The First Cut: Cabrini Madness

The first cut for Cabrini Madness 2011 took place last night at 11:59 pm (long after all of the NCAA games were over for the night--I guess we now know which tournament is more intense!).

Due to some confusion regarding tournament policies for matching donations, Commissioners EL Da'Sheon Nix and Bradley Troast have decided to advance 9 teams this week.

The following teams are advancing to the next round:
1. $2,161..... Cabrini Allstars
2. $2,118 ... The Dream Team
3. $1,561..... Boom Goes the Dynamite
4. $1,385 ..... The Kids Are All Bright
5. $1,338 ....... The Golden Stars
6. $1,285 ..... Team High5ive
7. $1,265 ... Change Makers
8. $1,215 ..... The Green Team
9. $1,208 ..... Cabrini Loyalty

The following teams didn't make the first cut, but still raised a combined $1,828 for Cabrini Connections:
10. $785 ... The Blue Chips
11. $600 ....... The Free Agents
12. $330 ....... Team 5Dragons
13. $113 ..... Running for Cabrini

Teams have demonstrated a lot of creativity thus far in the tournament. We've seen teams raise money through bowling nights, wii tournaments, wing eating contests (see an action shot to the left), chili cook-offs, pizza sales, and online giving campaigns. I look forward to seeing what teams do in the final few weeks of competition!

I'd like to take a moment to thank my family and friends who have supported my team, The Kids Are All Bright, and have helped us move to the second round standing strong at #4. My personal competitive side and desire to win the tournament aside, your generosity helps us keep the doors open to a really amazing program!

As many readers know, it has been a challenging financial year for Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. However, our organization is not alone in facing ongoing financial obstacles. A study was released just today by the Nonprofit Financial Fund which indicates that 87% of nonprofits feel "the recession is not over." The study also found that while 85% of nonprofits anticipate an increased demand for their services in 2011, only 46% of organizations expect to be able to meet this need.

While this study reinforces the challenging landscape faced by nonprofits such as Cabrini Connections, Cabrini Madness is a really positive reminder that we have a lot of people willing to support the program and advocate on its behalf.

Congratulations to all teams, and good luck in the rest of the tournament. For all tournament fans, stay on top of tournament news, media updates, and standings on the official Cabrini Madness site.

Please support your favorite team before the next cut on Sunday, March 27th!

Enjoy Watching Sports on TV?

....if the answer to this question is YES, then you might recall the commercial featuring Michael Jordan called "Maybe." (For a refresher, you can watch it out at the bottom of this post).

Recently, Bradley Troast and EL Da'Sheon Nix remade this video to promote the Cabrini Madness tournament. Check it out below, and I hope it inspires you donate to your favorite team.

The Kids Are All Bright (my team), is sadly trailing in the tourney in 13th place. Help us climb the leader board before the first cut on March 20th!

Thanks for your support!

First, the MJ original:



And now the Cabrini Madness remake starring our own, EL Da'Sheon Nix:

Maybe from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Cabrini Madness: Game On!

The Super Bowl is now behind us, which means another tournament has begun:

Cabrini Madness 2011!

Be sure to watch the first 2011 Cabrini Madness promo video, "Training Days."

Training Days from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Visit each team's page to view their roster of volunteers, staff, students, board members, and outside supporters:

• The Kids Are All Bright (Shameless Plug: This is my team! Donations are much appreciated!)
• Team 5Ds
• The Blue Chips
• Boom Goes the Dynamite
  
• Cabrini Allstars
• Cabrini Loyalty
  
• The Change Makers
• The Dream Team (defending champions)
• The Free Agents
  
• The Golden Stars
  
• The Green Team
  
• Running for Cabrini
• Team high5ive
  

You can also keep track of tournament news and updates via the main Cabrini Madness page.

Even if you aren't able to donate, you can help out by promoting your favorite team (or Cabrini Madness in general) through your Facebook page, Twitter account, or (gasp) even talking to people in person. Cabrini Madness isn't just about raising money. It's about giving people an opportunity to introduce the program and the organization to those in their networks. The more people that know about us, the more supporters we will have for the kids in our program and for the work that Tutor/Mentor Connection does throughout the city of Chicago.

Cabrini Madness is a great example of how programs can use innovative, interactive, and fun strategies for fundraising. The idea for the tournament was developed last year over a dinnertime conversation between EL Da'Sheon Nix and Bradley Troast. Now, after a successful first season, the tournament is in its second year.

Cabrini Madness also exemplifies how outside events, holidays, and even sports tournaments can be leveraged in creative ways to draw attention to nonprofits. Although most small tutoring and mentoring programs do not have the budget to advertise on a grand scale if at all, using widely recognized events to pull people to programs is a great strategy for catching people's attention and interest. For an easy reference, see this article on national events that might be creatively geared toward supporting tutoring and mentoring programs.

You can read more about the "annual calendar" that Tutor/Mentor Connection has developed in Dan Bassill's recent blog article about T/MC's strategy to engage businesses throughout the year with continual investment.

Thanks for your support and good luck to all of the teams in this season of Cabrini Madness!

2011 Cabrini Madness Sign-Ups Starting!!

The Second Annual CABRINI MADNESS Tournament is about to start! Beginning this week, teams are forming to take part in the 2011 tournament.

This is my first year participating in Cabrini Madness, and it sounds like a lot of fun. Cabrini Madness is a fund-raising team challenge that involves students, volunteers, board members, staff, and outside supporters in a competition to see who can raise the most money to support Cabrini Connections. Teams find a wide variety of creative ways to raise donations ranging from bake sales to pizza/game parties to social events. All teams on the roster are part of a bracket, and teams are gradually eliminated to the elite eight, final four, and so on until the champion is determined (sound like March Madness at all?).

Each week of the tournament, videos will be posted updating the fans of Cabrini Connections about how their favorite teams are fairing. Below, you can watch a video on the 2010 first draft pick (and be sure to stay tuned for the week of February 1st when we'll have our first video for 2011).

Cabrini Madness Episode 2 from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Last year, the tournament was a huge success with 13 teams and 114 players together raising over $23,000!!! We hope 2011 will bring in even more support. This is a really unique and dynamic fund-raiser because it involves so many different people within our program. Everyone from board members to students to community members are encouraged to get involved in this friendly (but from what I understand, also quite heated) competition.

How to create a team: Teams are made up of 5-10 members. Each team must include at least (1) current or former student, (1) current or former volunteer, (1) current or former staff member, volunteer coordinator, club leader, or board member, and (1) person that is not a current member of the program such as a close friend, spouse, or co-worker. Each team must also create an online fund-raising page using platforms such as GiveForward, Razoo, or FirstGiving.

If you're interested in joining the tournament, I can help place you on a team! I will be working with team captains to fill their rosters, so be sure to contact me if you are interested in being part of a team. This is a great way to get involved (and as you'll notice, there is a special spot on each team for those not currently involved in the program--meaning anyone can join!).

TIMELINE:

• February 6 - Deadline for entry
• February 6 - Deadline for fundraising page
• March 20 - First cut (Top 8 advance)
• March 27 - Second cut (Top 4 advance)
• April 2 - Third cut (Top 2 advance)
• April 4 - Final cut (Winner chosen)
• April 6/7 - Awards at tutoring

You can read a full recap of the 2010 tournament on Cabriniblog here.