Fundraising for Team Sadie 2014: 

Many of you have already begun a very successful fundraising campaign. Others of you may not know how to start. We have complied the attached list of fundraising tips and sample letters for you to use. In addition to our sample letters, each of you has the opportunity to create your own personal fundraising web page.

Here is our awesome Fundraising 101 Guide. It contains fundraising tips, FAQ’s and sample letters to mail/email/post/tweet to your network of folks.

Team Sadie 2014 : “Fund Raising 101” Guide

 Tips:

1)    People give to people not causes. Meaning people will be giving on your behalf because of their affiliation or relationship with you and not necessarily because of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center or Sadie’s Gift.

2)    Be personal and transparent in your approach. Tell your story. Tell people exactly what you are doing and why you are doing it and don’t leave anything out. People will appreciate your “realness” and will give as a result. For instance, it is ok to tell people for that you are scared to run 13 miles, but with their encouragement of you, it will be possible.

3)    Let people know exactly what your personal fund raising goal is and that the overall Team Sadie 2014 goal is to fully fund the endowment for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Sadie’s name at $1,000,000 by 2016 (total raised to date is over $500,000!). People love to help other people reach their goals and as such feel a part of something larger then themselves which they are when they donate on your behalf.

4)    Who can you count on to help you?: friends, family, co-workers, church congregation, HOA or neighbors, parents of your kid’s sports teams, other members of clubs you are in (professional networks, swim clubs, ski clubs, golf clubs, Rotary, Facebook, etc.)

5)    Email or snail mail letters requesting donations (find examples of last year’s letters below that have already been updated for 2014)

6)    Have one-on-one coffee’s or deserts with people in your network and tell your story and fully explain what you are doing and that you need their help.

Sample Letter #1 (Thank You Andrea Solan)

Hello,
As you may remember, on October 18th I am going to be running a 5K as part of Team Sadie, a group of friends and family who are working together to gather donations for Sadie’s Gift. Jason and Amy Abell established Sadie’s Gift after the death of their three-day-old daughter in December 2006. The Abells’ have honored Sadie’s life by establishing an endowment in her name at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. This endowment already successfully supports the training program for doctors who care for critically ill children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) along the east coast.

Thanks to the generosity of so many people, Sadie’s Gift has already raised over $500,000! However, to reach the ultimate goal of $1,000,000 by 2016 more money is still needed. With race day just 76 days away, it is my intention to not only finish preparing to run the 5K, but also to complete the task of raising money for Sadie’s Gift. I simply cannot do it without you and without your generosity.

Please do not wait to give hope to the families who are served so well and so lovingly by the staff at Johns Hopkins. Please go directly to my personal fund raising site at (insert personal fundraising link here) and make your donation today and quickly become part of such a great cause. No amount is too small. Your gift, of course, will be 100% tax deductible, and you will receive a receipt from Johns Hopkins.

Thank you for considering supporting my efforts to help Sadie’s Gift.
Andrea

Sample Letter #2 (Thank You Steve Scanlon)

August 2, 2014

On December 17^th of 2006 a great butterfly effect was put into motion.

Sadie Elizabeth Abell flapped her new born wings and changed the lives of many people forever.  The greatest change probably came from her parents who were only able to be with her for three days before she left them for her heavenly dwelling.  If it were possible for Guinness to have a record for greatest impact in the shortest amount of time, Sadie would likely win hands down.

She died on December 19^th of 2006 and her family and friends are going to be gathering in Baltimore for the fifth year in a row to help raise money for the Johns Hopkins University Hospital – the hospital that so valiantly tried to save her life.  More than just a little gathering, however, because over 150 of us will be running, crawling or walking the Baltimore Marathon on October 18^th . So as you may have guessed, this is where I tell you how you, too can be a part of this great endeavor, because we need your help. You would think that a hospital as famous as Johns Hopkins, would have endowments and grants etc… that enable it to provide the best care in the best possible environments, but sadly they do not. The Abells were awe-struck with the physicians who gave everything they had and more to save their precious daughter but noticed that there was room for improvement.

Thus the initiative of helping create an endowment in Sadie’s memory was born. This endowment will support the training program for doctors who care for critically ill children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) along the east coast. A few of us have jumped on that bandwagon and are now running for a cause.

Would you please support us in this great endeavor?  We realize that there are so many great “causes” to give to, but if this one touches your heart, I would kindly ask you to click on my personal fund raising page at (insert personal fund raising link here) and give as generously as you can to this great cause.  I will be running the 26.2 miles on October 18^th and my training for this marathon has already begun.  It is my goal to raise north of $10,000 personally and every penny we get counts.  If you can give $1 a mile or $100 a mile or anything you feel led to give, please know that it helps my every step, but much more importantly, your donation gives hope to the Abells, to the doctors and nurses, and mostly to every sick child that will benefit from this endowment. There is much more written about Sadie’s story on the website so please go there and read all about it (www.sadiesgift.org).

We know how busy you are and how precious your resources are so please pray about, and carefully consider what you can give.  My fund raising site makes it super simple and thus in just a few minutes you, too, can be a part of this movement and receive a tax deduction. An event started by a little girl who may never know just how many people she has touched.

Thanks so much,

Steve 

Sample Letter #3 (Thank You Jill Snavely)

Dear Family & Friends,

I am writing to let you know that I have joined a group of women who will be running as a relay team in the Baltimore Marathon on Saturday, October 18^th. Our team, “Ladies for Sadie,” is running for Sadie’s Gift, a non-profit organization established to raise money for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Johns Hopkins Children Center.

In December of 2006 my friends, Jason and Amy Abell, lost their daughter, Sadie Elizabeth, three days after her birth from Group B streptococcal septicemia, a serious bacterial infection that is the #1 cause of infant fatality in the United States.  She was being treated at Johns Hopkins Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. In addition to providing the best medical care possible, the PICU staff demonstrated a remarkable capacity for warmth, empathy, and compassion. Sadie gave many gifts to the people she touched in her three short days here on earth, and their memories of her continue to be a blessing.  Through Sadie’s Gift, Jason and Amy hope to provide gifts and blessings to other families who find themselves at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center with their little gifts from God.

The initial goal (successfully achieved in 2007) of Sadie’s Gift was to raise $100,000 for the new Children’s Center being built at Johns Hopkins. To date, over $500,000 has been raised and the ultimate goal is to raise $1,000,000 by 2016 in Sadie’s memory via the Sadie Elizabeth Abell Endowment for Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Training be used for doctors who care for critically ill children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) along the east coast.

Any parent knows there is no limit to what they would do to ensure the health and well being of their children. The Johns Hopkins Hospital Children’s Center, long recognized as providing some of the best and most advance medical care available, is there when families need help. My close friends Gina and Jason Rower recently lived the reality of needing The Johns Hopkins Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after the birth of their daughter, Juliana, on September 4, 2007.  Thanks to the phenomenal care she received there, and by the grace of God, Juliana is now thriving at home with her family.

Please consider making a donation to support the Abell family and help keep their daughter Sadie’s name and memory alive through The Sadie Elizabeth Abell Endowment for Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Training.

If you are interested in learning more about Sadie’s Gift, please go to www.sadiesgift.org.

If you would like to make a donation now by credit card, you can do that by clicking on my personal fund raising website at (insert personal fund raising link here).

If you’d rather make a donation by check, please make checks payable to: ”Johns Hopkins Children’s Center/Sadie’s Gift.”  Somewhere in the “memo” portion of the check, put “Runner-JS” and send the check directly to me (for tracking purposes) at XXX Any Court, Ellicott City, MD  21043.  I will then forward all the donations I receive on to Johns Hopkins.

Thank you for supporting me and this very worthy cause!

Jill Snavely 

Sample Letter #4 (Thank You Jenny Hauser)

Dear Family & Friends,

I will be running the Baltimore Half-Marathon on October 18, 2014 in memory of Sadie Elizabeth Abell.

Sadie was born on December 17, 2006 and was the daughter of Jason & Amy Abell, friends of my husband Ben & I. She died at John’s Hopkins Children’s Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit on December 19, 2006, three days after she was born, due to Group B Streptococcal Septicemia, a serious bacterial infection.

The loss and pain the Abell’s must have felt overwhelmed me. I could not imagine anything positive coming from such a tragedy. I am touched by their strength and agility to overcome such grief and by their dedication to creating such a wonderful cause in her name.

“Sadie’s Gift” was established to honor her memory and to give back to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at John’s Hopkins Hospital that so valiantly tried to save her life.

The first year’s goal (successfully achieved by raising over $100,000 in 2007) was to establish a comforting, family consultation room in Sadie’s name where future families and their doctor’s can gather for discussion and support. “Sadie’s Gift” at The Johns Hopkins Children Center, known as the Sadie Elizabeth Abell Consult Room, will go on to bless and support family’s struggling with children’s illness.

To date, Sadie’s Gift has raised over $500,000 and the ultimate goal is to raise $1,000,000 by 2016 in Sadie’s memory via the Sadie Elizabeth Abell Endowment for Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Training

I am asking that you please join me in carrying on this little girl’s memory and in supporting the remarkable Johns Hopkins Hospital Children’s Center. I know how precious our time and resources are, but I ask that you please carefully consider what you can give.

All donations are 100% tax deductible and you will receive a receipt directly from Johns Hopkins.

There are two very easy ways you can donate:

1) Online: To donate by credit card now, go to my personal fund raising page at (enter personal fund raising link here).

2) Hand-Written Check: Checks should be made out to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center/Sadie’s Gift. Please put my name in the memo section of your check and mail checks to:

Jenny Hauser

c/o Glarus Chocolatier

XXX Any Road

Timonium, MD 21093

For those of you for whom I have email addresses, I will send a duplicate letter via email.

Thank you so much for your care and support.

Thanks again,

Jenny (Weber) Hauser

To read more about Sadie’s story, go to www.SadiesGift.org or visit the official site of the Baltimore Marathon where Sadie’s Gift has now become an official charity TEAM!