Welcome to the 3/21 Pledge Committee!

Every year, our Pledge Committee members go above and beyond to help peeps rockin’ that extra chromosome go for their college dreams via the 3/21 Pledge fundraiser. We’re in absolute awe of just how much our passionate committee members accomplish — and we can’t wait to continue raising expectations, awareness, and funds together! WE’RE SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!

Get the ball rolling with these action items!!

Steps

1.

Get Set Up and Connected!

Fill out this form so we have all the info we need to get your photo and bio up on the Pledge Committee page!
Join this year’s WhatsApp thread to stay connected with other Pledge Committee members!
- It’s SUPER fun to be involved in this thread during the two-week Pledge and beyond! Whether you want to be at the center of the conversation or a fly on the wall, we’d LOVE to have you!
- Once you join, just hang out and wait for Liz to kick things off! After everyone has joined the chat, we’ll start the introductions so nobody misses anything!
- This thread is a GREAT way to ask questions, share tips, and stay motivated and energized as we ROCK the Pledge together!!
Read below to Step 5 to learn more about the 3/21 Pledge! 👇

2.

Save the Dates – Zoom and In-Person Events! Please Put These Dates on Your Calendar!

Thursday, February 29, from 6–7:30pm: Katie Quesada joined us to do a live “Story School” session that guided us in learning how to personally craft powerful stories and share with others in a captivating way! This event was FREE and just for our Pledge Committee members!! Katie is amazing!! This was such a treat for us. If you couldn’t attend the live session, don’t worry! We recorded it because we didn’t want anyone to miss out! View the Zoom recording!
Saturday, March 2, from 6–9pm: We had a fantastic time at our annual Rockin’ with Ruby Kickoff Party at Dane’s Body Shop in Hyde Park! It was great to see our Austin-area peeps at this FUN, family-friendly evening. We enjoyed some live music and community as we kicked off the 3/21 Pledge!
Monday, March 4, from 7–8pm: Liz Plachta and Kelle Hampton hosted the 3/21 Pledge Committee virtual Happy Hour! Watch the Zoom recording!
Wednesday, March 6, from 12–1pm: Those that couldn’t attend the evening Happy Hour on March 4th had another opportunity to connect at the 3/21 Pledge Committee virtual Lunch Hour event! Check out the Zoom recording!
THURSDAY, MARCH 7: 3/21 PLEDGE KICK-OFF!! EEEEEK!!!!!!
Thursday, March 14, from 7–8pm: The “You’ve Got This!” Happy Hour took place midway through the 3/21 Pledge — and it was just what some Committee members needed. We answered questions, provided support, and even had a Rockin’ Recipient there to cheer Pledge Committee members on! We appreciate all that you do to advocate for individuals with Down syndrome and their families!!! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84092574036?pwd=WWh1emR4WUJlamdYVUM4YUp2S3RaQT09

Meeting ID: 840 9257 4036

Passcode: 418476

You should have calendar invites in your email inbox for all of the Zooms listed above! Remember that all of these are totally optional events but they’re all going to be really fun and informative. We hope to see you there!!

3.

Take a Look at Our Social Media Kit!

We created this one-stop-shop to give you ideas and inspiration for things to share on social media during the two weeks of the Pledge! This kit contains photos, videos, and sample messages/posts that you can use to ROCK your fundraising and awareness-raising during the 3/21 Pledge!!

4.

📣 A Quick Note About Step 4: Please WAIT Until Liz Gives You the Go-Ahead Before Completing This Step!! 📣

Okay, okay 😝, here’s Step 4:

Head over to 321Pledge.org to make your first donation!!

After donating, you’ll get an email inviting you to activate your Personal Impact Page. This will allow you to log in to the 3/21 Pledge site and use all the amazing tools we’ve created for you guys! You can find more info on all of these tools in the Social Media Kit OR at one of our PC Happy Hours (events are listed above in Step 2)!
NOTE: If you have Pledged in the past, you can just “sign in” after donating or hit “reset password” to login!
Once you’ve made your first donation, share your personal link with JUST THREE PEOPLE!!! And be sure to tell them NOT to share the 3/21 Pledge site or their own Share link yet!! We’ll kick off to the masses on 3/7, but for now we’re just making sure everything is working properly!
To be on the leaderboard, you have to have at least three people donate under you. After you have three people in your Red Ring, please check the Impact Page to make sure you show up on the leaderboard! Let Liz or Rachel know if you spot any issues so we can make sure it’s working properly!
Once you have donated, please check that you received 3 emails: One to activate your Pledge Page, a THANK YOU email, and a donation receipt. These are staggered, so you won’t get them all at once!

Reminder: Please don’t make that first donation until Liz says it’s time! This is because we need help with testing the 3/21 Pledge site to make sure everything is working right!

When you do make your first donation, here are some things to look out for:

Was it easy to donate?
Was it easy to log in and check out your Personal Impact Page or “My Pledge” page?
Was it easy to upload a profile pic?
When someone donated under you, did they show up in your Red Ring?
Did you also see them in your History tab?
Were you able to send them a thank-you from the site?
Once you got three donations under you, did you show up in the Leaderboard on the Impact Page?

THANK YOU for helping us test the site and work out any potential kinks before the Pledge officially begins!

5.

March 7th, the First Day of the 3/21 Pledge: It’s Go Time!!!

Now, you can start sharing your personal share link with your peeps! This is the personalized URL you received via email after you made your first donation! It should look something like this: https://321pledge.org/share/annie-jones
- Reminder: We ask everyone who joins the Pledge Committee to commit to a fundraising goal of $1,500, even if you don’t reach it. We know this can seem like an intimidating amount, but we’re here to support you every step of the way. Plus, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the generosity of your network of peeps!!
- The sharing and awareness-raising piece is JUST as important to us as any donation, because we’re trying to show the world just how amazing and capable people rockin’ that extra chromosome truly are!!
- Remember that if you fundraise/donate $3,000 or more, we’d LOVE to grant a Ruby’s Rainbow scholarship award this summer in your honor or in honor of a loved one!! Check out our Scholarship Award Program to learn more!
Stay connected and use our resources!!
- The WhatsApp thread is an awesome place to ask questions, share tips and inspiration, and enjoy this awesome community of Pledge Committee members!
- Don’t forget to use the Social Media Kit for photos, videos, and sample messages/posts that you can share with your peeps in your fundraising efforts!!
Need extra support? We’re here for you!!! Please text or call Liz or reach out via email anytime!

Liz’s cell: 512-879-7801
Liz’s email: liz@rubysrainbow.org
Rachel’s email: rachel@rubysrainbow.org

What Is the 3/21 Pledge?

Running from March 7 to World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, the 3/21 Pledge is our biggest fundraiser. It’s simple: just donate $21+, pledge kindness to peeps of all abilities, and bring three friends along to join the cause!

It’s that easy — and the best part is that the 3/21 Pledge allows us to give out scholarships to truly deserving students. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of people like you, we’ve helped send hundreds of students with Down syndrome to college!

What Makes the 3/21 Pledge Special?

At Ruby’s Rainbow, we want to show the world what people with Down syndrome are made of because they are SO capable and incredible. That’s also why we want to help them pursue higher education — and the 3/21 Pledge does both! It’s pretty amazing!!

Even a small donation has a BIG impact! Once you take the 3/21 Pledge, we’ll send you a unique link to share far and wide. When your peeps start to donate through your link, you will be able to watch your donation grow and see the impact you are making simply by sharing!!

How Does the 3/21 Pledge Work?

How do you take the 3/21 Pledge and make an impact in the lives of people with Down syndrome? Just visit 321Pledge.org and donate $21 (or more!), promise to be kind to peeps of all abilities, and invite three friends to do the same! You can take pride knowing you helped a brand-new crew of Rockin’ Recipients achieve their dreams — and you’ll get to hear all about them when we send out info in the fall!

Donate $21 (or more!) to Ruby’s Rainbow at 321Pledge.org.