickets• Registration forms• Flyers/posters with Leukemia Cup Regatta dates and

information• Fundraising guides• DVD of past regatta (to play in background on loop

during social mingling)• Sign-in sheets to capture everyone's contact

information

Post-Kickoff Plan

• Follow up with attendees• Follow up with no-shows• Meet with each participant to develop a

Fundraising Plan• Focus on the Top Ten Fundraisers• Continued communication with your

participants between the Kickoff and Leukemia Cup Regatta event date

Top Ten Team

• Targeted group of ten fundraisers selected by you and your committee who, with individualized fundraising support, raise $8,500 or more.

• Provide extensive fundraising support to a small, targeted group of sailors with the hope that a small number of individuals will raise a large amount of money.

• Quality versus quantity…the goal is to have at least 5 of the 10 fundraisers raise enough to attend the Fantasy Sail, raising over $42,000.

Keys To Top Ten Success

• Work with your committee to identify and confirm members of the Top 10 Team.

• Make sure that all members of the Team attend the Kickoff.

• Meet One-on-One with each sailor to develop their “Plans for Success” document.

• Provide top quality customer service!

Home Office Deliverables• Kickoff Procedures• Kickoff PowerPoint• Sample Kickoff Agenda• Kickoff Script• Invitations

– ExactTarget– Print

• Post-Kickoff Follow-up Items– Thanks for attending– Sorry we missed you

• Fundraising Kit• Video

Upcoming Webcasts

• April 19, 2012, 3 pm Eastern – How to use your online page and letter-writing campaigns to raise fundsScheduled presenter: Schley Knight, Savannah YCBill Scott, River Dunes, Oriental NC