The document provides guidance and a checklist for team captains participating in the Extra Life fundraising event. It encourages captains to recruit participants, set fundraising goals and dates, and support their team by organizing meetups and celebrating achievements. The checklist outlines steps like selecting a day of play, recruiting members, networking with local charities, planning an event, and maintaining motivation after the fundraiser. The goal is for captains to help their teams raise funds for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals by playing video games.

1. Extra Life
Team Captain

2. Oh Captain,
my Captain! You’ve just taken on the responsibility of being an Extra
Life Team Captain. Congrats and more importantly, thank
you! You’ve just increased you and your team’s odds of
raising EVEN more funds for your hospitals. It’s easier to
participate with others and with some help from this
handbook, you can support and inspire your fellow
participants to new heights!
Keep being amazing #ForTheKids,
Lou Adducci
Team Extra Life
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

3. Extra Life Team Captain
Overview
You’re the captain….now, what?
Team Captains are an incredibly important part of any
fundraising program. For Extra Life, you lead your fellow
participants in raising funds by playing games, encouraging
participation in events (online and in-person), set goals and
offer incentives. How you rally your team is up to you!
You’ll plan, write emails, contact local businesses and even
connect with your local Children’s Miracle Network
Hospital!
You give direction
Select a team name, a focus or particular reason for playing.
Perhaps your group loves playing classic video games or
your dive deep into Dungeons & Dragons, or perhaps you or
a fellow teammate have had to utilize a CMN Hospital.
Whatever the reason, put it on your team page as a badge
of honor!
Onward, to victory!
Set your team’s goal and push your participants to hit their
individual goals! Set stretch goals and recognize high
performing Extra Lifers via email, social media or even
written letters! Let them know you see their hard work and
remind them why it matters. 5

4. You are needed Captain!

5. Team Captain Checklist
These basic steps will help you organize and motivate your team members to recruit, fundraise and share Extra Life with friends,
family and their communities!
Quest #1:
Set a ”Day of Play”
 Select any day or days to play for Extra Life! We encourage you to find the time and place that works best for you
and your team. Each year we play together as a community in early November, we’d love to have you join us or
will cheer you on during your selected “Day of Play”!
Quest #2:
RECRUIT
 Gather your contact lists and send emails and direct messages to anyone you know! Let them know that you are
helping support your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital by playing games! Share these infographics to
illustrate why you need their help!
 Inquire at your school, place of work, place of worship, community center or local retailers if they would be
interested in joining your team. Ask if you can leave fliers or brochures!
 Donate any amount to yourself and encourage the same for new and any existing team members to get the
donation train moving by doing the same. Showing your team members and potential donors your personal
investment into the cause, they will be more likely to contribute or even participate!
 Remind your team that by becoming a Platinum Extra Lifer, they can unlock additional incentives through
raising funds for Extra Life!
Complete these quests!

6. Team Captain Checklist
Quest #3:
NETWORK
 Connect with your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital! Let us know you’re interested by contacting
community@extra-life.org!
 Reach out to local restaurants, retailers, ”barcades” or gaming cafes to see if they might be interested in hosting
your team for a meet-up. Encourage these businesses to either donate to your participants, join your team or
create their own.
 Inquire at your workplace if they do matching gifts for donations and instruct your team members to do the
same!
Quest #4:
Game Day!
 Whether you’ve planned on having a gathering in-person or online, be available for your team and support
them as they fulfill their pledges to play games for the kids.
 Create Game Day ”survival kits” and distribute or send to your team: snacks, energy drinks, team branded
swag….
 Hit those goals and CELEBRATE!
Quest #5:
Relax!
 Okay, but not TOO long! We need great captains like you each and every year!
 Remember to give your team members a recap of the year and get them excited for the next year!
 Add a reminder to your calendar for January 1st of the next year to register yourself and team again.
Complete these quests! (cont.)
Complete all of the quests?
Epic Captain status - UNLOCKED!

7. Best practices
• Customize your team page
• Utilize the team captain tools in the
Extra Life Dashboard
• Encourage your team members to use
the Extra Life Mobile Fundraising App
• Offer an incentive for donors and team
members
• Make a plan for Game Day
• Regularly send a dedicated e-blast
• Share on your social media channels
• Write a blog post
Helpful links
• Register: http://www.extra-
life.org/register
• Team Captain Best Practices:
http://extra-life.org/teamcaptain
• Media & Broadcasting Kit: http://extra-
life.org/mediakit
• Extra Life Mobile Fundraising App:
http://extra-life.org/apps
• Extra Life Facebook Fundraiser:
http://extra-life.org/facebookfundraising
• Extra Life FAQ: http://extra-life.org/faq