Relay Online How To:
Team Captain Coaching Email Campaign
+ Message Content
Check it out! We have an exciting Team Captain email campaign that we need YOU to help us with!
We all know that Team Participation is an essential part of Relay For Life fundraising. Team participants are
more likely to send emails, recruit more donors, and raise more dollars than individual participants. And
Relay For Life counts on Team Captains to recruit team members and lead their teams to fundraising
success.
In order to help our Team Captains reach their goals, we have provided you with 4 email coaching
messages. The emails will provide team captains with team leadership tips, recruitment pointers, (and
most importantly) reminding them that their role is crucial to our overall success!
Make sure to follow these tips when sending the Team Captain Emails:

The 2013 Email Timeline for Community Events and 2013 Email Timeline for College Events have been
updated with the new emails, so you can simply add in your event date to calculate the correct send date for
each email.
Message Name
Send Date
Call-to-Action
1
Tuesday, 12 weeks
prior
3 quick tips with
sample email
2
Tuesday, 9 weeks
prior
Register Early with
sample email
3
Tuesday, 6 weeks
prior
Share your story
with sample email
4
Tuesday, 3 weeks
prior
Top 4 tips with
sample email

Each email has been pre-loaded into the EMC and can be found by searching for: "Team Captain"

When customizing the emails, staff MUST update the sender information to be their own cancer.org email
address.

Some of the emails have additional pieces of customization, which are highlighted in [red brackets] - make
sure each piece of default text is updated prior to sending (and don't forget the Plain Text version!).

The emails also contain very specific coding in the [[double bracket]] - please leave this coding as is, it will pull
over specific team details for each Team Captain!

When setting up delivery, select 'Current Event Participants' and during Step 4-Select Team Filters, make sure
to check ONLY the Team Captain box. All other filters can be left as is.
Team Captain Message 1
FIRST NAME, thank you for leading a Relay For Life team!
One of your most important jobs as a team captain is to keep your team on track for fundraising success. Today’s tip
will make getting your team started a snap!
Today’s Tip: Remind people the importance of registering early!
We all have friends, family members and coworkers who wait until the last minute to register. That’s why a deadline
can be your best friend! Create an Early Bird cutoff date and send a friendly reminder that you need your friends and
family to help make the team a success.
To make things easy, erase the first half of this email and forward the message below.
DELETE MESSAGE ABOVE THIS LINE BEFORE FORWARDING
Friend,
TIME IS RUNNING OUT! To get a headstart on the fun, please sign up for our Relay For Life team before [early bird
date].
Our team is named [[team name]], and I’m counting on you to join us! We need your help to spread awareness and
raise funds. Together, we will raise critical will enable The American Cancer Society to create a world with less cancer
and more birthdays.
SIGN UP TODAY >>
Thank you for your support,
FIRST NAME
Team Captain Message 2
Hi FIRST NAME,
As a Team Captain in the Relay For Life movement, there’s a lot resting on your shoulders. Every dollar raised by
[[team name]] has the power to help save lives – and we are thankful for your efforts!
It’s up to you to help spread awareness and help your team reach your [[team goal amount]] fundraising goal. But
don’t worry – you’re not alone.
We’ll be here every step of the way providing tried-and-true fundraising tips to ease your load. Leading up to your
Relay For Life event you can expect to receive a series of emails with special tips to help lead your team to fundraising
success.
Your most important job is to inspire your team members. Hold each member responsible for meeting their personal
goal. Show them how to do it – and remind them that it’s for an important cause!
1. Ask each team member to make a personal donation.
o Trends show that participants who make self-donations raise more than those who don’t. It makes
sense – that kickoff donation will motivate others to match or beat it!
2. Use your online fundraising tools to send team reminders.
o Your Dashboard is a “buffet” of fundraising tools – and even has pre-written messages that you can
use to help you recruit new team members!
3. Encourage a little friendly competition.
o Create a contest or two! The first team mate to raise $200 wins: __________. The first person to
send 10 emails wins: ___________.
Go out and share Today’s Top 3 Tips below – your team will be on a roll before you know it!
Thank you for your commitment,
[[Event Coordinator Name]]
PS: Use the email below to forward quick tips to your team!
DELETE MESSAGE ABOVE THIS LINE BEFORE FORWARDING
Thank you for joining our Relay For Life team!
Did you know every dollar raised by [[team name]] for the Relay For Life movement has the power to help save
lives!?
It’s up to us to help spread awareness and reach our [[team goal amount]] fundraising goal. The money we raise will
help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
If you’re worried about getting started, here are a few tips to get you off to a quick start.
1. Make a personal donation.
o Trends show that participants who make self-donations raise more than those who don’t. It makes
sense – that kickoff donation will motivate others to match or beat it!
2. Use your online fundraising tools.
o The Dashboard is a “buffet” of fundraising tools – online donation form, personal webpage, email
center, progress reports & a Facebook fundraising application!
3. Get Social!
o Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter about why participating in a Relay For Life event is
important to you.
Thank you for your support,
FIRST NAME
Team Captain Message 3
Hi FIRST NAME,
The cure for cancer doesn’t rest on just one person’s shoulders alone. But together, we can save lives! That’s why
today, we need you and your team to get the word out to everyone you know!
To make your job easier, we’ve provided an email (below the line) that you can use. Customize the message, delete
this part of the message and forward it to your team! Your encouragement will help motivate them to spread the
word!
Forward the message below to your team:
Hi there!
Thank you for joining our team and for your commitment to raise funds for the Relay For Life movement. We have a
hefty [[team goal amount]] fundraising goal to reach (or better yet, EXCEED) so that we can celebrate our exciting
success at this year’s Relay For Life event. And that’s why I need ALL hands on deck!
Yes, this means YOU. Your support and commitment are critical to the success of [[team name]]. We simply can’t do
it without your help. And here’s a proven way to see results:
Fundraising Tip:
Share your story! Inspire your friends and family to support you with a donation by explaining your connection to the
cause.
How has Cancer affected your life? What’s motivating you to stand up for a cure? Do you have a story to tell?
And don’t forget about all the places where you can share it. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started:
- Add it to your Personal Page in your Dashboard.
- Write it in your fundraising emails.
- Post it on Facebook.
- Tweet about it.
- Share it in a video on YouTube.
- Send it in a letter.
- Text it on your smartphone.
This Week’s [[team name]] Fundraising Contest:
Over the next 5 days, the team member to send the MOST emails featuring their connection to the cause will win
_______________. Not to mention he/she will win Team bragging rights.
The clock is ticking – log into your Dashboard to get started!
Good luck,
FIRST NAME
Team Captain Message 4
FIRST NAME,
I know reaching your team’s [[team fundraising goal amount]] fundraising goal may sometimes seem overwhelming.
To put your mind at ease, I’m giving you 4 tips instead of just one. Year after year, we’ve seen these methods
increase teams’ fundraising efforts. To reach fundraising success, make sure each member of [[team name]] follows
these steps. We’ve even provided a sample email for you to send to your team members!
Today’s Top 4 Fundraising Tips:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Make your self-donation
Update your Personal Page to look like YOU (add a photo, video & personal story)
Share your story in emails, video, social media posts, texts, phone calls & handwritten letters
Follow up for Matching Gifts
Thank you for your hard work,
[[Event Coordinator Name]]
DELETE MESSAGE ABOVE THIS LINE BEFORE FORWARDING
Hi Teammate,
I’m checking in to make sure you have all the tools you need to reach your personal fundraising goal. Together, we’re
aiming to raise [[team fundraising goal amount]] and we simply can’t get there without your help!
Sure, we have a couple of days/weeks/months before [[public event name]] takes place, but if we get serious NOW
we can make a huge impact for those battling cancer. There are a few simple things you can do today to help ensure
we reach our fundraising goal – check them out!
Top 4 Fundraising Tips:
1. Make your self-donation - a personal donation illustrates your commitment and encourages others to
support you too!
2. Update your Personal Page to look like YOU - add a photo, video & personal story
3. Share your story - explain why the American Cancer Society Relay For Life is important to you in emails,
video, social media posts, texts, phone calls & handwritten letters
4. Double each donation – ask each donor whether their employer will provide a Matching Gift
Got questions? Ask me! As the “fearless leader” of [[team name]], I want to help each of our team members make a
difference in the battle against life-threatening cancers.
Thanks for your help,
FIRST NAME