A Co-Captain of the Early Thurds
Shares the Secret of the Team’s Success
When you think of the key to being a successful Doggie Dash team, you usually don’t think of hot buttered croissants. Unless you’re Karl Keener, a Captain of the Early Thuds Doggie Dash team. The team made its debut at last year’s Dash, and what a debut it was: they finished as the #2 fundraising team from the public.
How did a brand new team do so well for Doggie Dash, which is the largest charity dog walk in the West?
The success of Early Thurds starts with dedicated team members, nearly all of them volunteers on the Thursday morning OHS dog walking crew (hence the name, Early Thurds). Volunteer dog walkers at OHS work in groups: one group each morning (about 7-9 am) and another group each evening (approx. 4-7 pm). These AM and PM teams make sure every available dog at the shelter get outside for a walk, rain or shine, along the dog-walking path behind the shelter. Karl is co-leader of the Thursday AM dog-walking team.
After the morning walks are over, hot buttered croissants come into play. “On the third Thursday of every month, after we finish the morning walks, we’ll meet up at Petite Provence (a local eatery), where everyone loves the hot buttered croissants. I think the croissants are the key to keeping the team happy,” said Karl, only half-jokingly.
While food is a universal motivator, Karl had additional advice for Doggie Dash Captains looking to increase their fundraising. These simple tips, said Karl, can make a big difference:
- Keep an eye on how each team member is doing. When someone gets close to their goal, remind them to raise their goal. “People are less likely to donate if you have met your goal or are only a few dollars away,” he said.
- When the team gets close to a fundraising milestone, Karl emails team members and asks them to push to raise more funds. “I let the team know that the next donation could put us over the top and they could be a hero.”
- Team members may not feel comfortable writing emails or updating their personal web page. If so, the Captain should lend a helping hand with the writing.
- To make new team members more comfortable, Captains should consider making a small donation to kick start their efforts. “I sometimes help team members with a $10 gift if they are just getting started. It can be a boost to someone who is new to all this.”
So far, Karl’s formula for success has paid off: the Early Thurds are currently the #1 public team, having raised more than $13,000. To learn more about the Early Thurds, visit their Doggie Dash fundraising page, where all donations are gladly accepted.
