2020 PLUNGER TOOLKIT

www.specialolympicsco.org/plunge

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

2

CONTENTS

Polar Plunge Overview……………………………………………………………………………3

Polar Plunge Locations……………………………………………………………………………3

Plunge Tools…………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Fundraising Tips and Tricks…………………………………………………………………….5

Sending Emails……………………………………………………………….………………...…..6

Social Media….……………………………………….……………………………………….…....7

Plunge Day Checklist………………………………………….……………………………….…8

Pledge Tracker……………………………………………………………….………………….….9

Donor Receipt.………………………….…………………………………….………………..…10

Questions or Concerns…………………………………………………………………….…..11

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

3

POLAR PLUNGE OVERVIEW

Party like it’s 32 degrees. You may have heard about the Polar Plunge from a friend, seen it on TV or even read about it online, but what exactly is this “Plunge” everyone is talking about? Each year, the Polar Plunge presented by Westerra Credit Union challenges thousands of brave Coloradans to take a dip into icy water in support of Special Olympics Colorado and the thousands of athletes that we serve. Plunging is a great way for everyone—individuals, families, organizations and businesses—to get involved in supporting this amazing organization and thousands of athletes-Coloradans with intellectual disabilities. Think you have what it takes? The concept is simple: participants raise a minimum of $75 ($50 for students/SOCO athletes/military) and take a dip into some icy water. All of our plunges have their own unique twist and all are 100% fun! So whether you are sprinting into the chilly waters of the Boulder Reservoir or running in the 5K at Aurora Reservoir or in Denver, you are guaranteed to have some awesome wintertime fun. Grab some friends, get pumped and register today! Visit http://www.specialolympicsco.org/plunge for more information. You can also contact AVanderPol@SpecialOlympicsCO.org with any questions or concerns.

POLAR PLUNGE LOCATIONS February 22 Aurora Reservoir (5K & Plunge)

Pueblo Reservoir Plunge March 1 Denver Polar Pool Plunge & 5K at Wash

Park

March 7 Boulder Reservoir Plunge Ft. Collins Polar Pool Plunge at Maxline Brewing

March 14 Colorado Springs Plunge at Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort

March 28 Avon Plunge at Nottingham Lake April 17

Corporate Plunge at Improper City, RiNo

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

4

PLUNGE TOOLS Special Olympics Colorado will supply many of these tools to you at no cost. Email AVanderPol@SpecialOlympicsCO.org with your desired items, team name and mailing address.

Postcards & Posters Postcards & posters are a great way to help spread the word about the Plunges or your plunge team. They are perfect for displaying in public areas so that people can easily grab the information they need to know to register to join your team.

Special Olympics Colorado will supply either of these to your team at no cost. We have postcards and posters for all plunges so just let us know which plunge and where to mail them!

Email AVanderPol@SpecialOlympisCO.org with your team name and mailing address.

Plunge Email Icon

Consider adding the Plunge logo along with an email tag to the bottom your emails. You just have to right click on the logo to the right and save it. You can add a sentence or two about what you’ll be doing and why you are doing it! You can even hyper link the image to your personal Plunge page. Click here for a step by step on how to do!

Plunge Business Cards Polar Plunge business cards are a great way to encourage people to join your team or donate to your plunge. Special Olympics Colorado will supply these to your team at no cost. Email AVanderPol@SpecialOlympicsCO.org with your team name and mailing address.

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

5

FUNDRAISING TIPS AND TRICKS

How to raise $150 in a week!

o Day 1 – Start with a $20 donation to yourself o Day 2 - Send an e-mail to three friends asking them for a $10 contribution o Day 3 - Ask one parent and one sibling for a $10 contribution

o Day 4 - Bring a pledge sheet to work and ask co-workers for $10 to support your fundraising goal o Day 5 - Send an e-mail to four family friends and relatives asking for a donation o Day 6 - Ask two people at your favorite hangout, restaurant or tavern for a $5 donation o Day 7 - Post on Facebook asking for a $10 donation to help you reach your fundraising goal

Other Fundraising Ideas

Send a fundraising e-mail or letter to your friends, family and neighbors. If you are sending a letter, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Link your fundraising page to your Facebook and Twitter account asking for donations.

Send personalized emails or Facebook messages rather than mass emails. Always follow-up via phone.

Ask your supporters about matching funds from their employers.

Workplace Giving

Before hitting up your co-workers for a donation, see if you can form a company team instead. It’s a fun team building opportunity, and wearing your company t-shirts is a great way to maximize exposure!

Find out about matching gift policies at your company. Some companies match employee fundraising, while others match donations made by employees. This is an easy way to double your donations!

Have your donors find out about their companies matching gift policy to see if their donation will be matched.

Host a Casual for a Cause day at work. Employees can donate a set amount to wear jeans and funds raised support your Plunge.

Additional workplace fundraising ideas include: o Set out a candy jar and ask for change each time they take a piece o Most breakrooms include free coffee and tea so change it up and start charging. Charge

$0.50 for coffee or tea and any profit can go to your fundraising efforts.

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

6

SENDING EMAILS

Letter writing is a great way to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time! Write personal emails to

your family, friends, and co-workers and let them know you are plunging, ask for a donation or ask them to

join your team.

Tips & Tricks

Make it easy for people to donate! Send everyone an email with a link to your fundraising page.

Make it personal, rather than sending a mass email. Tell your story. Share with others why you

participate, whether it’s just for fun or because you love Special Olympics Colorado.

If you’ve Plunged before, share a picture of your previous jump to frozen glory. If it’s your first time,

share your nerves and excitement!

Have fun with it! Make a contest or game out of it - the first person to donate, or the largest

donation gets a gift from you!

Follow-up. Be sure to say thank you to donors after they make their donation, and again after you

take the Plunge. Send them a picture of you Plunging with the results from the event.

Make the ask early and often!

Sample Email

Dear [Insert Name],

This winter I will be participating in the Polar Plunge to Support Special Olympics Colorado. I have decided that

it’s cold enough, and I’m bold enough to take the plunge into the icy waters! I have set a personal fundraising

goal of $[insert amount], and I need your help to reach it! Any amount would be appreciated and every little bit

gets me that much closer to my goal. All of the money raised supports Special Olympics Colorado and their year-

round programs that impact more than 25,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities from across Colorado.

There are three easy ways to support my Plunge:

1. Online donation: Visit [insert personal donation page URL]

2. Offline donation: Cash or checks. Make payable to/mail to: Special Olympics Colorado: 12450 E. Arapahoe Rd.

Suite C, Centennial, CO 80112

**Be sure to include my name in the memo area so it will be credited to my plunge!**

3. Join my team at [insert team page URL]

If you want to learn more about this exciting winter event, visit www.specialolympicsco.org/plunge

Think warm thoughts for me as the Polar Plunge approaches. Can you believe how much WARMTH can come out

of so much COLD? Your support changes lives!

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

7

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE

It has become common practice for Plunge participants to do all of their fundraising entirely through social

media. They are easy tools to use and a personal way to connect with friends and family all over the world

with a minimal effort.

Facebook

Like us and share our posts! www.facebook.com/socopolarplunge/

Post your personal fundraising link which helps your friends donate directly to your page

Make your Plunge an event on Facebook and invite friends to join. That way they’ll have a reminder

before your Plunge!

Update your status - Share why you are Plunging and what your goal is, update you fundraising

progress each time you continuously until you take your Plunge.

Don’t forget to share your “training” (i.e. how you are preparing for your plunge).

Set your profile picture and timeline photo to a picture of you taking the Plunge, or the costume

you’ll be wearing to Plunge.

Shout outs: post a shout out to your donors when they pledge!

Use Hashtags: you can now use hashtags like #PlungeCO, #PLUNGEPREP and #Freezinforareason on

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Don’t forget to thank your friends after your Plunge!

Instagram

Follow us on Instagram: @polarplungesoco

Add a link to your online Plunge page in your profile to send people directly to your fundraising page

from your Instagram account

Use Hashtags like #PlungeCO #PLUNGEPREP and #Freezinforareason

If you’ve Plunged before, post photos of your previous Plunges!

Twitter

Follow us: www.Twitter.com/SpecOlympicsCO

Retweet a tweet from SpecOlympicsCO and/or your followers

Use the hashtag #PlungeCO #PLUNGEPREP and #Freezinforareason to follow the chatter about the

Plunge.

Upload Photos: tweet a photo of you taking the Plunge, if you’ve done so before. If you’re a rookie,

tweet a photo of your costume. Don’t forget to ask for support!

Shout outs: tweet each time you receive a new pledge. Don’t forget to mention them in your status

Set your profile picture and twitter header image to a photo of you Plunging.

Don’t forget to thank your followers after your Plunge!

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

8

PLUNGE DAY CHECKLIST

Plunge costume

Shoes to plunge in (no flip flops)

Change of clothes for after plunge

Towel

Any offline donations

Plastic bag for wet clothes

Contact information for team

captain or team members

*All Plungers make sure to wear

your event wristband that you’ll

receive when you check-in. You’ll

need this to Plunge and enter the

After Splash Bash.

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

9

PLEDGE TRACKER

Name_____________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________ City ___________________________ Zip ________________ Team Name _______________________________________

NAME OF DONOR

DONATION AMOUNT

TOTAL

Fundraising Goal:

______________

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

10

DONATION RECEIPTS

Use the donor receipts for cash or check donations that are less than $25. Checks of $25 or more will get a

receipt from Special Olympics Colorado in the mail. Online donors will automatically receive a receipt via email.

Questions? Contact us at 720. 359.3101 or AVanderPol@SpecialOlympisCO.org .

Polar Plunge Receipt

Special Olympics Colorado 12450 E. Arapahoe Rd. Suite C, Centennial, CO 80112

Donor Name: _________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________________

Participant Name: _____________________________

Donation of: cash check

Donation Amount: _______________ Date: _________ Special Olympics Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Tax ID#: 84-0713739. Your donation is tax deductible to the

extent allowed by law.

Polar Plunge Receipt

Special Olympics Colorado 12450 E. Arapahoe Rd. Suite C, Centennial, CO 80112

Donor Name: _________________________________ Address: _____________________________________ _____________________________________________ Participant Name: _____________________________ Donation of: cash check Donation Amount: _______________ Date: _________ Special Olympics Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID#: 84-0713739. Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Polar Plunge Receipt

Special Olympics Colorado 12450 E. Arapahoe Rd. Suite C, Centennial, CO 80112

Donor Name: _________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________________

Participant Name: _____________________________

Donation of: cash check

Donation Amount: _______________ Date: _________ Special Olympics Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Tax ID#: 84-0713739. Your donation is tax deductible to the

extent allowed by law.

Polar Plunge Receipt Special Olympics Colorado

12450 E. Arapahoe Rd. Suite C, Centennial, CO 80112

Donor Name: _________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________________

Participant Name: _____________________________

Donation of: cash check

Donation Amount: _______________ Date: _________ Special Olympics Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Tax ID#: 84-0713739. Your donation is tax deductible to the

extent allowed by law.

specialolympicsco.org/plunge

11

QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?

Contact:

Alexandra Vander Pol Special Events Manager Special Olympics Colorado Phone: 720.359.3101 Email: AVanderPol@SpecialOlympicsCO.org