TEAMS OVERVIEW

A team is any group of two or more registered participants who come together to train, fundraise, support each other.

What are the benefits to forming a team?

There are lots of benefits to participating as part of a team for the Best Buddies Challenge. Whether you are walking, running, or riding, participating with a team will greatly enhance your event experience.

Fundraising
The more team members you have, the larger your network of potential donors is, thus, increasing the amount of contacts you have to reach out to in order to solicit donations. If one team member is doing really well with fundraising perhaps he or she can encourage their donors to support the general team efforts instead. Having a larger team also means more hands on deck for fundraising events such as cookouts, parties, or yard sales.

Training
We all know it is easier to find the motivation to go out for a training run or ride if you have some company. By forming a team of friends, neighbors, or co-workers you have instant training buddies!

Unity
Participating with a team is a great way to get more excited and feel more connected with fellow participants. Perhaps your team is all going to travel to the event together, stay together at the event, or create team hats that you will all wear on event day. The bigger your team, the more connections you will make with each other AND with other teams.

How can I start a team?

Starting a team is EASY! When registering on our website simply select “Start a Team” as your registration option. You will then be asked to list a team name, team fundraising goal, and recruitment goal (the number of participants you hope to recruit.) You will not be held responsible for these goals but it is fun to set them and watch your number of participants and fundraising dollars reach and surpass your goals!  If you are already registered as an individual, but would like to start at team or join an existing team, email your Coach for assistance.

A team can consist of two or more participants. When someone registers on our website they have the option to either register as an individual or to join a team. For new team members, tell them your team name so they know which to select, but don’t worry, even if someone joins as an individual and later wants to be added to a team we can make this happen!

If you start a team, you will not only have your individual fundraising page, but you will also have a Team Page which lists all the members of your team as well as your team goals. Here, donors can make a general donation to the entire team or they can click on a particular team members name to visit their personal pages and make individual contributions. Although it is not required, we recommend personalizing your team page with a photo of the group and brief story of who you are and why you have all come together to participate in this important event!

Don’t forget that one of the most important aspects of starting a team is coming up with a meaningful, and more importantly FUN, Team Name! So get creative and go nuts!

Does every member of the team need to fundraise?

YES! EVERY MEMBER OF EVERY TEAM makes an individual fundraising commitment that he or she will be held accountable to.

A team is defined as any group of two or more registered participants who come together to train, fundraise, support each other, and participate in the Best Buddies Challenge. Teams can be made up of any combination of walkers, runners, or riders and there is no limit as to how small or large a team can be.

Although teams are certainly encouraged to fundraise TOGETHER by hosting events, utilizing the team fundraising webpage, and directing donations towards those members on the team who are most in need of financial support, it is imperative that each team member realizes that he or she is required to raise the amount that they committed to upon registration.

That being said, it IS allowed for Team Members to share donations with one another. In order to respect the integrity of each donor, there are strict regulations in place. If your team plans to share donations here is what you need to know:

• Have donors make their donations to the GENERAL TEAM FUND on your team’s webpage (as opposed to on an individual’s page).

 

• The team captain will be the one to determine which donations will be moved into which team member’s individual accounts. For example, if the team captain notices that team member Joe is a little behind on his donations, he or she could ask us to move a $500 team donation into Joe’s account.

 

• We cannot split original donation amounts. This means that if Sue donated $100 to the team fund, and Joe was only $50 below his fundraising commitment, it is impossible to divide Sue’s original donation, giving only $50 to Joe, and $50 to another one of Joe’s teammates. Think of the amount donated by someone to the team fund as a bundle of money having an unbreakable rubber band around it. The team captain can move the entire bundle to one team member’s individual account, but the rubber band must stay intact!

 

• We cannot move donations from one individual’s account to another’s because we need to respect where the donor intended their donation to go. This is why it is so important that teams communicate with each other and with their donors about where to make a donation.

 

• If you have any questions about sharing donations among the team, please check in with your Coach and team captains – please be in touch with us about how you would like us to split up your team’s donations.

Over the years, we have found that teams often have more fundraising success than individuals. This is most likely the case because the larger the team is, the larger the donor network. There are many benefits to joining a team, but remember: EVERY participant in the Best Buddies Challenge makes an individual fundraising commitment. Keep this in mind when forming your team or recruiting new members.

If you have more questions about teams, please contact us at 1.800.718.3536 or email HCCoach@bestbuddies.org.