IT STRONG

KEEP

IT STRONG

SECURING SPONSORS

for Department Health and Wellness Programs

KEEP

IT STRONG

SECTION 1. Getting Started 5

NVFC Heart-Healthy Fireﬁghter Program: Resources for Your Department 5

Steps to Securing Sponsorship 7

Sponsorship Tip Sheet 9

Use Cost Savings Calculators to Gain Support for Your Department 11

Template: Seeking Support Press Release 12

Sample: Seeking Support Press Release 13

Template: New Sponsor Press Release 14

Sample: New Sponsor Press Release 15

SECTION 2. Reaching Out 16

Template: Ask Letter 17

Sample: In-Kind Donation Ask Letter – Hospital 18

Sample: In-Kind Donation Ask Letter – Fitness Club 19

Sample: Monetary Donation Ask Letter 20

Meeting Talking Points 21

Making the Pitch 22

SECTION 3. Following Up 23

Template: Follow-up Letter 24

Sample: Follow-up Letter 25

Template: Thank You Letter 26

Sample: Thank You Letter 27

IRS Guidelines for Charitable Donations and Tax Deductions 28

Template: In-Kind Donation Receipt 29

Template: Monetary Donation Receipt 30

Table of Contents

Each year, heart attack is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for reghters. A comprehensive

health and wellness program can decrease each department member’s risk of cardiovascular disease

as well as injuries like strain and sprain. Health and wellness programs benet individual reght-

ers, their departments, and the re and emergency services as a whole. Such programs can result in

safer and more effective action by rst responders to emergencies.

Starting a health and wellness program in your department can seem like a challenge – especially

securing the funding and sponsors to make it work. But with creativity and the support of local

organizations, you can make it a reality. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s Heart-Healthy Fire-

ghter Program created this toolkit to help you secure the community support you need to get your

program started.

This toolkit walks you through the steps of soliciting sponsors and community support for your

program: “Getting Started,” “Reaching Out,” and “Following Up.” “Getting Started” includes re-

sources available from the Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program, tips and ideas for how to nd spon-

sors, and tools for making your case. “Reaching Out” provides a modiable “ask” letter template,

sample letters, and talking points for meetings with potential sponsors. “Following Up” provides

template and sample follow-up and thank you letters, IRS tax deduction information, and donation

receipt templates.

If you need more information about the Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program, visit www.healthy-re

ghter.org or contact the NVFC at 888-ASK-NVFC (275-6832) or nvfcof[email protected].

It takes a person with heart to do your job.

SECURING SPONSORS

for Department Health and Wellness Programs

KEEP

IT STRONG

SECTION 1:

Getting Started

NVFC Heart-Healthy Fireﬁghter

Program: Resources for Your

Department

The stresses put on reghters are enormous – their

bodies must withstand higher temperatures and

increased strenuous physical activity, exposure to

smoke and other hazardous materials, and long

periods of down time followed by sudden periods

of high-stress activity.

Every year, about half of all on-duty reghter

deaths are attributed to heart attacks, making heart

disease the leading cause of line-of-duty reghter

fatalities. The NVFC launched the Heart-Healthy

Fireghter Program in 2003 to promote tness,

nutrition, and health awareness within America’s

re and emergency services. It is the nation’s only

heart attack prevention and awareness campaign

targeted at all reghters and EMS personnel, both

volunteer and career.

The NVFC takes the Heart-Healthy Fireghter

Program to the department level through the Adopt

the Program initiative, which provides a founda-

tion you can use to implement a health and well-

ness program within your department. By adopting

the program, departments can register with the

Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program, take the pledge

to become heart-healthy, and receive specic tools

and information that department members can use

Starting your health and wellness program and securing sponsors to support the program can be

easier than it seems. Many resources are available to assist you in both of these tasks. This section

will walk you through some of the resources available as you plan and launch your health and wellness

program, and then take you through the steps of identifying and reaching out to potential sponsors and

community supporters there are both templates and samples in this section. You can ﬁll in the indi-

cated customizable parts of the templates with your department’s information and have a ready-to-use

document, or use the template as a starting point to develop your own materials.

SECTION 1: Getting Started

Health and Wellness Guide

for the Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services

FA-267 / October 2008

The Of fic ial Ne wsl eTTer Of The NVfc hearT-healThy firefighTer Pr Ogr am

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Issue 7

FALL 2008

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news

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Lead ing Cau se of F ireﬁghte r Death s

G reat Am erican S mokeout is

Nove mber 20 : Make a Plan t o Quit

G ive the Gift of Good H ealth t his

Holi day Sea son

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tIps An d

FIreFIghter

ContrI butIons

Sta y Active During the Co lder Mo nths

Q uestion s and An swers

H ave a H appy, Hea rt-Heal thy

Thank sgiving

R ecipes

H eart-He althy Fi reﬁghte r Succe ss

Stor y: Herm osa Bea ch and F riendsh ip

Fire Compan y

progrAm

InF ormAtIon

Featured Work Group Member:

Fire ﬁghter Cancer Support Network

Cale ndar of Events

Work G roup

Cont act Inf ormatio n

continued on page 2

▸

1 1

Make Yo ur DepartMent Fit-FrienD lY

The American Heart Associ atio n (AHA ) rece ntly r ecognized the National Vol-

unte er Fire Council (NVFC) as a Start! Fit-Friendly Compa ny. This program

reco gniz es employers who go abo ve an d bey ond when it comes to their em ploy -

ees’ health. Your department can a chieve Start! Fit-Friendly Company status by

esta blis hing a health and wellnes s program with in the depa rtment and reporti ng

your ach ievements to th e AHA .

To be recogn ized as a Fit-F rien dly Company, an organization must creat e a

wellness program that meets specied standards in promoting tness and good

nutr itio n in the workpl ace. The p rogr am must mee t th e following cri teri a:

• Offer empl oyee s ph ysical acti vity support.

• Increase h ealt hy e ating optio ns a t work.

• Promote a well ness culture.

• Impl emen t a de sign ated number of ac tivities in the P hysical Activity,

Nutrition, and Cul tura l areas as outl ined in the app lication.

Whil e the Star t! Fit-Friendly progr am is geared towards compan ies and em -

ploy ers, re departments can qualify if the y meet the requ irements se t by AHA,

whet her department pers onne l are caree r, volunteer, or a co mbination o f bo th.

The Houston (TX) Fire Department (HFD) has already been recognized as a

Fit- Frie ndly Company. The HFD, whic h has had a gro wing health and wel lness

prog ram for sev eral year s, provide s tness eq uipment at the stations, encourage s

memb ers to exercise while on duty, and distrib utes information via handouts

and e mail s blasts to ed ucate member s abo ut health iss ues. As part of a city -wid e

government agency initiative to become Fit-Friendly, the HFD was recognized

by t he AH A on November 1 at the Houston are a St art! Heart Walk .

“A re department’s greatest asset is its members,” said Captain Beda Kent,

HFD Public Affairs Ofcer. “The better we care for this asse t, the better we

prot ect Houston citizen s.”

NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter

Resource Guide

Every day, firefighters risk their lives

protecting people and property

in communities. firefighters need

health needs protecting,too. The

statistics are clear: firefighters

are at an extremely high risk for

heart attacks and heart-related

conditions such as coronary

heart disease, diabetes, high

cholesterol

nvfc

heart

healthy

firefighter

resource

guide

keep

it strong

to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle, including the

motivational Fired Up For Fitness Challenge.

Other resources the NVFC offers that can help you

establish and maintain a health and tness program

in your department include:

Health and Wellness Guide for the Volunteer

Fire and Emergency Services, developed in part

nership with the United States Fire Administra-

tion, to help departments and personnel start

a health and tness program and provide

examples of successful programs.

Health and Wellness Advocate workshops,

which trains rst responders on how to create

and maintain an effective health and wellness

program within their department.

Heart-Healthy Fireghter Resource Guide,

which contains everything you need to begin

a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The Pulse, a quarterly printed newsletter

offering tips, resources, and advice for getting

and staying healthy.

Heart-Healthy Fireghter E-news, a monthly

electronic newsletter lled with Heart-Healthy

Fireghter Program news as well as health and

wellness tips and information.

Heart-Healthy Fireghter Cookbook, featuring

over 60 heart-healthy recipes to use at home and

at the station.

Learn about these resources and the Heart-Healthy

Fireghter Program at www.healthy-reghter.org,

or contact the NVFC national ofce at 888-ASK-

NVFC (275-6832).

Steps to Securing

Sponsorship

Once you have decided to start or expand a de-

partment health and wellness initiative, you may

nd you need additional resources and sponsors to

support your program. Perhaps you want to offer

health screenings to department members, or ensure

each member has access to tness equipment. May-

be you want to host health talks or team sporting

events. Many departments don’t have the budget

for extra health and wellness expenses, but don’t

let this deter you from implementing your program.

You will nd that reaching out into the community

can provide the sponsorship and support you need

to keep your department healthy and strong.

The steps below provide a basic outline for securing

sponsors. The following sections of this toolkit pro-

vide further details, samples, and tips to help you as

you implement your sponsorship outreach plan.

Step One: Get Started

Designate a leader. Choose someone to be in

charge of the sponsorship outreach effort who

can keep everyone motivated and will be

diligent about following up and checking on

progress.

Hold a brainstorming session with department

members. Discuss ideas for whom to approach

for sponsorships. Find out who in your depart

ment has connections with local businesses or

hospitals. Remember that donations don’t

have to be monetary – maybe a health club is

willing to provide free or discounted member-

ship to your personnel, or a local doctor might

provide free health screenings. Be creative.

Do your research. If you do not have a pre-

existing contact at a particular business, nd

out who is in charge of community relations or

corporate giving and address initial correspon-

dence to that person. Also, see if you can nd

any information on the company’s past com-

munity philanthropy or sponsorship, as this

may help you in your current outreach.

Create a written plan. Decide who will be

contacting each person/company on your list.

Determine your objective beforehand – what

are you asking from each prospective donor?

Get ready to ask for donations. Make sure each

person who will be talking with prospective

donors or sponsors is prepared to talk about

your department, the health program, your

goals, and what you are asking from each

potential donor. Create hand-outs to give to

prospective donors. Remind prospective donors

of the importance of your department to the

community. If you are a volunteer or combina-

tion department, use the NVFC Cost Savings

Calculator (page 14) to show the nancial

impact that your department has on the

community.

Utilize information from www.healthy-

reghter.org to demonstrate why a depart-

ment health program is so important. Show

your prospective donors that you are serious

about getting healthy and how it benets the

community.

Inform the public. Send a press release, using

the Seeking Support Press Release template

(page 12), to local television stations, news-

papers, radio stations, and community group

newsletters explaining your health initiative,

why it is important, and that you are seeking

SECTION 1: Getting Started

community support. Follow up with each

media outlet to see if you can provide more

information. Media outreach is important

because it means that by the time you call your

prospect, they may have already heard about

the department’s health and wellness initiative

and be more receptive to sponsorship.

Step Two: Reach Out

Start contacting your prospective donors. Call

or send a letter or email, whichever is more

appropriate for that contact. Make sure that

each company/person is only being contacted

by one department member. If it is appropriate,

visit your prospect in person.

Don’t be shy! Asking for a donation can be

intimidating. But remember, these donations

will help you and your department members

become and stay heart-healthy, ensuring that all

of you are ready and able to respond to emer-

gency calls, which helps the whole community

and saves lives.

Keep the door open for future requests. If

someone does not want to donate right now,

ask if you can contact them in the future about

other types of donations. Remember to thank

them for their consideration.

Step Three: Follow Up

Keep a record of your efforts and the results.

You can refer back to this the next time you

need to make donation requests.

Plan follow-up visits or phone calls. If your

prospect would like more information, sched-

ule a meeting where you can talk face-to-face

about the donation possibilities. If you haven’t

gotten a response from sending a letter or

email, follow-up with a phone call. If you

haven’t gotten a response from a gym or a

store, try stopping by during business hours to

speak with a manager. Businesses get many

letters requesting donations, so make sure they

have a chance to hear your request.

Send follow-up letters after a meeting or call.

Thank your prospect for their time and con-

sideration, and remind them of any ideas or

potential donations that you discussed during

your conversation.

Send a thank-you letter to those that make a

donation. If you receive a donation, make sure

and send a thank-you letter with a monetary or

in-kind donation receipt, if applicable. Learn

more in the IRS guidelines section on page --. If

the gift is large or you worked with your con-

tact on several occasions, have the Chief make

a thank-you call.

Follow up with the press. Send follow-up press

releases to local media, using the New Spon-

sor Press Release template (page 14), as com

panies sign on to support your program. This

gives recognition to your donor and brings

more attention to your efforts. Call the con-

tacts you spoke with initially to let them know

about your success. Make sure and thank all

of your donors and let everyone know that

being healthy is an ongoing project, and your

program will need ongoing support.

Report your success to the NVFC. Contact the

NVFC at nvfcof[email protected] or 888-ASK-

NVFC (275-6832) with your story. Your

success can inspire other departments and help

even more rst responders adopt and maintain

a heart-healthy lifestyle.

SECTION 1: Getting Started

Sponsorship Tip

Sheet

These tips will help you decide which companies

to approach based on your needs, how to get press,

and creative ideas to take advantage of existing

programs.

Contact your local newspapers. Ask them to

write an editorial about the department’s efforts

to become heart-healthy. Make sure that they

mention that the department is accepting dona-

tions. Ask them to write a follow-up later so that

you can mention your donors and your pro-

gram’s successes.

Keep it close to home. Find out if anyone in your

department has a spouse, friend, or family mem-

ber who is a healthcare provider, a nutritionist, a

chef, etc. Ask if they can come by to educate the

department.

Take advantage of existing programs. Universi-

ties and health organizations often organize

health awareness screening days. See if the group

can provide a special screening for rst respond-

ers before or after their main program. Seek out

companies that sponsor other health-related

events for the community to make your ask. For

example, many grocery stores, such as the

Midwestern chain Hy-Vee, have dieticians on

staff; ask them to help you shop for healthy food

for the station or organize a healthy grocery

store tour for department members.

Work together with other departments in your

area. They may have contacts at major area

hospitals or with other potential donors, and

you can motivate each other through a friendly

competition.

Contact a local college. See if you can create an

unpaid internship for students studying to be

nutritionists or tness trainers. Ask them to

come to the department on a regular basis and

serve as the department’s Health and Wellness

Coordinator. Or ask students to donate just one

day of their time and conduct a presentation for

the department or go through the kitchen and

give tips on which foods to keep and which

should be replaced.

Contact your local hospital or clinic. Ask if free

blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and/or body

composition screenings can be donated to the

re department. Offer to conduct a re safety

seminar in exchange for their time. (Note that

donors might not receive a tax deduction if

goods or services are exchanged in return for the

donation.) You can also check with your local

Medical Reserve Corps unit to see if they are

willing to conduct free screenings (www.medical

reservecorps.gov).

SECTION 1: Getting Started

Call local gyms or tness stores. Ask them to

donate exercise equipment or club memberships

for the station. Gyms might have equipment that

they are replacing with newer items, and tness

stores might be able to donate new items or

gently used oor models.

Talk to local health food stores. Ask them to

donate discontinued items or other good but

unused items to the re department. It’s much

easier to get motivated to stock a healthy

kitchen when it’s free!

Plan a heart-healthy event. Host a sports tourna-

ment or a heart-healthy cookout that the whole

town can get involved in. Ask a local health food

store or gym to sponsor the event through in-

kind or cash donations. Are there any local

health-related businesses that are new or

relatively unknown? They can reach more

customers by sponsoring the event. Plus, more

people will learn about your department’s efforts

to become healthy, which could result in more

donations.

Create a sponsorship program based on reaching

goals. Ask a local company to sponsor the

department through monetary or in-kind dona-

tions each time department staff reach a pre-

determined health or tness goal. For example,

if every member meets their weight-loss goal for

the year, the company will donate $1,000 to the

department.

Say thank you! Remember to acknowledge your

supporters publicly whenever you can, and

always follow up on any service or donation

with a thank-you letter. If you are registered as a

501(c)(3) organization, send a donation receipt

for the service or item so that your donor can

receive tax benets (page 28).

Use Cost Savings

Calculators to Gain

Support for Your

Department

One way to gain support for your department’s

health and wellness program is to drive home how

important your department is to the community.

Your members save lives and property on a regular

basis, and supporting a health and wellness pro-

gram is one way your community members can

help give back to those who serve.

Volunteer and combination departments can utilize

the NVFC Foundation’s Cost Savings Calculators

to further demonstrate the value of their depart-

ment to the community. Nationally, it is estimated

that volunteer rst responders save taxpayers more

than $37.6 billion annually. Use the Volunteer Fire

Department and EMS Cost Savings Calculators to

gure out how much your department saves your

community. The calculators are available to NVFC

members and can be accessed online at

www.nvfc.org/calculators.

In addition to the calculators, the NVFC provides a

customizable PowerPoint presentation you can use

when meeting with city ofcials, civic groups, or

potential sponsors to educate them on the value of

your department to the community. These cost-sav-

ings gures can help make the case for the need for

local, state, and federal investment in the volunteer

emergency services.

SECTION 1: Getting Started

Template: Seeking Support Press Release

Use this customizable press release template to announce your goals to the community.

Contact: <NAME>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADOPTS HEART-HEALTHY INITIATIVE, SEEKS COMMUNITY SUPPORT

<DATE, CITY> – Heart attacks cause nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year, making heart disease the

number one threat to reghter health. The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is accepting the National Volunteer Fire

Council’s (NVFC) Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program’s challenge to adopt and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle. To do this,

<FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is implementing a health and wellness program to keep department members strong and

t – and ready to answer the call when emergencies arise.

The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is seeking the support of the community. Financial contributions as well as in-kind do-

nations such as complimentary health screenings, tness club access, new or gently used exercise equipment, and the services

of nutritionists, chefs, and tness trainers are needed.

As the rst step in this health initiative, the department has adopted the Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program, the only national

program dedicated to saving America’s reghters and EMS personnel from heart disease. Through this program, every de-

partment member has taken a pledge to become and stay heart-healthy. Learn more at www.healthy-reghter.org.

“The re service has distinct issues related to health and safety that need to be specically addressed,” said Philip C. Stittle-

burg, NVFC Chairman. “We lose too many reghters in line-of-duty deaths. Community members need to support their

local reghters and EMS personnel in their efforts to get healthy so that their rst responders don’t become another tragic

statistic.”

The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>’s <NUMBER> members provide <NUMBER> hours of service and respond to <NUM-

BER> calls each year. The community can give back to those who serve them by contributing to the department’s health and

wellness efforts. To support this program, contact <NAME AND TITLE> at <EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER>.

###

Sample: Seeking Support Press Release

This is an example of what a customized press release might look like.

Contact: Chief John Doe

555-123-4567, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

ADOPTS HEART-HEALTHY INITIATIVE, SEEKS COMMUNITY SUPPORT

NOVEMBER 10, HEALTHY TOWN – Heart attacks cause nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year, making

heart disease the number one threat to reghter health. The Healthy Town Fire Department (HTFD) is accepting the Na-

tional Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program’s challenge to adopt and maintain a heart-healthy

lifestyle. To do this, HTFD is implementing a health and wellness program to keep department members strong and t – and

ready to answer the call when emergencies arise.

“Our re department protects our community from emergencies of all kinds,” said Chief John Doe. “We have adopted this

initiative to ensure we are maintaining our health so that we are always ready to answer the call.”

The HTFD is seeking the support of the community. Financial contributions as well as in-kind donations such as complimen-

tary health screenings, tness club access, new or gently used exercise equipment, and the services of nutritionists, chefs, and

tness trainers are needed.

As the rst step to getting healthy, the department has adopted the Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program, the only national pro-

gram dedicated to saving America’s reghters and EMS personnel from heart disease. Through this initiative, every depart-

ment member has taken a pledge to become and stay heart-healthy. Learn more at www.healthy-reghter.org.

“The re service has distinct issues related to health and safety that need to be specically addressed,” said Philip C. Stittle-

burg, NVFC Chairman. “We lose too many reghters in line-of-duty deaths. Community members need to support their

local reghters and EMS personnel in their efforts to get healthy so that their rst responders don’t become another tragic

statistic.”

The HTFD’s 42 members provide 12,102 hours of service and respond to 659 calls each year. The community can give back

to those who serve them by contributing to the department’s health and wellness efforts. To support this program, contact

Chief John Doe at [email protected] or 555-123-4567.

###

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

Template: New Sponsor Press Release

Use this customizable press release template to announce a new sponsor.

Contact: <NAME>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUPPORTS HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>

<DATE, CITY> –Heart attacks cause nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year, and the <FIRE DEPART-

MENT NAME> is implementing a health and wellness program to keep department members strong, t, and ready to

answer the call when emergencies arise. <COMPANY NAME> is supporting the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> as they

adopt the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program. The support of <COMPANY

NAME> will help them reach their health and wellness goals.

<QUOTE FROM CHIEF ABOUT IMPORTANCE OF DEPARTMENT HEART-HEALTH AND THE IMPACT OF COM-

PANY’S SUPPORT (i.e. – what the support will enable the department to do)>

The NVFC Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program (www.healthy-reghter.org) is the only national program dedicated to saving

America’s reghters and EMS personnel from heart disease, the number one cause of reghter deaths. Through this pro-

gram, each member of <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> took the pledge to get heart-healthy and are utilizing the program’s

many tools and resources to help them succeed in their health and wellness efforts. Yet community support, like that shown

by <COMPANY NAME>, is critical to the success of the department’s initiatives.

<FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is still seeking additional support to continue its health and wellness initiative. Give back to

those who serve by contributing to the department’s efforts. To learn more about how you can help, contact <NAME AND

TITLE> at <EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER>.

###

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

Sample: New Sponsor Press Release

This is an example of what a customized press release might look like.

Contact: Chief John Doe

555-123-4567, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMMUNITY FITNESS CLUB SUPPORTS

HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

NOVEMBER 18, HEALTHY TOWN – Heart attacks cause nearly half of all line of-duty reghter deaths each year, and the

Healthy Town Fire Department (HTFD) is implementing a health and wellness program to keep department members strong,

t, and ready to answer the call when emergencies arise. Community Fitness Club is supporting the HTFD as they adopt the

National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program. The support of Community Fitness Club will

help them reach their health and wellness goals.

“The HTFD is excited to announce that Community Fitness Club is supporting our health initiative by offering each of our

rst responders a half-price gym membership and a complimentary one-time consultation with a tness trainer,” said Chief

John Doe. “This will ensure all of our members have access to top-rate tness equipment and expertise to help meet their

health and tness goals.”

The NVFC Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program (www.healthy-reghter.org) is the only national program dedicated to saving

America’s reghters and EMS personnel from heart disease, the number one cause of reghter deaths. Through this pro-

gram, each member of HTFD took the pledge to get heart-healthy and is utilizing the program’s many tools and resources to

help them succeed in their health and wellness efforts. Yet community support, like that shown by Community Fitness Club

is critical to the success of the department’s initiatives.

“Community Fitness Club is dedicated to keeping our community healthy, and that is especially important for Healthy

Town’s rst responders,” said Mark Smith, the club’s Community Relations Director. “We are pleased to be able to help pro-

tect the health of those who are protecting us.”

Community Fitness Club is Healthy Town’s leading health center. Services include group classes, tness trainer consultations,

and state-of-the-art exercise equipment. Find out more at www.communitytnesshealthytown.com or 555-987-6543.

HTFD is still seeking additional support to continue its health and wellness initative. Give back to those who serve by con-

tributing to the department’s efforts. To learn more about how you can help, contact Chief John Doe at [email protected] or

555-123-4567.

###

The information provided in Steps to Securing Sponsorship (page 7) outlined the process for making

“the ask” to potential donors and sponsors. This section provides a template “ask” letter, sample let-

ters, meeting talking points, and tips for making the pitch in order to help make “the ask” easier. You

can ﬁll in the indicated customizable parts of the templates with your department’s information and

have a ready-to-use document, or use the template as a starting point to develop your own materials.

The samples provide an example of what a ﬁnished product might look like.

SECTION 2:

Reaching Out

Template: Ask Letter

Use this customizable template to ask potential sponsors for their support. Customize your letter to for your department’s needs.

<DATE>

<TITLE>

<SALUTATION>:

Nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year are caused by heart attacks, making heart disease the number one

threat to reghter health. That’s why the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is taking a pledge to stay healthy and not become

a statistic. We are adopting the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program and ask that <COM-

PANY NAME> help us stay strong so that we can continue to serve our community.

The Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program is the nation’s only heart attack prevention and awareness campaign targeted at all

reghters and EMS personnel. The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is using this program to challenge ourselves to adopt

and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle as we launch a department-wide health and wellness initiative. We’re focusing on being

educated about our health, eating well, and staying active. Your support will help make this possible.

We would like <COMPANY> to donate <DESCRIPTION>. This will allow us to <DESCRIPTION OF BENEFIT TO DE-

PARTMENT>. Your company will be supporting those who serve the community.

<DESCRIPTION OF HOW DEPARTMENT SERVES/BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY. VOLUNTEER OR COMBINA-

TION DEPARTMENTS MAY WANT TO INSERT INFORMATION DERIVED FROM COST SAVINGS CALCULATOR.>

You can see that it is important that every one of our members is strong, healthy, and ready to respond to the community’s

needs.

Please support <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> by donating <DESCRIPTION>. I will follow up with you in the coming

weeks to discuss this opportunity further. In the meantime, if you have any questions or are ready to pledge your support,

please feel free to contact me at <PHONE> or <EMAIL>. We look forward to working with you to ensure the safety and

health of our community’s rst responders.

<CLOSING>,

<NAME>

<TITLE>

Sample: In-Kind Donation Ask Letter – Hospital

This is an example of what an in-kind donation ask letter to a hospital might look like.

September 1, 2008

Mr. Tom Smith

Community Relations Director

Community Hospital

1234 Wellness Lane

Healthy Town, USA 54321

Dear Mr. Smith:

Nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year are caused by heart attacks, making heart disease the number one

threat to reghter health. That’s why the Healthy Town Fire Department is taking the pledge to get healthy and not become

a statistic. We are adopting the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program and ask that Commu-

nity Hospital help us stay strong so that we can continue to serve our community.

The Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program is the nation’s only heart attack prevention and awareness campaign targeted at all re-

ghters and EMS personnel. The Healthy Town Fire Department is using the resources from this program to challenge ourselves

to adopt and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle and develop our own department health and wellness initiative. We’re focusing

on being educated about our health, eating well, and staying active. Your support will help make this possible.

Our department members need to have basic health screenings in order to know where we stand and how we can focus our

efforts on our individual health. However, the cost of blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and body composition screenings

for all of our members is far beyond our reach as a volunteer department. We would like Community Hospital to help us

maintain and monitor our health by donating these annual screenings to each of our 42 department personnel. This will al-

low our members to make the necessary changes to improve their health and address any heart attack risk factors the screen-

ings may nd. The initial screenings will also provide a baseline to measure our progress as we maintain our heart-health in

the coming months and years.

As you may know, Healthy Town Fire Department has 42 volunteer members and serves Healthy Town’s population of

17,000. Our reghters respond to 759 calls each year, protecting lives and property and keeping our community safe. Stud-

ies show that it would cost American taxpayers more than $37.6 billion annually if all volunteer rst responders nationwide

were replaced with career stafng. According to the NVFC’s Fire Department Cost Savings Calculator, our local volunteers

save our community over $500,000 each year. You can see that it is important that every one of our members is strong,

healthy, and ready to respond to the community’s needs.

Please support the Healthy Town Fire Department by donating complimentary health screenings for our personnel. I will follow

up with you in the coming weeks to discuss this opportunity further. In the meantime, if you have any questions or are ready

to pledge your support, please feel free to contact me at 555-123-4567 or [email protected]. We look forward to working

with you to ensure the safety and health of our community’s rst responders.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Chief

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

Sample: In-Kind Donation Ask Letter – Fitness Club

This is an example of what an in-kind donation letter to a tness club might look like.

June 6, 2008

Mr. Mark Smith

Community Relations Director

Community Fitness Club

567 Healthy Boulevard

Healthy Town, USA 54321

Dear Mr. Smith:

Nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year are caused by heart attacks, making heart disease the number one

threat to reghter health. That’s why the Healthy Town Fire Department is taking the pledge to get healthy and not become

a statistic. We are adopting the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program and ask that Commu-

nity Fitness Club help us stay strong so that we can continue to serve our community.

The Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program is the nation’s only heart attack prevention and awareness campaign targeted at all

reghters and EMS personnel. The Healthy Town Fire Department is using the resources from this program to challenge

ourselves to adopt and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle and develop our own department health and wellness initiative.

We’re focusing on being educated about our health, eating well, and staying active. Your support will help make this pos-

sible.

In order to ensure our rst responders have the resources they need to lead a t and healthy lifestyle, we need your help.

Please consider supporting us by providing one or more of the following:

 •Complimentaryclubmembershipforourdepartmentpersonnel

 •Complimentaryconsultationswithpersonaltrainers

 •Donationofgentlyusedexerciseequipmenttothedepartment

 •SponsorshipofaHealthyTownFireDepartment-organizedsportstournament

As you may know, Healthy Town Fire Department has 42 members and serves Healthy Town’s population of 17,000. Our

reghters respond to 759 calls each year, protecting lives and property and keeping our community safe. Just last month we

responded to a call from a business near your facility and were able to extinguish the re before it caused major damage to

the business or spread to the surrounding buildings. You can see that it is important that every one of our members is strong,

healthy, and ready to respond to the community’s needs.

I will follow up with you in the coming weeks to discuss ways Community Fitness Club can support Healthy Town Fire

Department. In the meantime, if you have questions or are ready to pledge your support, please feel free to contact me at

555-123-4567 or [email protected]. We look forward to working with you to ensure the safety and health of our commu-

nity’s rst responders.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Chief

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

Sample: Monetary Donation Ask Letter

This is an example of what a monetary donation ask letter might look like.

August 21, 2008

Ms. Susan Lee

Community Relations Director

Healthy Corporation

2121 Fitness Place

Healthy Town, USA 54321

Dear Ms. Lee:

Nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year are caused by heart attacks, making heart disease the number

one threat to reghter health. That’s why the Healthy Town Fire Department is taking the pledge to get healthy and not

become a statistic. We are adopting the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program and ask that

Healthy Corporation help us stay strong so that we can continue to serve our community.

The Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program is the nation’s only heart attack prevention and awareness campaign targeted

at all reghters and EMS personnel. The Healthy Town Fire Department is using the resources from this program to

challenge ourselves to adopt and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle and develop our own department health and wellness

initiative. We’re focusing on being educated about our health, eating well, and staying active. Your support will help make

this possible.

Please consider sponsoring the Healthy Town Fire Department’s Health and Wellness Program. As a sponsor, you could

support our program in a variety of ways, such as providing membership for our personnel at a local tness club, assist-

ing in covering the costs of health screenings for department personnel, or helping to provide tness equipment at our

stations.

As you may know, Healthy Town Fire Department has 42 members and serves Healthy Town’s population of 17,000.

Our reghters respond to 759 calls each year, protecting lives and property and keeping our community safe. Last year

one of our reghters suffered from severe heart palpitations and dizziness after responding to a call. After visiting his

doctor, we found out he had dangerously high blood pressure. Thankfully we caught this in time and he has taken steps

to lower his blood pressure, but the incident could have had a tragic ending. You can see that it is important that every

one of our members is strong, healthy, and ready to respond to the community’s needs.

I will follow up with you in the coming weeks to discuss this opportunity further. In the meantime, if you have questions

or are ready to pledge your support, please feel free to contact me at 555-123-4567 or [email protected]. We look for-

ward to working with you to ensure the safety and health of our community’s rst responders.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Chief

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

SECTION 2: Reaching Out

Meeting Talking

Points

When talking to a potential donor or sponsor, you

should emphasize the importance of health in the

re service, what your department is doing to get

healthy, how the company or potential sponsor can

help, the impact your department has on the com-

munity, and why it is important for the company to

support this initiative. Talking points may include

the following:

Heart disease is the number one cause of line-of-

duty death among reghters.

On average, over 100 reghters die in the line

of duty each year. Nearly half of these deaths are

due to heart attack.

The stress put upon reghters is enormous –

their bodies must withstand higher tempera-

tures, increased strenuous physical activity, and

exposure to life-threatening environmental

factors. Long periods of down time followed by

sudden periods of high-stress activity also place

increased demands on reghter’s hearts.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)

launched the Heart-Healthy Fireghter Program

in 2003 to promote tness, nutrition, and health

awareness within America’s re and emergency

services. Departments are asked to adopt the

program and take the pledge to become heart-

healthy. They can then utilize special tools and

resources to make healthy lifestyle changes.

The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>’s health

program will include <DESCRIBE ELEMENTS

OF OR PLANS FOR PROGRAM>.

For volunteer and combination departments:

Studies show that it would cost American tax-

payers more than $37.6 billion annually if all

volunteer rst responders nationwide were

replaced with career stafng. According to the

NVFC’s Fire and EMS Cost Savings Calculators,

our local volunteers save our community over

<AMOUNT> each year. You can see that it is

important that every one of our members is

strong, healthy, and ready to respond to the

community’s needs.

<FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> answers

<NUMBER> calls each year, covering a popula-

tion of <NUMBER>. These calls are answered

by <NUMBER> reghters and emergency

services personnel.

<FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> has been

acknowledged for their service by <LIST

AWARDS AND ACOMMPLISHMENTS>.

By supporting the <FIRE DEPARTMENT

NAME>, your company will benet from

increased community exposure, including

<DESCRIBE ANY PRESS OR OTHER PUBLIC

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THE COMPANY

WILL RECEIVE>.

SECTION 2: Reaching Out

Making the Pitch

You have landed a meeting with a local company

and you have your opportunity to make your pitch.

But how do you actually ask for the support that

your department needs? These tips will help you

make the pitch to local companies to secure spon-

sorships.

Personalize your ask. Know who you are meet-

ing with and their role within the company. Are

they related to someone in your department?

Have they supported the department before?

Find ways to connect with them.

Know the company. Treat a meeting with a

potential donor just like a job interview – do

your research. Know what the company does

and what organizations and initiatives they sup-

port. Make sure that what you’re asking for is

something that the company would be able to

do.

Reach their bottom line. Would supporting the

department provide an opportunity for free

publicity through press releases and other

media? Would they get complimentary re safety

training in exchange for their support? Would

their donation be tax deductible? While you are

researching the company, think about how sup-

porting the local emergency services could help

their business. For example, if you have an

annual event such as a cook-out, you could

display company signage and let them have a

booth to display their merchandise.

Have a plan. Make sure that you have a clear

plan of what you are asking for and what the

company will receive in return for their support.

Provide printed hand-outs if possible that list the

benets of supporting your department. Include

a description of what the department will be

able to accomplish with the donated items,

money, or support.

Know your program. Make sure your health and

wellness program is clearly dened and you are

able to talk about it knowledgeably. Be able to

explain how the program will benet the depart-

ment and, in turn, benet the community. Dem -

onstrate that the department members are com-

mitted to the program and will follow through

on what is proposed.

Show what you are doing in the community.

Provide information about your work and the

value of your department. Use specic examples

of the inspiring things your department has

done. If you are in a volunteer or combination

department, use the NVFC Fire Department

and EMS Cost Savings Calculators (www.nvfc.

org/calculators) to show the monetary value of

the department to your community.

Say thank you! Remember to acknowledge your

supporters whenever you can, and always follow

up on any service or donation with a thank-you

letter. If you are registered as a 501(c)(3) or

501(c)(4) organization, send a donation receipt

so that your donor can receive tax benets if

applicable. Refer to IRS Guidelines for Chari-

table Donations and Tax Deductions (page 28).

Following up is one of the most critical compo-

nents of securing sponsorship. You want to make

sure you retain a good relationship with your

donors and sponsors so that they continue to

support your organization and initiatives. Once

you have made the pitch, remember to follow

up with the potential sponsor. Send a thank you

letter after a meeting to express appreciation for

their time and consideration. Once you receive a

donation from a company, make sure you send a

thank you letter and include a donation receipt if

applicable, following all donation guidelines set

forth by the IRS. Be sure to fulﬁll any obligation

you committed to in exchange for the donation,

such as acknowledgement of the company in

department newsletters and materials, free ﬁre

safety training for the company’s employees,

or whatever was agreed upon. In any follow-up

press releases or health program-sponsored

events, be sure to acknowledge the company’s

support. This section contains thank you letter

customizable templates and samples, IRS tax

deduction and donation guidelines, and dona-

tion receipt customizable templates you can use

when following up with your supporters.

SECTION 3:

Following Up

Template: Follow-up Letter

Use this customizable template to follow up after a meeting with a potential sponsor.

<DATE>

<TITLE>

<SALUTATION>:

It was a pleasure meeting with you on <DATE>. I enjoyed learning more about <COMPANY>’s work in our community and

discussing with you the many ways in which we can work together to protect and maintain the health of our community’s

rst responders.

As you know, the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> responds to over <NUMBER> calls per year, and each one places our

rst responders in harms way. While we can provide personal protective equipment, training, and procedures to ensure their

physical safety while on-scene, these measures do nothing to ensure they are safe from the health risks that cause nearly half

of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year. It is critical that our reghters stay healthy and strong in order to protect the

community, and your assistance and support will help accomplish this.

Again, I enjoyed speaking with you about <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>’s health initiative and hope we can count on

your support. Please contact me at <PHONE> or <EMAIL> with any additional questions you might have. I look forward to

working with you on this initiative and will be in touch to discuss moving forward.

<CLOSING>,

<NAME>

<TITLE>

Sample: Follow-up Letter

This is an example of what a follow-up letter might look like.

October 12, 2008

Mr. Tom Smith

Community Relations Director

Community Hospital

1234 Wellness Lane

Healthy Town, USA 54321

Dear Mr. Smith:

It was a pleasure meeting with you last Thursday. I enjoyed learning more about Community Hospital’s work in our com-

munity and discussing with you the many ways in which we can work together to protect and maintain the health of our

community’s rst responders.

As you know, the Healthy Town Fire Department responds to over 750 calls per year, and each one places our rst respond-

ers in harms way. While we can provide personal protective equipment, training, and procedures to ensure their physical

safety while on-scene, these measures do nothing to ensure they are safe from the health risks that cause nearly half of all

line-of-duty reghter deaths each year. It is critical that our reghters stay healthy and strong in order to continue to

protect the community, and your assistance and support will help accomplish this. Your donation of complimentary annual

blood pressure and cholesterol screenings for every department member can make all the difference.

Again, I enjoyed speaking with you about Health Town Fire Department’s health initiative and hope we can count on your

support. Please contact me at 555-123-4567 or [email protected] with any additional questions you might have. I look for-

ward to working with you on this initiative and will be in touch to discuss moving forward.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Chief

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

Template: Thank You Letter

Use this customizable template to write a thank you letter to a sponsor or donor.

<DATE>

<TITLE>

<SALUTATION>:

Thank you for <COMPANY>’s generous contribution to the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>’s health and wellness pro-

gram. It was a pleasure to work with you and everyone on the <COMPANY> team to <STATE ACTIVITY>.

<DESCRIBE PARTNERSHIP, INCLUDING DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATION, LIFESTYLE CHANGES, OTHER DETAILS

TO DEMONSTRATE SUCCESS>

Your generosity has contributed greatly to our department-wide focus on health and wellness and provided our rst respond-

ers with <DESCRIBE>. Thank you again for your contribution, and I look forward to continuing this partnership with

<COMPANY> in the future.

<CLOSING>,

<NAME>

<TITLE>

Sample: Thank You Letter

This is an example of what a thank you letter might look like.

November 16, 2008

Mr. Tom Smith

Community Relations Director

Community Hospital

1234 Wellness Lane

Healthy Town, USA 54321

Dear Mr. Smith:

Thank you for Community Hospital’s generous contribution to the Healthy Town Fire Department’s health and wellness

program. It was a pleasure to work with you and everyone on the Community Hospital team to screen Healthy Town Fire

Department members for health risks that contribute to nearly half of all line-of-duty reghter deaths each year.

Over 80 percent of our members took advantage of the free screenings. The screenings provided vital information as our

members set their goals to become healthier. One of our lieutenants, a physically active 38-year-old, found out through the

screenings that his blood pressure was extremely high. With this knowledge, he is now working with his doctor to control

his blood pressure levels before a serious complication occurs. On behalf of him and all of our personnel, we are extremely

grateful for your donation.

Your generosity has contributed greatly to our department-wide focus on health and wellness and provided our rst respond-

ers with potentially life-saving information that has helped to set their personal health and wellness goals. Thank you again

for your contribution, and I look forward to continuing this partnership with Community Hospital in the future.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Chief

HTFD

HEALTHY TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT

IRS Guidelines for

Charitable Donations

and Tax Deductions

Only certain categories of exempt organizations are

eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contri-

butions. These include most charities described in

section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and

in some circumstances volunteer re departments

described in section 501(c)(4). Visit www.irs.gov for

more information.

The IRS has specic rules and regulations for which

donations are eligible for tax deduction and how

a 501(c)(3) organization should keep records of

contributions. Following are the basic guidelines for

informational purposes; learn more at www.irs.gov

or consult a tax advisor or tax attorney for specic

information pertaining to your department.

Charitable Contributions - Substantiation and

Disclosure

Organizations that are tax exempt under section

501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code must meet

certain requirements for documenting charitable

contributions. The federal tax law imposes two

general disclosure rules:

A donor must obtain a written acknowledgment

from a charity for any single contribution of

$250 or more before the donor can claim a

charitable contribution on his/her federal income

tax return;

A charitable organization must provide a written

disclosure to a donor who makes a payment in

excess of $75 partly as a contribution and partly

for goods and services provided by the organiza-

tion.

SECTION 3: Following Up

In addition, donating organizations providing

only goods and services should receive a written

disclosure with a description of the items donated

from the recipient charitable organization. The

donating organization is responsible for estimating

the value of the donated goods and services.

Any donating organization receiving goods and

services in exchange for their donation must receive

a good-faith estimate of the fair market value of

the goods or services received from the charitable

organization. The value of any goods or services

received in exchange for any donation (monetary or

in-kind) should be subtracted from the total dona-

tion value.

See Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions –

Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, for

more information (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.

pdf).

Recordkeeping Requirements

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any

contribution of cash, a check, or other monetary

gift made on or after January 1, 2007, unless the

donor maintains a record of the contribution in the

form of either a bank record (such as a cancelled

check) or a written communication from the charity

(such as a receipt or a letter) showing the name of

the charity, the date of the contribution, and the

amount of the contribution.

Template: In-Kind Donation Receipt

If your department or organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, use this customizable template

to provide in-kind donors with a record for their taxes. Note that this letter should be on ofcial department letterhead.

<DATE>

<TITLE>

Dear <NAME>:

Thank you for your in-kind donation of <DESCRIPTION> to the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>. You are responsible for

determining the value of your charitable contribution for tax reporting purposes.

Please keep this letter as a receipt for your gift. The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is classied by the Internal Revenue Ser-

vice (IRS) as tax-exempt as dened in section 501(c)<(3) OR (4)> of the Internal Revenue Code and, as such, contributions

to the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> are tax-deductible. This letter conrms that no goods or services were provided in

exchange for this charitable contribution.

Thank you again for partnering with us as we work to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle so that we can continue to serve and

protect the community.

Sincerely,

<NAME>

<TITLE>

Template: Monetary Donation Receipt

If your department or organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, use this customizable template

to provide monetary donors with a record for their taxes.

<DATE>

<TITLE>

Dear <NAME>:

Thank you for your donation of $<AMOUNT> to the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME>. We appreciate your support of our

department. Thanks to supporters such as you we are able to <INSERT DESCRIPTION>.

Please keep this letter as a receipt for your donation. The <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> is classied by the Internal Reve-

nue Service (IRS) as tax-exempt as dened in section 501(c)<(3) OR (4)>of the Internal Revenue Code and, as such, contribu-

tions to the <FIRE DEPARTMENT NAME> are tax-deductible. This letter conrms that no goods or services were provided

in exchange for this charitable contribution.

Thank you again for supporting us as we work to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle so that we can continue to serve and

protect the community.

Sincerely,

<NAME>

<TITLE>

KEEP

IT STRONG

7852 Walker Drive

Suite 450

Greenbelt, MD 20770

1-888-ASK-NVFC (275-6832)

Fax: 202-887-5291

nvfcofﬁ[email protected]