2023 Bowl For Kids' Sake


FAQ

HOW DOES BOWL FOR KIDS' SAKE WORK?

  1. Form a 5-6 person team. It's easiest if there's a Team Captain who helps lead the way.
  2. Register for your bowling party. Team Captains set the team up online, and can sign up their team mates (new this year; Team Captains must have each team member's unique email address), or let their team members know when to visit the website and join the team. With 9 two-hour parties to choose from across Allegan, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, we can't wait to see you! Need help signing up? Contact Melissa Kendal by email or by calling 269-488-2864.
  3. Customize and share your fundraising webpage. It's easy and customized pages raise more money! Just log on, upload a photo, and share your story.
  4. Raise funds for BBBS. By sending an email, text or tweet, posting to Facebook, or asking a few friends for support, you can make a big difference in the lives of children in your community. 
  5. Hit your fundraising goalIndividual fundraising minimum$60. Just ask for $20 from three friends. Team fundraising minimum$300 - $360 (5/6 person team goals). Many teams raise much more than that! Raise $1,500 as a team to reach Super Team status and get perks!
  6. Bowl and have fun! Show up at your scheduled BFKS party and have a terrific time with your teammates.

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR BOWL FOR KIDS' SAKE ONLINE?

Click here to register and you will be guided through the registration process. Team Captains create their teams, and can add team members (new last year), or invite team members to join the created teams. Once your signup is complete, you will receive a confirmation email receipt with a link to your personal fundraising webpage. Check out our detailed registration instructions HERE.

If you need assistance registering please contact Melissa Kendal by email or by calling 269-488-2864.

DO I NEED TO PERSONALIZE MY PAGE?

People who edit their website to explain why they are raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters raise a lot more money. It only takes a few minutes to add a picture and a few words. If you need assistance, please contact Melissa Kendal by email or by calling 269-488-2864.

I AM A TEAM CAPTAIN. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

1) Recruit 4-5 more people to join your team. Have more than 6 people? Recruit a second Team Captain to help you round out a second team!
2) Sign up for a bowling party that works for your team (click on Create a Team). Detailed instructions for team registration are coming to this page soon!
3) If you have your team mates' email addresses, you can add them to your team (new this year). Or, let your team members know the team is set up. Ask your team members to join your team when they register online
4) Encourage team members to raise $60 or more to meet your team goal. You can share information about the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters on your community, keep your team informed about incentive prizes, and communicate their success (Katie just got a $50 donation! Joel has already exceeded his goal of $200! Our team just surpassed the $1,000 mark!).
5) Have Fun! Join us at your bowling party to celebrate your team’s success! Remember, it’s not about how good at bowling you are, it’s celebrating the impact the money your team raised will have on your community!
6) Say THANK YOU! Thank your team members for their time and commitment to participate! Don’t forget to thank the people who donated to you! Call or e-mail them after the event to let them know how much money your team raised and thank them for supporting local children!

NEED SOME QUICK IDEAS ON HOW TO FUNDRAISE. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

You can send emails and use social media to reach out to your networks. And don't forget about letters, phone calls, and maybe even a bake sale. Get creative! Need more help? Send Melissa Kendal an email or call 269-488-2864! She'll be happy to brainstorm a few ideas with you!
 

HOW CAN I SEE WHO HAS DONATED TO ME AND WHO HAS JOINED MY TEAM?

Login to your personal fundraising page (HQ) to view sponsors and teammates.
 

CAN FRIENDS AND FAMILY MAKE A DONATION TO ME BY GOING THROUGH THE MAIN BOWL FOR KIDS' SAKE WEBSITE?

Yes. On the website's home page, friends and family can locate you by choosing "Find a Participant or Team" from the dropdown menu under Donate in the this website's menu. After searching for you, they will be directed to your personalized fundraising page.

 

CAN MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS DONATE BY CASH OR CHECK?

Sure! Many bowlers find it easier to keep track of checks. Simply keep track of your donations on a donation sheet and turn the cash/checks in with the donation sheet when you come to your bowling party. 

If you'd like, you may also enter cash/check you've collected in your fundraising dashboard. Here it will be included in your fundraising total (make sure to enter each gift individually so that Big Brothers Big Sisters can send gift acknowledgements for your donors' tax purposes). In order to enter this, click on your name on the top right corner of the site and click "Manage my Page." From there, click "Manage Your Donations" on the left side the page and then go to "Enter a Cash or Check Donation." You may either bring the cash/check to your bowling party, or use your own credit card to cover their gifts, while keeping their cash. 


WHERE DOES THE MONEY RAISED FROM BOWL FOR KIDS' SAKE GO?

100% of the money raised through Bowl for Kids' Sake stays here in Southwest Michigan. We depend on the money raised from Bowl for Kids' Sake to carry out the work of carefully matching children with caring adult mentors and providing ongoing support to the child, volunteer mentor and child's family. Check out the About section of our website for more information on how Big Brothers Big Sisters works.

WHY IS THE "DONATE TO A FUNDRAISER" SEARCH NOT FINDING SOMEONE THAT I KNOW HAS REGISTERED?

You must type in the first name or last name of the bowler exactly how they entered it when they registered. Try using just the first few letters of someone's name if you're not sure how it's spelled. If you have a problem locating a bowler that you are sure has registered, please contact us.
 

ALL OF MY DONORS ARE NOT SHOWING UP ON THE SCROLL MECHANISM. WHY?

Some donors prefer to keep their gifts anonymous. When someone makes a donation, they can choose if they would like to have their name, donation amount, and/or a message appear on your personal page.
 

IS MY INFORMATION SECURE?

Yes. OneCause has made every effort to protect your information. We use industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information travel securely over the Internet. We have also installed an encryption engine on our database server so that your data is securely stored.