VIP Instructions and Responsibilities
1.
Each VIP is asked to set a goal of raising $1,000.
2.
A VIP may generate contributions in the following ways:
- gifts from personal contacts (businesses/clubs/organizations/family/friends)
- solicit individuals on your email address list
- corporate donations
- solicitation of co-workers
- personal donations
- corporate matching gifts
3.
Pledges and donations may be given and tracked in either of the following ways:
Online: Create a fundraising page online at https://www.crowdrise.com/CallsforKids. You can customize
your page and encourage people to make donations directly on your fundraising page or send checks to be
credited to you as a VIP.
Offline: Use a VIP Gift Tracking Form or Individual Pledge Form (please contact the House to request
them). Pledges and donations can be made via cash, check, VISA/MasterCard/AMEX or online at
www.rmhcnashville.com. A few things to keep in mind for offline donations:
 All uncollected pledges will be recorded and mailed at the Telecast by Volunteers. Please include names,
addresses and telephone numbers to help our Volunteers complete this task.
 CASH Donations: Please indicate on the gift tracking or pledge form that it is CASH.
 CHECK Donations: Please indicate that it is a CHECK and write in the Check Number. All checks should
be made payable to Ronald McDonald House Charities
 VISA/MasterCard/AMEX: Please fill out the credit card area on the gift tracking or pledge form and make
sure you get the expiration date, billing address, and the donor’s daytime telephone number.
4.
It is very important to:
- Print neatly on the gift tracking or pledge form
- Write your name on each pledge form, in the box noted VIP
- Turn in your pledges/donations to the House by the Fundraising
Deadline (Friday, April 1).
- Bring any pledges and donations received after April 1st to the House on the night
of the Telecast (Saturday, April 16).
5.
Participate on our Phone Bank the night of the Calls for Kids Telecast (optional).
2016 Calls for Kids Telecast
VIP Fact Sheet
The Calls for Kids Telecast will be a successful fundraising activity because of the support and hard work given by VIPs,
numerous volunteers and extensive community involvement. The pre-raising of at least $1,000 by each VIP is the key to
the success of our Telecast and to help numerous families with critically ill children in nearby hospitals.
Calls for Kids Telecast, Nashville’s News 2
Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 7 to 10 pm
Ronald McDonald House
2144 Fairfax Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
(615) 343-4000
Please set a goal for yourself to pre-raise more than $1,000. This can be achieved by contacting friends, neighbors,
relatives and business associates prior to the Telecast. The time to start obtaining your pledges is now! Make a weekly
goal and a list of contacts and always ask the staff at RMHC of Nashville for help if you need it.
Help us the night of the Telecast by taking pledges from the community on our Telecast Phone Bank. If you can
participate on the Phone Bank, we ask that you arrive at the Telecast 30 minutes prior to your on-air appearance. On the
air, you will appear for approximately 1 1/2 hours (your scheduled time will be given to you at a later date). Your personal
VIP Telecast telephone number will be shown on camera in order that other friends and associates can call in and make
pledges. You may have time to thank some of your contributors when the Nashville’s News 2 Telecast Hosts interview
you on the air.
Families who have critically ill children in Nashville hospitals need more than just a place to stay. They need a
home away from home. The two programs run by RMHC of Nashville are funded entirely by donations and
they need support from people like you. Money that you raise can benefit our House and Family Room
programs in the following ways:
$ 15 underwrites a one-night stay for a family at the House ($ 83 is our cost!).
$ 105 underwrites the cost of a family one week’s stay at the House.
$ 500 underwrites one month’s cost of snack foods for families visiting the Family Room.
Did you know that 31 new families use the House each month?
Did you know that an average of 2,300 individuals visit the Family Room each month?
Thank you for your commitment as a VIP for the Calls for Kids Telecast. Your efforts and generosity are appreciated not
only by the staff and volunteers of RMHC of Nashville, but more importantly, by the families who depend on our
organization for comfort and reassurance during a traumatic time.
Sample solicitation letter # 1
Date
Dear Friends and Family,
The purpose of this letter is to ask for your help. This year I have been given the opportunity to raise $1,000 for Ronald
McDonald House Charities of Nashville as part of the 2016 Calls for Kids Telecast. This is the largest fundraising effort
that the Nashville house conducts each year. As most of you know, the Nashville Ronald McDonald House is near and
dear to my heart. I have been volunteering there since ____ when I became aware of the great need the house fills for
families of critically ill children.
The Ronald McDonald House in Nashville provides a “home away from home” for families with a seriously ill child in a
local hospital. The families may be from Tennessee or any other state or even a foreign country. The children may be
premature infants, they may be having heart surgery, they may be undergoing chemotherapy for various cancers, they may
be the victims of an accident, or they may be suffering from any number of critical health problems. It is a place where
the family, including siblings, can stay together in a home-like atmosphere while their child is receiving medical care. It is
a place where they can have a quiet night’s sleep away from the interruptions and continual noises of the hospital. Hot
meals and groceries are made available to them; just one less thing to worry about. There are free laundry facilities with all
supplies provided. And best of all, there are other families there going through similar emotional challenges. The Ronald
McDonald House gives them the rest, nourishment, and encouragement to help them make it through each trying day.
Time after time while volunteering I have heard parents and grandparents express gratitude for the Ronald McDonald
House saying they do not know what they would have done without it. Many of them say they had heard of the Ronald
McDonald House before but did not know what it was all about. Like most of us, they never dreamed they would
actually need it. Many of them go on to support the Ronald McDonald House through volunteering in their own
communities.
You can help me reach my goal and, more importantly, help continue the great service the Nashville Ronald McDonald
House provides by sending a tax-deductible contribution in the enclosed envelope by Friday, April 1st. Checks should be
made payable to “Ronald McDonald House Charities.” [You can make a donation online by visiting
www.rmhcnashville.com or clicking Donate Here. Make sure you indicate in the special
instructions/comments field “My Name” as your VIP Solicitor.] OR [You can make a donation by visiting my
fundraising page at https://www.crowdrise.com/CallsforKids].
RMHC of Nashville relies entirely on the contributions of the community and generous individuals like you to keep the
house operating. Please be sure to watch the Calls for Kids Telecast on Saturday, April 16th, 7-10 p.m., on Nashville’s
News 2 to learn more. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Your Name
Email:
Home Phone: 615-XXX-XXXX
Sample solicitation letter # 2
Date
Dear :
Please do me a favor by taking a few minutes to read this letter.
Once again, I have the opportunity to help with a very special project. I am part of a VIP panel for the 26th Annual
“Calls for Kids Telecast” to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville. Programs run by Ronald
McDonald House Charities include the 32-bedroom Ronald McDonald House and the Ronald McDonald Family Room
on the 5th floor of the Monroe Carell, Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. This event will be aired on local ABC affiliate
Nashville’s News 2 on Saturday, April 16, 2016 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
RMHC of Nashville’s mission is to “keep families close” by providing essential resources and a “home away from home”
for families of seriously ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals through these
two programs. To date, more than 14,000 families have called Nashville’s Ronald McDonald House their “home” for
awhile. This includes families from all of Tennessee’s 95 counties, 66 counties in Kentucky, 43 other states, two U.S.
territories and 14 foreign countries.
In February 2004, Ronald McDonald Charities of Nashville officially opened Nashville’s only Ronald McDonald Family
Room at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. This room is an extension of the House, a place where
families and friends of seriously ill children from far and near can enjoy a quite respite from corridors and waiting rooms,
whether or not they are staying at the Ronald McDonald House. The Family Room has served more than 375,000
individuals since its opening and averages 2,300 visitors per month.
I want you to meet three families currently staying at the House:
 Jose Gonzales, 9, from Winchester, Tennessee (Franklin County) is staying with us, along with his mom and
younger sister, while he awaits a heart transplant.
 Jennifer Calloway and her eight-week-old daughter, Amelia Grace, are staying with us while Amelia receives
treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida. Jennifer has four older children who are at home with family in
Oklahoma.
 Addison Helton, 9, is making one of our extended stay suites her home away from home along with her mom and
grandmother, while she recovers from a bone marrow transplant. The Helton’s are from Rogersville, Tennessee
(Hawkins County).
Our overall goal is $125,000 for this event. If you have not already committed to another worthwhile organization, please
help us reach this goal with a contribution to the House. A donation of only $50 provides a 3-night stay for a family; $105
provides a 1-week stay, and $500 provides a month’s stay for a family. All gifts are tax deductible and checks should be
made payable to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Please return your contribution to me by April 1, 2016 in the
enclosed self addressed envelope. You can make a donation online by visiting https://www.crowdrise.com/CallsforKids.
Make sure you indicate that I am your VIP Solicitor.
If you prefer, please call me at home (615-XXX-XXXX) or my cell (615-XXX-XXXX) with the amount you would like to
pledge. I will follow up with a formal pledge card.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. Your generous donation will ensure that families will always have a place to
stay.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Sample solicitation Follow-up Post Card # 1
IT’S NOT TOO LATE!! This is just a reminder in case you still want to support the Ronald McDonald House
Charities “Calls for Kids Telecast” but put that pre-addressed return envelope aside given your busy schedule and
forgot about it. Donations are due by April 1st, but I can turn it in if received anytime between now and the Telecast.
You can make a donation online by visiting https://www.crowdrise.com/CallsforKids. Make sure you indicate in the
special instructions/comments field “My Name” as your VIP Solicitor.
Your donation will help families like these who are currently staying at the House:
 Jose Gonzales, 9, from Winchester, Tennessee (Franklin County) is staying with us, along with his mom and
younger sister, while he awaits a heart transplant.
 Jennifer Calloway and her eight-week-old daughter, Amelia Grace, are staying with us while Amelia receives
treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida. Jennifer has four older children who are at home with family in
Oklahoma.
 Addison Helton, 9, is making one of our extended stay suites her home away from home along with her mom and
grandmother, while she recovers from a bone marrow transplant. The Helton’s are from Rogersville, Tennessee
(Hawkins County).
I hope you will tune in to Nashville’s News 2 on Saturday, April 16th from 7-10 p.m. and see for yourself how donations
are put to good use!
Thanks for considering this worthy charity.
Your Name
Sample solicitation letter # 3
Dear ___________________,
As you may know, I am serving as a volunteer with Ronald McDonald House Charities right now, and that is why I am
writing to you today. I am serving as a solicitor for the 26th Annual Calls for Kids Telecast, and I have made a
personal commitment to raise at least $1,000 for this event. I am hoping you can support the House and me in this
endeavor.
We all know of many worthwhile organizations in our communities. However, in my short involvement with Ronald
McDonald House Charities, I can tell you that this organization is truly exceptional. Our mission…is to “keep families
close” by providing essential resources and a “home away from home” for families who have a critically ill child
receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals. And that is exactly what we do through
our two programs, the 32-bedroom Ronald McDonald House and the Ronald McDonald Family Room on the 5th Floor
of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Both offer a place for parents and family members to relax,
refresh and experience the comforts of home while staying close to their sick child.
Every single day, we see our reason for being. Last year, more than 600 families stayed at our 32-bedroom House and
more than 24,000 individuals visited our Family Room. They came from all over Tennessee, as well as 43 other states, two
U.S. territories and 14 foreign countries. They stayed in our House an average of 18 nights and were here because their
children were being treated for heart disease, premature birth, surgery, cancer, infectious disease, respiratory problems,
trauma, chronic disease, burns, organ transplants and bone marrow transplants.
I want you to meet three of the children currently staying in our House:
 Jose Gonzales, 9, from Winchester, Tennessee (Franklin County) is staying with us, along with his mom and
younger sister, while he awaits a heart transplant.
 Jennifer Calloway and her eight-week-old daughter, Amelia Grace, are staying with us while Amelia receives
treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida. Jennifer has four older children who are at home with family in
Oklahoma.
 Addison Helton, 9, is making one of our extended stay suites her home away from home along with her mom and
grandmother, while she recovers from a bone marrow transplant. The Helton’s are from Rogersville, Tennessee
(Hawkins County).
They all captivate our hearts, and I think they will touch yours as well. They are the reason I am asking you to support
Ronald McDonald House Charities through the Calls for Kids Telecast.
The Telecast, now in its 26th year, is the largest fundraising event produced by Ronald McDonald House Charities of
Nashville, and it historically raises more than $125,000 – from folks just like you. WKRN-News 2 hosts the three-hour
event, which will be broadcast live from the House between 7 and 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 16th.
It’s easy for you to help. Just e-mail or call me with your pledge (cash, check or credit card) at one of the addresses or
numbers listed below. You can make a donation online by visiting www.rmhcnashville.com or making a donation to my
VIP page at https://www.crowdrise.com/CallsforKids. Or mail your contribution to my attention at the Ronald
McDonald House, 2144 Fairfax Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.
I appreciate your support!
Your Name
Home/Work e-mail address:
or Home/Work Telephone:
Sample e-mail solicitation letter
Dear _______________________,
For those that want the point of this story, read bold. For those who have time to read some important facts and my
confession, read it all.
I need your help.
As most of you know, I am a volunteer for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville and began volunteering there
years ago. Programs run by Ronald McDonald House Charities, the 32-bedroom Ronald McDonald House and the
Ronald McDonald Family Room on the 5th Floor of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt both offer a
place for parents and family members to relax, refresh and experience the comforts of home while staying close to their
sick child.
They asked me recently to be a VIP for the 26th Annual Calls for Kids Telecast. I told them that I should do it
because I know how important their services are to families. In the same breath, I told them I was scared to obligate to
this because work is very crazy for me right now and I might not be able to do a good job. They told me whatever I could
do, would be great.
So, I have a high goal to raise money and I want to do a good job and raise funds for the families who need the
help of RMHC of Nashville so desperately. If you could make a donation, you will make a huge difference in
the lives of families with sick kids.
Just let me know the amount of your donation/pledge, along with your address and telephone number. If you want to
charge it on your credit card, please provide the number along with expiration date. Or, you can make a donation online
by visiting https://www.crowdrise.com/CallsforKids or www.rmhcnashville.com.
I want you to meet a few families currently staying at the House:



Jose Gonzales, 9, from Winchester, Tennessee (Franklin County) is staying with us, along with his mom and
younger sister, while he awaits a heart transplant.
Jennifer Calloway and her eight-week-old daughter, Amelia Grace, are staying with us while Amelia receives
treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida. Jennifer has four older children who are at home with family in
Oklahoma.
Addison Helton, 9, is making one of our extended stay suites her home away from home along with her mom and
grandmother, while she recovers from a bone marrow transplant. The Helton’s are from Rogersville, Tennessee
(Hawkins County).
All too often, it is a family that less than 24 hours prior, thought their child was healthy and life was normal, and quickly
learned that the simplest of things (such as a headache) was now life threatening. Among all of the bad news that has
been thrown at the family, the programs run by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville is the small comfort
given to them, providing a home near the hospital complete with laundry facilities, hot meals, children’s playroom,
toiletries, free long distance and even pagers. Just as important, they are able to be with other families that understand
what they are experiencing.
I will stop writing. I need some money and it is for a good cause. Thanks for your help.
Your Name
Don't forget the fundraising
DEADLINE:
Friday, April 1, 2016
All pre-raised money should be turned in to the Nashville Ronald McDonald House on
Friday, April 1, 2016 between 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. If you have any special
acknowledgments, please turn them in at this time.
Questions? Contact us and we'll be glad to help! Call us at (615) 343-4000 or email
heather@rmhcnashville.com or liz@rmhcnashville.com.
Thanks for Your Help!!
2144 Fairfax Avenue Nashville, TN 37212
Phone (615) 343-4000 Fax (615) 343-4004
www.rmhcnashville.com