Choosing a time/place to communicate to the band

For returning teams, the best time to get people on board is at the start of the season. Make Dance Marathon part of your band from day one and give a quick presentation at band camp. After that, quick shout outs or mentions after rehearsals are easy ways to remind band members and continue promoting your team!

You can also consider an org visit! Does your Dance Marathon exec staff provide org visits to spread the word? It can be beneficial to have another person to talk about it, especially one who is so involved with the organization. At USC, exec will present to your group and provide a registration discount, so it’s worth a try! Check with your internal staff to see if they have similar opportunities.

Outside of group presentations, every captain or team leader should have a short, engaging explanation of why Dance Marathon matters and why it’s a fun experience! Make it memorable! Set a goal of personal outreach attempts to make and chip away at it until you get a yes.

Explaining how your band connects to Dance Marathon/Thon

It can be difficult to explain to students and potential donors how your band is involved, but here is an example of how to phrase it that could work for any Dance Marathon program once you add details to it. Make it your own!

Try it: “[Your Dance Marathon program] raises support for [Hospital/foundation], to help make a difference in kids’ health and support [Initiatives, programs, etc.]. Our band students fit into the organization as one of many student teams, and..."

Tangible methods

For recruitment and public awareness, consider simple ways you can share your efforts. For example, making team T-shirts and selling them to band supporters is an easy 2-in-1 method.

Social media presence

Ohio State took the approach of creating an Instagram account for their team. Although it mainly attracts views from team members and other band students, it is a good way to post visuals for percent nights and expand your reach a bit more. See if you have any students on your team who are interested in practicing social media.