More Ways to Support a GREAT Cause

Again, a special thanks goes out to all that supported the Martini Madness event in one way or another!!! Events like that are not only fun for all that attend, but it provides an opportunity share the "Cabrini Connections' story" with more and more people that can lead to more fans, supporters, and donors.

The mission to continue looking for the necessary resources to make this organization work is not done by a longshot. There are more and more fundraising opportunities for you and others in your network to support. Some ideas may catch your interest and some may not, but knowing and understanding that the big picture is supporting tutoring and mentoring for youth and entire communities that can and will benefit from your support.

On October 25th former NU and Indianapolis Colts lineman, Matt Ulrich, is hosting the 2nd Annual TWR Soldier Field Charity Hill Run to raise funds for the organization. Last year, this event took in nearly $8,000 and they are looking to bring an even larger amount for 2009.

At the beginning of the college football season, Kurt Kittner and I launched the Illini vs. NU Fundraising challenge. Both former college football players, who are directly involved with the Cabrini Connections, T/MC organization, we decided to turn our competitive nature into competing in fundraising. While Kurt is looking to get fellow Illini alums to support the program, I am reaching out to my fellow Wildcat alums to do the same. We will continue this challenge until the BIG game on Nov. 14th. Currently we are leading the challenge $755 to $350 after to big donations by former NU basketball player Jason Burke and football star Billy Silva.

On Halloween Day current Cabrini Connections' student Melissa Young is hosting her very own Halloween Bake Sale. She is looking for people to assist her in donating items for sale, to help out with running the event, AND FOR ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WITH A SWEET TOOTH TO COME OUT AND PURCHASE SOME TREATS!!!

Beginning this week Art Club Coordinator Jackie Shay will be launching a Phoneraiser that will last throughout the year. And we are looking for everybody to turn in old cell phones, ink cartridges, iPods, digital cameras an video cameras to the Cabrini Connections' staff. So instead of letting these items pile in your closets, you can donate them to the program and assist in raising funds for the organization.

Another veteran volunteer to the program Sarah Randag, has teamed up with the owner of the Cellar Rat Wine Shop to host a wine-tasting event on Sunday November 22nd. This event will take place at the Cellar Rat Wine Shop from 5:30-7:30, cost is $25 per person, is open to the first 35 people who pay, has a theme of "Wines That Go Well with Turkey," and all proceeds will go to our program!!! If this sounds like an event that you are interested in you can RSVP today!!!

As you can see there is a lot going on in and around the organization, and that is great news. Goes to show that people are really looking to keep the up and running, and more importantly people are thinking about how important this program is to the youth, volunteers, parents, staff, and alumni that has been touched by this program in one way or another.

We THANK YOU ALL for your support!

Thank you, Martini Madness supporters

Last night was our annual Martini Madness event, organized by KarenLobdell, Julie Hamilton, Melissa Moore, Toni Pullen, and many friends.

We had a great turnout, and more than $10,000 was raised from donations, raffle prizes, and tips to our great volunteer Martini makers.

Martini Madness will continue through January 31, 2010, with a goal of raising another $10,000 in the campaign site at http://www.giveforward.org/tmcmartinimadness/

We can double was was raised last night if friends who attended encourage others to match their donations, and if friends who were not able to attend, send in their own donation.

Thank you all.

Fund Raising Supports Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection

This is a photo from our first week of tutoring for the 2009-10 school year at Cabrini Connections. Your donations enable us to fill these seats with teens and volunteers and work to keep them filled throughout the school year.

This week's events:

Friday, October 9th: Join in for our Annual Martini Madness Benefit. While we have a sign up on the Cabrini Connections web site, we also have a donation page on GiveForward.org. Thank you to Grant Brown for your sponsor donation. Thank you to Melissa Moore, Karen Lobdell, Julie Hamilton, Toni Pullen, and others, for your donations, and for taking the lead in organizing this event. The campaign on Give Forward will continue until January 31, 2010, with a goal of raising $10,000!

Sunday, October 11: Nicole White and Nick Infusino will run in the Chicago Marathon. Family, friends, and Northwestern alumni have already donated over $2,600 to support Nicole and Nick's run in the Chicago Marathon.

Another campaign is Mike's Map-a-Thon. He's trying to raise $5,000 by October 15 to fund the maps he makes to mobilize volunteers and donors for Cabrini Connections and every other tutor/mentor program in Chicago. Friends and family have already contributed $1,867.

Another campaign is the contest between Northwestern University and University of Illinois Alumni, to see which group can raise more donations by the time of the annual football game in November. As of 10/6/09 Northwester is leading Illinois by a donation score of $655 to $350. You don't need to be an alumni to support Northwestern, or Illinois, in this contest.

October 25, 9:30 am: 2nd annual Solider Field Charity Hill Challenge El Da'Sheon reports that already 100 people have signed up to run the hill. All proceeds go to Cabrini Connections. You can learn more and sign up yourself here.

Saturday, October 30, at Cabrini Connections - Halloween bake sale, organized by students and volunteers.

Sunday, November 22, Holiday Wine-Tasting Fundraiser, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, at Cellar Rat, 1811 W. North Ave. This is being organized by Sarah Randag, a volunteer tutor/mentor at Cabrini Connections

We have a variety of fund raising efforts going on to help us raise the needed money. Last Friday a group of volunteers and friends held a "Save Cabrini Party, and raised $232. Other volunteers are organizing events, such as a "phoneraising campaign" let by Jackie Shay and the Art Club Volunteers.

El Da'Sheon Nix wrote a story telling of two volunteers and one student who are organizing fund raising activities.

Of course, you don't need to make a donation through one of these on-line forums. You can mail your gift to Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection at 800 W. Huron, Chicago, Il. 60642 or call us at 312-492-9614 to discuss other ways of giving, or of raising funds.

With your help, we won't end up with an empty room, without teens and volunteers.

Support these fund raising events!

Martini Madness, October 9th. Encourage your company to make a sponsor donation at http://tinyurl.com/CCEvent-MartiniMadness

Thank you Henry and Peggy Troast for sponsor donation.

You can also make donations to support Martini Madness at http://www.giveforward.org/tmcmartinimadness/


Illinois leading Northwestern in Fund Raising Challenge.
The fund raising score is $350 to $255 in the on-line contest? Contribute to Illinois Team here. Contribute to NU team here.

Nicole and Nick's Fund Raising Marathon - raised $1,531 so far
http://www.firstgiving.com/nicolewhite3

Help Mike Raise Money for T/MC Maps - raised $1,542 so far
http://www.giveforward.org/mappingforjustice/

Donations received this week:

Stephanie Rogers
Lakeshore Editing
Stephanie McSwain
Isaiah Brooms
Mark Miller, Miller Insurance Co.
Steve Kaplan
Mildred Bonds

Tough Times for Non Profits. Meeting the Challenge.

On the Tutor/Mentor Connection blog I posted a couple of articles showing how non profits across the country are facing difficult times. Read them here, and here.



The only way to overcome this challenge is to find more people who will donate to your cause. Thus, I'm pleased to see how the fund raising events organized by Nicole White and Mike Trakan are attracting some donors.

Nicole and Nick Infusino are running in the Chicago marathon, and asking friends and family to make donations to support them. Their goal is to raise at least $2000, and they are already at $711. Thank you to everyone who has already sent a check or made a pledge.

Mike Trakan created a Map-a-Thon page to ask friends and family to help fund the map making we do. At this link is a map Mike created that is hanging in the Hyde Park Hair Salon, where President Obama gets his hair cut when in Chicago. It's intended to get the attention of the customers, and the media, who come in to the Salon. Mike's goal is to raise $5000 by mid October, which is the quarterly cost for our map making. $125 has been donated at http://www.giveforward.org/mappingforjustice/

Finally, Karen Lobdell, Julie Hamilton, Melissa Moore, Toni Pullen and others are organizing a 4th annual Martini Madness event, which will be held on October 9th at THE STORE, in Chicago. While ticket sales and raffle tickets will help us raise needed money, our real profit will come from those of you who make sponsor donations of $250 or more.

These are just a few ways our volunteers,leaders and staff are reaching out to help Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection stay in business. If we can keep doing that then alumni like Michael Akins will be able to find us and post messages like this on Facebook:

Hi my name is Michael Akins me and my three sister was a part of cabrini connections. I started in the small building when i was like in 5th grade. I met alot a great people and done alot of great things with the tutoring program. I am glad that i had the chance to experience everything that i did with the program from the dance group that i was in to the video production that i was a part of. Just saying thankyou to Dan,Gina and of course Jimmy who is no longer with us today.

4th Annual Martini Madness Raises Funds for Cabrini Connections

Join friends,co-workers, fellow volunteers at the 4th Annual Martini Madness Benefit, to be held, October 9, 2009.

If you cannot attend, please make a donation to help Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection help inner city kids and volunteers connect in one-on-one tutoring/mentoring and group learning and enrichment. Use Pay Pal, or this form.

Sponsor donations of $250 and above will be shown below, as they are received.



THANK YOU!

Fundraising Kickoff!

Fundraising efforts are underway with FUNdraising for Quarters kicking off last week. Several of you came to me for more information on workplace fundraising and the competition, so we as staff are excited to see what you guys bring to the table in the form of creative, unique ways to raise money for the program and win great prizes!

With Martini Madness coming up in less than a month (Oct. 17) we have a way for you to increase your efforts should you try to. We, the entire staff here at Cabrini Connections, will be selling raffle tickets for the Martini Madness raffle. You all are encouraged to sell them too. A percentage of the money you raise in raffle ticket sales will go towards your fundraising efforts IN ADDITION to your invited guests who pay to come. If you get a guest to buy a ticket ($40) and come out to the event or better, get a guest or company to sponsor the event ($250, $500 or $1,000) that amount goes toward your efforts as well! So just by coming out, bringing a friend and support the event, monies raised to help your total. It's that simple.

Raise online at: http://www.cabriniconnections.net/donate/martinimadnessdonate_online.asp

See me if you have any questions and keep me posted on your efforts, we need to record it and keep track so we can spotlight our top fundraisers weekly.

I will have raffle tickets on Wednesday and Thursday for those interested.

Always Fundraising,

Cassina