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NAMIWalk Team Captain Duties

A Good Team Captain

  • Leads by their personal example creating a personal web page and makes a donation in support of her or his efforts
  • Recruits walkers for his or her team
  • Sees that those walkers are properly registered for the Walk and helps them create their own personal Walker page online
  • Teaches and encourages those walkers to gather as many donations as possible in support of their participation in the Walk
  • Gathers donations for the Walk and leads by example
  • Leads by their personal example in gathering donations for the Walk
  • Communicates regularly with the NAMI volunteer(s) or staff person in charge of the Walk
  • Communicate regularly with the walkers on their team about the Walk
  • Makes sure that there is a team identity the day of the Walk by having things like team T-shirts, team hats, team signs or banners or anything else that they can think of that will make the walkers on their team feel and look like a team at the Walk

Five Easy Steps to Make Team Successful

Step One: Set Goals for Team

One of the most important leadership activities a Team Captain must engage in is the process of establishing team goals.  Setting goals and developing a plan to achieve them is an important step for all Team Captains and will be one of the key ingredients for a successful Walk.  In order for teams to be successful, they must define what success means.
 

Step Two:  Register Your Team Online with a Team Page

Teams that emphasize the use of the web site are almost always much more successful teams than those that do not.  You can easily set up your team page at http://www.namimt.org/namiwalk.html.  Make sure to put up a good team picture and welcome message.  Don’t forget to set up your personal webpage too.

Step Three:  Recruit Walkers (and encourage your Walkers to recruit Walkers!)

Where do we find Walkers?  Make of family members, close friends and co-workers that they think might join their team if asked and START ASKING!  Use the 50 Contacts in 5 Minutes worksheet to help expand your list.

Step Four:  Help your Walkers get Registered Online

Walkers that are registered online are much more effective awareness raisers and fundraisers than those that are not, so make sure you coach your Walkers on this point and encourage them to use watch the explanation video on http://www.namimt.org/namiwalk.html if they have any questions.

Step Five:  Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Important for a Team Captain to stay in regular contact with each member of their team.  Maintain a group email list of everyone who registers for their team so they can help each Walker be successful.  These regular communications should address such things as:

  • Progress towards the team goals (number of walkers and dollars raised) with a report on the top fundraisers being acknowledged and offered as examples for others.
  • News about team activities such as office fundraising efforts or team get-togethers before the walk.
  • Tips and suggestions on how to recruit more walkers and how to raise more money (provided by you in your regular email blasts to all Team Captains.)
  • Examples of good emails and letters used by members of the team so that others can see how it is done and can see the positive results that can be achieved.
    • Basic information about how to write an effective letter or email asking for support and raising awareness.  Use good examples collected from your top fundraisers.
    • Specific advice on who to send these letters and emails – friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, colleagues, school networks, everyone they know in their faith community, former neighbors, former co-workers, everyone on their holiday card list – in short, everyone they know.  Remind your walkers that friends and family from across the country can support them also by using the website.
    • Help all walkers understand when to send emails and letters to everyone in their address books.  Remind your walkers to send regular emails out saying, “I am planning to Walk for NAMI and am asking everyone to support my participation with a donation to my web page at _______.  If you have already given – THANKS!  If you have not had a chance yet – it is not too late to make a difference and support the important work that NAMI does in the community on behalf of all families that are affected by a serious mental illness.”  Don’t forget to remind everyone that this message should go out several times, including after the Walk.
    • Walk day logistics so that the team is ready and has a great time on the day of the walk.

Please call, 443-7871, or email, info@namimt.org, the NAMI Montana office if you have any questions.  Thank you again for supporting this critical cause!