Welcome Back to the 3/21 Pledge Committee!
You already know just how much work our Pledge Committee members do — and we’re so glad you’re helping us raise scholarship funds again! We’re in ABSOLUTE AWE of just how much our passionate committee members accomplish and can’t wait to continue raising expectations, awareness, and funds together!
Check out these action items for a quick refresher on getting started!
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 updated on the Pledge Committee page!
- Join this year’s WhatsApp thread to stay connected with other Pledge Committee members!
- 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!
- Remember, this thread is a GREAT way to ask questions, share tips, and stay motivated and energized as we ROCK the Pledge together!!
2.
Save the Dates – Virtual Events! Please Put These Dates on Your Calendar!
- DATE TBA: Katie Quesada joined us last year 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, and we’re planning to do it again this year (date TBA)! Katie is amazing!! This was such a treat for us. (If you’d like to watch a recording of last year’s session, check out the Zoom recording here!) As soon as the date is finalized, we will email you an invite!
- Monday, March 3, from 7–8pm CT: Liz Plachta and Kelle Hampton will host the 3/21 Pledge Committee virtual Happy Hour! Click here to add this event to your calendar!
- Wednesday, March 5, from 12–1pm CT: Those who can’t attend the evening Happy Hour on March 3 will have another opportunity to connect at the 3/21 Pledge Committee virtual Lunch Hour event. Click here to add this event to your calendar!
- FRIDAY, MARCH 7: 3/21 PLEDGE KICK-OFF!! EEEEEK!!!!!!
- Thursday, March 13, from 7–8pm CT: The “You’ve Got This!” Happy Hour takes place midway through the 3/21 Pledge. We’ll answer questions, provide support, and we may even have special guest (spoiler alert…a Rockin’ Recipient will be there to cheer on our Pledge Committee members!!). We appreciate all that you do to advocate for individuals with Down syndrome and their families!!! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!! Click here to add this event to your calendar!
You will receive calendar invites in your email inbox for all of the events 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 Reminder 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 receive 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: Since 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 ask 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 7, 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: rachelb@rubysrainbow.org
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