Founders Day of Giving Ambassador Toolkit
Thank you for being a part of the Tri Sigma Founders Day of Giving team as an ambassador! You are an essential part of our success, and your work to inspire sisters to give is critical. It’s only through the generosity of donors—and sisters like you—that we can provide life-changing opportunities for our sisters!
Please contact Director of Annual Giving Ellen Herbig at eherbig@trisigma.org if you need help or have any questions.
ABOUT
Your role as an ambassador will be fun and easy enough to do on a lunch break or while watching Netflix. Leading up to and on April 19-20 (Founders Day of Giving):
- Share your Sigma pride on your social media channels and beyond.
- Directly connect with sisters and ask them to give to the Tri Sigma Foundation to support leadership programming and scholarships for sisters in need.
The chapter challenge—a friendly competition based on your chapter of initiation—will add extra fun as you help raise the most money for Tri Sigma. As an ambassador, you’ll rally sisters and friends from all over to come together to make an impact. Bragging rights and Sigma pride are guaranteed when your chapter lands atop the leaderboard!
In honor of our founders, we’re challenging each ambassador to influence 8 or more sisters to give! Just think of the impact you could have!
By reaching out to your network, chapter sisters, local alumnae chapter, and friends, you will inspire support of the Tri Sigma mission and help make Founders Day of Giving a success. This toolkit will provide you with everything you need to be successful!
Our Founders Day of Giving Ambassadors are vital to our success! In 2022, over 100 ambassadors helped us raise a record-breaking $200,000 by simply sharing about Founders Day of Giving with their networks!
In 2023, Tri Sigma will celebrate 125 years of sisterhood. On this special Founders Day, our goal is greater than ever. In our Founders Day of Giving effort, we hope to raise $250,000 to continue advancing our sisters' dreams.
This will allow the Foundation to secure and provide enduring resources to support the leadership development, scholarship, and philanthropic initiatives of Sigma Sigma Sigma. When Sigmas band together with a vision, we create an undeniable force for good. The truth is that our mission needs you. Every dollar a donor gives helps our sisterhood tackle these critical issues:
- We need empowered leaders in our community and world that are character-focused, inclusive, and committed to serving others.
- We need to provide more scholarship funding to support our members’ academic achievements and to offset the rising cost of higher education.
- We need to fund crucial and innovative therapeutic play programs with our health partners to serve our local communities.
- We need to fight for the health of all moms and babies as premature birth rates in the U.S. continue to rise.
Share with sisters!
We’re asking you to give 30 minutes of your time to reach out and communicate with your sisters encouraging them contribute to the Tri Sigma Foundation during the Founders Day of Giving campaign.
How?
- Communicate via social media, email, text message, or phone. Make sure to check out the communications resources in this toolkit. The templates are ready for you, so being an ambassador takes very little legwork on your part!
- Drive sisters and friends to your personal ambassador giving link. Find your personal link on our special dashboard for ambassadors.
When?
Our 1 day, 8 hour, and 98-minute Founders Day of Giving campaign is April 19-20. Are you an overachiever? Or just love Tri Sigma a whole lot? We hope you’ll join us in sharing content and urging your sisters to give in the days leading up to Founders Day of Giving! We’ll open our giving website early to help you succeed in reaching your goals … to once again, come together to set records for Founders Day of Giving!
You can start reaching out NOW and driving sisters to your Ambassador giving link.
In honor of our 8 founders, we’re challenging each ambassador to influence 8 or more sisters to give! Just think of the impact you could have!
We know you likely won’t stop there! So, we have some fun prizes to send ambassadors this year:
And, the more you raise, the more likely you will see your chapter atop the leaderboard in our chapter challenge. Live results will be posted on our main Founders Day of Giving website: trisigma.org/fdg. You can also see your progress as an Ambassador—and the whole team’s collective progress—on our ambassador dashboard.
What’s your personal goal? We encourage you to set a goal for the number of sisters to give and the total you’d like to raise through your special ambassador giving link!
COMMUNICATION
- Join our Facebook Group to see what fellow ambassadors are doing and celebrate your wins together.
- Attend the training call via Zoom on April 3 at 8 p.m. ET. You will receive an email invite soon!
- Attend the kickoff call via Zoom on April 17 at 7 p.m. ET. You will receive an email invite soon!
Social media is an important part of our Founders Day of Giving success. Click here to access the social media toolkit which includes tips, graphics, and sample posts. Tips and sample posts can also be found below.
GENERAL SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS
- Share your personal fundraising link or trisigma.org/fdg in every post
- Encourage sisters and friends to give early before April 19-20! It can be easy to forget to give on a specific day, so get your sisters ahead of the curve—and the competition!
- Share your own Tri Sigma story in your posts! Stories of how members and chapters have been positively impacted by Tri Sigma’s programs is what compels sisters and friends!
- Why are you giving?
- What has Tri Sigma meant in your life?
- What does sisterhood mean to you?
- Why is it important to support undergraduates today?
- Making a quick video or “going live” is a great way to share your story.
- Use the sample graphics, posts, and #TriSigmaFoundersDay.
- Tag @SigmaSigmaSigmaHQ to be featured!
- Tag sisters in the comments to get their attention.
- Provide progress updates through Founders Day of Giving (April 19-20), including how much your chapter has raised, who has donated, and where you stand in the chapter challenge.
SAMPLE POST TIPS
In all sample posts, you will see the main Founders Day of Giving link (trisigma.org/fdg) and other placeholders shown in red text. Update with your personal giving link before posting to make sure gifts are counted toward your goal! Feel free to customize the post, but always include the giving link. Click the graphics to download and use with posts/captions!
SAMPLE POSTS
Save the Date | Post between April 1-12
It’s almost time to celebrate 125 years of sisterhood! I hope you will join me on Founders Day of Giving—April 19 and 20—in giving back to the women, children and families Tri Sigma serves each and every year at trisigma.org/fdg #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Give Early | Post between April 12-18
Option 1: Tri Sigmas! Our 125th Founders Day is almost here. Celebrate with me by donating on Founders Day of Giving! In honor of this milestone, our sisterhood has an ambitious goal to raise $250,000 this year. My goal is to raise $(AMOUNT), and I hope you’ll join me by giving early at trisigma.org/fdg to support (CHAPTER) in the Chapter Challenge for most dollars raised. #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Option 2: Tri Sigma will celebrate our 125th birthday in one week! From our eight young founders in 1898 to our newest members, Tri Sigma has empowered thousands of women to dream big. Help us raise $250,000 this year to continue advancing our sisters' dreams! Make your gift early at trisigma.org/fdg #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Day-of Posts | April 19-20
General Post: Founders Day of Giving is TODAY! Will you join me in giving back to a cause greater than ourselves? It’s with your support that we can empower leaders, fund scholarships, support therapeutic play programs, and fight for the health of all moms and babies. Make your gift today: trisigma.org/fdg #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Match My Gift: I made my gift of $(GIFT AMOUNT) today on Tri Sigma’s Founders Day of Giving! I’m looking for at least eight Sigma sisters to join me and match my gift in honor our founders. My goal is to raise $(GOAL) for the Foundation. Match my gift today at trisigma.org/fdg #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Founders Day (April 20): Happy Founders Day, sisters! As you reflect on your Tri Sigma experience today, I invite you to give back to our sisterhood. Make your gift today at trisigma.org/fdg #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Encourage $125 gifts (April 20): Tri Sigma turns 125 today! As we celebrate this historic milestone today, I hope you will consider making a gift of $125 at trisigma.org/fdg #TriSigmaFoundersDay
Email is another great way to reach sisters and encourage them to support Founders Day of Giving! Use the templates below to send emails leading up to and on Founders Day of Giving. Remember to replace the red text with your personalized information.
SEND BETWEEN APRIL 1-10
Subject: Join me in supporting Tri Sigma on Founders Day of Giving
Hey sister,
I’m thrilled to be a Tri Sigma Founders Day of Giving Ambassador this year! I’m reaching out to Sigma sisters to join me this year in giving back to our sisterhood. Save the date for Tri Sigma’s 1 day, 8 hour and 98-minute Giving Day campaign on April 19-20. Get ready, because our mission needs you!
My goal is to raise $(GOAL) or more as part of Tri Sigma’s collective effort to raise $250,000 in celebration of 125 years of sisterhood. Over the past 125 years, Tri Sigma has empowered thousands of sisters to pursue their dreams through scholarship programs, leadership development programs and mentorship.
I hope you’ll join me in giving on Founders Day, because our collegiate sisters deserve the opportunities supported by the Ever True Fund, which receives the majority of its contributions during the Founders Day of Giving program.
Give early at trisigma.org/fdg, and help (CHAPTER) get a head start on leaderboard!
(SIGN OFF)
SEND BETWEEN APRIL 19-20
Subject: Tri Sigma Founders Day of Giving is here!
Sisters,
TODAY is the day—Tri Sigma’s Founders Day of Giving! Over the next two days, we'll celebrate 125 years of steadfast sisterhood through our 1 day, 8 hour and 98-minute Giving Day campaign, and we need YOU!
We’ll be competing with other Tri Sigma chapters across the country for the most dollars raised. Every dollar you invest helps our sisterhood tackle these critical issues:
-
- We need empowered leaders in our community and world that are character-focused, inclusive, and committed to serving others.
- We need to provide more scholarship funding to support our members’ academic achievements and to offset the rising cost of higher education.
- We need to fund crucial and innovative therapeutic play programs with our health partners to serve our local communities.
- We need to fight for the health of all moms and babies as premature birth rates in the U.S. continue to rise.
Will you join me in making a gift to help (CHAPTER) sisters continue to dream big and pursue their goals? Visit trisigma.org/fdg to make your gift now and help me achieve my goal to raise $(GOAL) on Founders Day of Giving!
I hope you’ll give today, and feel free to forward this message to other (CHAPTER) sisters to help us top the leaderboard!
(SIGN OFF)
FAQs
All Founders Day of Giving contributions support the Ever True Fund, which is what we call our fund for unrestricted annual donations. Every gift to the Ever True Fund is an unrestricted gift that benefits the Foundation’s entire mission, including essential operations. Every dollar you invest helps our sisterhood tackle these critical issues:
- We need empowered leaders in our community and world that are character-focused, inclusive, and committed to serving others.
- We need to provide more scholarship funding to support our members’ academic achievements and to offset the rising cost of higher education.
- We need to fund crucial and innovative therapeutic play programs with our health partners to serve our local communities.
- We need to fight for the health of all moms and babies as premature birth rates in the U.S. continue to rise.
You have the power to build a philanthropy that endures, continuing to serve others now and forever. It’s through your generosity that we stand true to Tri Sigma and the causes that are most meaningful to you. “Ever true to thee, we’ll be.”
As an Ambassador, direct your sisters and friends to your personal fundraising link or the main Founders Day of Giving website: trisigma.org/fdg.
If a donor prefers to send a check, it should be payable to Tri Sigma Foundation and mailed to:
Tri Sigma Foundation
225 N. Muhlenberg St.
Woodstock, VA 22664
Contact Summer Sage, Advancement Officer, at ssage@trisigma.org if a donor would like more information on matching gifts, sending a gift through a donor-advised fund, or additional giving options.
Yes! Please have that person complete this form in Sigma Connect. Please note that any ambassadors who sign up on or after March 30 will not have access to a personalized peer-to-peer fundraising page for Founders Day of Giving.
Find your personal link on our special dashboard for ambassadors.
There is not a required or minimum fundraising goal. In honor of our founders, we’re challenging each ambassador to influence 8 or more sisters to give! We hope you’ll set your own goals for the number of sisters and friends to give, as well as dollars raised.
As an ambassador, you will receive soft credit for all gifts given through your link. Soft credit amounts are included in your annual and lifetime giving levels. Soft credit does not apply toward being a Pillar of Sigma.
Let the Foundation staff know a check is coming and from who. Once it's received, we’ll apply a soft credit. Ask the donor to include a note with your name and Founders Day of Giving. Checks should be payable to Tri Sigma Foundation and mailed to:
Tri Sigma Foundation
225 N. Muhlenberg St.
Woodstock, VA 22664
We prefer that you do NOT use Facebook fundraisers specifically for this campaign. It takes several months for Facebook donations to be disbursed to the Foundation, and we don’t receive information about donors to be able to thank them. It also does not won’t sync with our Founders Day of Giving dashboard. Please use your personalized fundraising link that we provide.
Visit the ambassador dashboard and click the Ambassador Rankings tab.
All challenges and matching gifts will be promoted on the main Founders Day of Giving website: trisigma.org/fdg.
Yes! For example, if a Beta Gamma sister makes a gift of $125, it counts toward the overall funds raised, overall donor count, and the chapter leaderboard challenge.
No. Unfortunately, Violet Tribute gifts cannot be connected to your Ambassador donation link. Sisters can still give Violet Tributes, and they are counted in our overall fundraising totals!
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