Fundraising for Club Sports is a collaborative effort between club captains, the Office of Annual Giving and the Athletics Department. The funds raised shall be divided evenly amongst members and shall not be divided based on need or by whoever raised the most money. Follow the steps outlined below to begin fundraising:

1. Consider the following:

• What is the purpose of your fundraising and what are your goals? What are your specific needs for which you are asking for financial support -- equipment, uniforms, travel, coaching stipend, etc.?

• Are you fundraising for the immediate availability of money (discretionary account) or for a long-term payout (endowment)?

• Who are you going to solicit? (Alumni involved in your sport? Parents? Friends?) From where are you going to generate these lists of names?

• What is the timing of your solicitation letter? Do you want it to coincide with the end of the tax year? Would you benefit more by sending it out before your competitive season begins or as significant playoff/advancement opportunities arise?

• What club accomplishments will you highlight in your letter?

• Will your letter be mailed or emailed or both?

• What kind of follow-up will you and the other team members be responsible for - phone calls, thank you notes, email updates, etc.

2. Draft a solicitation letter that addresses the above bullet points, and use the verbiage below when addressing funding needs and donation instructions. Once you have completed a draft of your letter take it to the writing center to work them on completing a final draft. Templates of previous club sport solicitation letters are available upon request.

• Funding needs: "As a student-run club sport team, we are very fortunate to receive funding from the college for many of the costs associated with the sport, such as tournament fees, team association dues, referee and official expenses, and First Responders for home competitions. However, because of the nature of club sports, the college cannot reasonably cover all of our expenses and we bear the financial responsibility for things such as travel, accommodations, individual association dues, personal equipment, and uniforms."
• Donation instructions: "You may send your gift in the enclosed envelope. Please make all checks out to Colorado College with the designation "donation for your club sport team" on the memo line. You can also make your gift online at www.coloradocollege.edu/give and designate your gift to "your club sport team" in step 3 or call (800) 782-6306. Donations to your club sport team are tax deductible. If you have any questions about your gift or the college, please don't hesitate to call the office of annual giving at 719-389-6753.

3. Email the final draft of the letter to annualgiving@coloradocollege.edu. Your letter will then be reviewed by the Office of Annual Giving and the Director of Club Sports and returned to you with suggestions and edits.

4. A list of alumni/parents/friends will be provided upon request and as available. Please note it may take up to two weeks to receive this list so be sure to include what you'd like to include in your list (alumni, parents of current members, friends, class years, males or females, etc.) when you email the draft of your letter to the Office of Annual Giving.

5. Once your letter is finalized and approved by the Office of Annual Giving, the Club Sports Department will assist with the copying and bulk mailing of your letters. Andrea will provide business reply envelopes and gift forms for you to include with your letter. Should you wish your letter to be emailed, please make this request to the Office of Annual Giving and they will email your letter using a CC club sports fundraising template.

6. If your team wishes to make follow up calls to those you have solicited, please contact the Dialogue Center at x6601.

7. It is expected that you will send a thank-you note to anyone who makes a contribution to your club team. The Director of Club Sports will contact you when a donation has been made and provide you with note cards and envelopes.

If you have questions please contact the Office of Annual Giving by phone at 719-389-6753 or by email at annualgiving@coloradocollege.edu.