Leveraging National Relay For Life Challenges and Recognition to Energize Your ELT

Why National Challenges Matter

National fundraising challenges, such as Gold Together, Fall Fundraising Week, and Fall Fumble, serve as powerful motivators for teams. They spark creativity, friendly competition, and sustained engagement by offering exclusive rewards and recognition.

Planning Ahead: Table Early & Strategize

  • Table Early: Promote upcoming national challenges by setting up a stand during high-traffic events or gatherings to capture attention well in advance.

  • Build Excitement: Use platform to create curiosity and momentum. Whether through flyers, social media, or in-person outreach, early visibility pays off.

Smart Fundraising: Bracket-Style Strategy

  • Bracket competitions like Fall Fumble, where teams face off weekly until Giving Tuesday, lend structure and urgency to your campaign.

  • Plan fundraisers to align with each bracket round. This keeps the team energized and provides a steady fundraising timeline.

Engage Team Captains and Offer Incentives

  • Empower Captains: Give them a key role in rallying participation and performance during challenges.

  • Incentives: Team recognition, small gifts, or leaderboard bragging rights all boost motivation and accountability.

  • Shared Ownership: When captains feel invested in the outcome, they’re more likely to engage their networks, increasing our overall impact on the ACS mission.

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Understanding & Using the Relay Rewards, Grand Club & All Star Recognition Opportunities

  • Grand Club – Participants who individually raise $1,000 reach the Grand Club level, Becoming a Grand Club member is a great recognition opportunity as it also rewards them with a special item that changes yearly. This is emailed to the student to redeem and have mailed to them. 

  • All Star – Participants who individually raise $2,500 reach the All Star level! This exclusive club gets the individual not only the grand club swag but also the special addition All Star swag. This is emailed to the student to redeem and have mailed to them.  To find out more, click here

  • Relay Rewards – This rewards system allows participants to earn points ($1 raised = 1 point) and bonus points for actions like personal donations or using the fundraising app. These points can be redeemed for rewards at any time of the year. You can check out the selection of items by visiting shopacsrewards.org and logging in with your Society Account.

    ACS provides customizable Award Certificates (on Canva) for recognizing achievements like reaching All Star status.

The more individuals who feel invested, the stronger your ELT becomes. Inclusive involvement ensures a broader support for the Relay mission and encourages fundraising participation across the entire school and local community.

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