How to Reach Your Goal

Hello Family Teams!

March for Babies season is in full swing so I thought we could spend some time talking about what you and your team can be doing right now to reach your goal! Sometime reaching our goals can be daunting, but by combining a few different you and your team can be there in no time! Here are some methods used by teams on our Family Teams Committee that have worked over the years:

Coinboxes
Coinboxes are a great, easy way to involve your community. Ask your friends to help you reach your goal by handing them out in your neighborhood, at church or at work. Stop by the March of Dimes office to pick up coinboxes. Then, fill the box with

• dimes to raise about $80!
• quarters to raise about $100! 
• dollars to raise about $50!

Personalized Wristbands and T-Shirts
Any personalized items with your team name can help you fundraise as well as raise community awareness. Contact a local tshirt or wristband company, share your story, and ask for a discounted rate in return for their logo on your shirt or band. You can then sell the items to team members, friends and family to reach your goal!

Family Team Sponsorship
If you know someone who owns a small business, see if they would be interested in supporting you by being a Family Team Sponsor! Check out our previous post to learn about this easy way to fundraise.

Host an event
Many of our top teams from previous years have had a lot of success by hosting an event! You can put on a tournament, have a garage sale, or even host a party for your friends with companies like Thirty-One Gits (http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/ )!

Email and use social media
Emailing is probably the best way to reach out to your family and friends. All you have to do is share your story and ask for support! To make it easier to share your story through social media, you can make a video or picture slideshow.

Another great way to get people to your team page is to change your URL to your team name. To do this, follow the instructions below.

1.      Log in to your account.

2.      Make sure your team page is selected.

3.      Click on “Edit Team Information”

4.      Then select “Edit Address”

5.      Scroll down and there will be a space to create your vanity URL.

6.      Save your changes and you’re set!

The last thing I will leave you with is a list of our Top 10 Family Teams for this week! Keep up the great work Family Teams!

Team Sawyer & Tristan

Cater the Great

Austin Mothers of Multiples(AMOM)

Celebrate Jett

- Preemie Power -

Camille's Crew

Two Boys and a Little Lady

C A Sexton

Team Bond

If you have any questiosn regarding the fundraising methods listed above, please contact sbhat@marchofdimes.com. Check back next week to learn about a great incentive for veteran teams, walk details, tent information, and more!

Team Standings for Week of 3/22!

 Congrats to the teams in our Top 10 this week!

Team Name	Actual $
Team Sawyer & Tristan	6,510
Austin Mothers of Multiples(AMOM)	3,005
Cater the Great	2,785
- Preemie Power -	1,925
Celebrate Jett	1,381
Two Boys and a Little Lady	1,370
Camille's Crew	1,365
Team Bond	995
Angels for Gabriel	675
Team Kiley Lynn	650
C A Sexton	650

 

 

Where does the money go?

If you’re part of an Austin family team, the March of Dimes mission may have impacted your life in one way or another. This year, Austin’s overall goal for March for Babies is $1 million. You may be asking yourself, where does that money go? Well, today on the Austin Family Teams blog, we’re going to discover where exactly the money goes!

 

First, we need to understand the severity of prematurity in Texas. In an average week in Texas 7,723 babies are born, 1,001 of those babies are born premature. That means 1 out of 8 babies is born premature each year in Texas. Prematurity is the leading cause of death before the age of one and birth defects are the leading cause of infant death. This is a real problem in Texas and more than $26.2 billion annually is spent on medical costs, education and lost productivity due to prematurity.

 

The March of Dimes mission is to prevent premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. Through research and grants we have been able to find cures and prevention for many birth defects. Along with research, the March of Dimes also provides funding and support for a variety of signature prenatal education programs that have been shown to improve birth outcomes among participants. Learn about some of these programs below:

 

Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien

This program was created specifically to provide information that is culturally sensitive and relevant for Hispanic women and designed to improve participants’ chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  

 

CenteringPregnancy

Centering includes health care assessment, education, and support, provided in a group setting facilitated by a credentialed health care provider.

 

 

Honey Child

Honey Child is a faith-based prenatal education program providing African-American women with information and support to have the healthiest possible pregnancy.

 

 

These programs are just the tip of the iceberg of what the March of Dimes does to lower the prematurity rate in Texas, and across the nation. Feel free to share information on where the money goes along to your family and friends to inspire them in supporting your team!

 

Check back next week for more tips on fundraising and incentivizing your walkers! In the meantime, comment below to tell us how March of Dimes programs have affected your life!