Frequently Asked Questions - Organization THON Chairs

If your organization has not been involved in THON before and is interested in participating, please contact Charlotte Kohl at communications@thon.org.

Please contact Charlotte Kohl at communications@thon.org. You will be added to the THON Chair listserv.

If you would like to be added to the listserv for all of THON (not just THON Chairs), click here.

There are no limits to what independently organized groups can do for THON and For The Kids! To learn more about starting your own organization, please visit the page dedicated to helping you build a successful group! You can also contact Charlotte Kohl, the Communications Overall Chairperson, at communications@thon.org for more information.

Every organization that participates in THON is assigned a liaison from the Communications and Donor & Alumni Relations Committees. Your liaisons are there to help you every step of the way. Your liaison has a wealth of knowledge and resources that can help motivate your organization’s members and help maximize your fundraising potential. Contact Charlotte Kohl at communications@thon.org to find out who your liaison is!

There is also a section on THON.org just for you! Please visit the THON Chair Resources page.

The most successful methods of fundraising include canning, letter writing with THONvelopes, small business and corporate solicitation, door-to-door solicitation, and alternative fundraising events.

To learn more about how you and your organization can succeed in your fundraising efforts this year, please visit our fundraising resources page.

SORAAC stands for Statement of Rule Awareness and Compliance. Every THON Chair is required to sign a SORAAC form. The form can be found online on www.THINK.psu.edu.

In order to sign the SORAAC, you must first complete the brief THON Chair quiz. Signing the SORAAC confirms that you have read the Rulebook and understand that you might communicate its contents to the members of your organization. The SORAAC form must be signed prior to the first fundraising weekend. If you have any questions, please contact Mairead Hanna at rules.regulations@thon.org.

Legal canning means obeying laws established in the PA Vehicle Code. The entire code can be found in the appendix of the THON Rulebook, but here are a few highlights:

Organizations must obtain permits where it is required by the township.

Under no circumstances is solicitation allowed in the middle of streets or on medians.
Solicitors must use sidewalks where they are available.

Canning may only take place between dawn and dusk. Do not solicit funds when it is dark outside.

For more information on canning, please visit our Fundraising Resources page.

Obtaining permits for canning differs depending on the township in which you plan to solicit funds. The first step you should take is to contact the township. Ask, "How do I apply for a solicitation permit?" They will provide with the information specific to the township. Usually, there is paperwork that must be filled out in advance. You should start contacting townships at least one month before your trip. If you are still having difficulty obtaining permits, please contact Mairead Hanna at rules.regulations@thon.org. We will be happy to assist you in any way possible.

Send an e-mail to treasurer@thon.org with inquiries about your organization’s total. You will receive an updated breakdown of your total donations for THON 2012. Due to the high volume of such requests, please limit your requests to every other week.

Having your organization paired with a Four Diamonds Family is a great way to create an emotional connection with a family affected by pediatric cancer and motivate your organization. Your organization can apply to “adopt” a family by filling out an “Adopt-a-Family” Application before the specified deadline. To learn more about the application process, please join us for the “Adopt-a-Family” Application Workshop (see the Events page to find out when)!

Once your application is filled out, you will be required to attend to an Adopt-A-Family meeting where you will find out whether or not your organization has been paired with a family. The opportunity to be paired with a family is a very special privilege, and it is not guaranteed that every organization will be paired with a family.

THINK stands for THON Information Network, and it can be accessed at www.think.psu.edu. As a chair or independent dancer, THINK can be one of your greatest resources. THINK is the one-stop shop for registering canning trips, submitting requests for marketing materials for donors, and registering dancers. You can use THINK to your advantage; just ask us how!


If you have additional questions about how to use THINK, please email your THON Liaison or to Charlotte Kohl at communications@thon.org.

The THON corporate packet is a professionally designed marketing packet that your organization can use to solicit small business and corporate donors. The packet can assist your fundraising efforts by legitimizing THON to potential donors.

In order to gain access to a corporate packet, you must fill out a “New Company Contact Request” form on THINK. Upon completion of your submission, you will be contacted by the Donor & Alumni Relations committee to assist you with the next steps of the process.

In order for individuals affiliated with your organization to gain access to the floor during THON Weekend, a pass list must be submitted prior to THON Weekend on THINK. Pass list submissions will be available starting and closing on dates which are TBA.

Yes. Any money received from the company will be credited to your organization even if the Donor & Alumni Relations committee contacts the company on your behalf.

All checks should be delivered to the THON Office, 210 HUB, as soon as they are received. In order to ensure that your organization is properly credited, you must write your organization’s name and number listed on the memo line of the check. Please do not put Greek letters on the check.

Pledge books should be turned in as soon as the book is filled. Make sure the cover of the booklet, and each page, has your organization’s name and number listed before being dropped off.

During the Monday following each canning weekend, Canning Drop-Offs will be held in the HUB. You must pre-register on THINK the time of the day during which you will drop off your organization’s money. Canning Drop-Off times can be registered using the “Canning” link at www.think.psu.edu.

Registering trips in a certain location does not give you exclusive rights to that location. You are encouraged to work with the other organization to share the territory. At the end of the day, all the money is going to the same great cause!

The best way to motivate and inspire the members of your organization is by sharing family stories with them. Once students see the purpose behind their efforts, they are much more likely to write letters, attend events, and go on canning trips. If you are in need of motivational material, please contact Charlotte Kohl at communications@thon.org!

The number of dancers allotted to your organization is based on your previous year's fundraising total for your organization. Although fundraising totals for organizations vary each year, the number of total dancer spots does not. As a result, dancer allotments change each year. This means that your organization stands to gain dancer spots, remain the same, or lose dancer spots, depending on your fundraising total.

Organizations that are participating in THON for the first time, and ones that did not raise enough money during the previous year to be guaranteed dancers, will be placed in a weighted lottery. If this applies to your organization, you must raise a minimum of $2,200 to qualify for the year’s lottery. Each additional $500 earned by your organization will earn you an extra "chance". The Dancer lottery occurs in the beginning of February. The more money you are able to raise, the greater your chances are of being awarded dancers for THON Weekend.

New organizations aren't guaranteed a dancer couple, but are instead placed into a weighted lottery. This year, new organizations must raise a minimum of $2,600 to be eligible for the lottery. Each additional $500 earned by your organization will earn you an extra "chance" in the lottery. The number of dancers that your organization will be awarded for your second year of participation will be based off of your fundraising successes during your first year.

If you want general THON gear, you can visit the THON Store at http://store.thon.psu.edu.

If you want THON gear customized for your organization, there are 5 vendors located in and around State College that can print your THON gear. When you order your organization's clothing from one of these companies, you will be given the best price available. Because these companies are licensed, THON will receive the trademark royalty fee in the form of a donation. The royalty fee for all licensed companies printing THON merchandise is 8%. This charge will be added directly to the cost of your order or will be listed as a separate line on the invoice. Using a licensed company ensures that the THON name and logo are not misused.

Be aware that using a company which is not licensed to print THON clothing is illegal.

To submit an alternative fundraising request, your THON chair needs to go to THINK and fill out an alternative fundraising request form. Providing as much detail as possible in your request will make the process much easier. Requests are due at least 10 days before the event to ensure that the Rules & Regulations alternative fundraising captains have enough time to help you in your planning!

There is currently not a feasible way to provide any sort of notification when a donor makes an online donation as a result of direct solicitation from a student from a THONline e-mail. In order to keep your member up to date on who has donated online for your organization, you should periodically share the list of your online donors from THINK with members of your organization so that they can look for their potential donors and thank those that have made a donation. Creating a shared GoogleDoc or Excel spreadsheet is a good way to keep track of whose donors are whose!