Download Survivor Development Chair

Survivor Development Chair
As Survivor Development Chair, you and your committee have an opportunity to provide a
meaningful and life-changing Relay experience to cancer survivors, caregivers and their
families.
Roles & Responsibilities
 Be well versed about the American Cancer Society’s mission and
programs.
 Understand and work within ACS RFL Event Standards and
Philosophies
 Utilize the HOPE Model for developing a Survivorship
Development Plan
 Review and understand Survivor Development Chair Guidebook,
Overall Event Timeline and Checklist.
 Oversee all sub-committees and develops communication process
for each
 Ensure that all sub-committee members have the knowledge,
training, and resources needed to fulfill their job description
 Communicate regularly with the appropriate planning committee
chairs including: Event Chair, Team Development Chair, Publicity
Chair, Sponsorship Chair, Logistics Chair, and Entertainment Chair.
 Work with the survivor sub-committee chairs to set goals for
survivor recruitment and retention.
 Develop and utilize a plan of action and timeline for your event, for
additional meetings or gatherings of survivors, and for year round
survivor engagement efforts.
 Ensure that all survivor and caregiver data is collected and
submitted to Data Collection Chair and American Cancer Society
staff.
 Ensure that confidentiality is maintained when dealing with
survivor data.
Characteristics of successful Survivor/Caregiver Committee chairs include:
 A close connection to cancer – such as someone who is a survivor
or has been a caregiver for someone with cancer.
 Is outgoing and willing to approach people they do not know (for
example: survivors and family, local businesses for donations, and
potential committee volunteers).
 Strong leadership abilities
 Good communication skills
 Ability to make time commitment
 Goal and task oriented
 Creative and passionate about Relay
 Able to think “outside the box” when planning Survivor Activities
 Able to motivate others
Survivor Development Sub Committee
The role of the Survivor/Caregiver Sub Committee is to:
 Ensure the survivor and caregiver perspective is heard and
considered in all aspects of the event.
 Develop plans to engage survivors in many ways as possible -before during
and after the event.
 Honor survivors and celebrate their survivorship
 Honor caregivers for the role they play in support a loved on
through the
cancer journey
 Inspire hope in the fight against cancer.
 Educate survivors and their families and friends about the American
Cancer Society.
 Recruit new members to the Survivor Committee and encourage
those who have been on the committee to try new roles over time
The Survivor & Caregiver Sub-Committee structure could include:
 Survivor & Caregiver Recruitment Sub-Committee
 Survivor & Caregiver Retention Sub-Committee
 Survivor & Caregiver Recognition Sub-Committee
 Survivor & Caregiver Engagement Sub-Committee
The following sub committees are recommended but not required. Please talk with your
Event Chair and Staff Partner to determine the best structure for the Survivor subcommittees.
1. Survivor and Caregiver Recruitment & Invitation
This sub committee is responsible to develop and implement a strategic survivor and
caregiver recruitment plan, using available recruitment tools.
 Oversees all aspects of survivor and caregiver recruitment.
 Have an understanding of the cancer journey (within the HOPE Model)
 Utilize Celebrate.Remember.Fight Back resources to help with the
invitation of survivors and caregiver into Relay activities.
 Works with Survivor Chair to set goals for recruitment.
 Develop a plan of action to recruit survivors and caregivers for
participation in Relay For Life and all related activities. Successful
ideas are included within this module.
 Work with publicity or marketing chair to develop and implement a
publicity and marketing plan for survivor and caregiver recruitment.
Publicity should begin months in advance of event.
 Work with the team development committee to promote survivor
and caregiver involvement on teams, as team captains, in team
captain kickoffs/rallies, at team captain meetings etc.
 Work with Survivorship chair and communicate progress regularly.
2. Survivor and Caregiver Retention
This sub-committee is specifically responsible for establishing and maintaining year round
contact and communication with survivors and caregivers following the event.
 Work to establish year round communication through newsletters,
thank you notes, holiday cards, invitations to the kick-off, team
captain meetings and survivor functions.
 Invite survivors and caregivers to become team captains or team
members
 Invite survivors and caregivers to volunteer on the Relay planning
committee, or as American Cancer Society advocacy or patient
service program volunteers.
 Work with other sub-committee members to provide opportunities
to engage survivors and caregivers in all that the American Cancer
Society has to offer
 Work with Relay Chair and Registration Chair to ensure
information such as address, phone and email is captured on all
Survivors and caregivers participating in Relay and inform them of
the American Cancer Society’s confidentiality policy. This will
better ensure accurate information for future communications with
survivors
 Work with Survivorship chair to develop a retention plan and
communicate progress regularly
3. Survivor and Caregiver Recognition
This sub-committee is responsible for the survivor and caregiver registration and recognition
components at Relay For Life, and includes caregiver recognition as well.
Though its primary focus is recognition, this sub-committee works very closely with the
Survivor Engagement sub-committee to create other appropriate survivor involvement
opportunities at the Relay For Life event.
 Plan for the registration of survivors and caregivers who participate
in the Relay event. Many successful Relays emphasize a preregistration process where by survivors pre-register by phone, mail,
or e-mail.
 Collect survivor and caregiver contact information using
registration forms. (Check with your local staff partner on the
availability of these forms.)
 Submit the information collected through the registration process to
Relay Data Collection Chair and American Cancer Society staff
 Work with the Logisitics Chair on the most accessible location for
Survivor Check-in and for the Survivor Tent. The Survivors’
parking lot should be wheelchair accessible, close to the Survivor
tent and manned by a Volunteer.
 Plan the Survivor Lap, Caregivers’ Lap and Survivor Ceremony
 Work with Entertainment Chair to coordinate Survivor Ceremony
components.
 During the Survivor Ceremony, recognize Survivors with a special
gift item and a t-shirt.
 Determine how you will recognize Caregivers.
 Work with Advocacy Chair and Survivor Engagement subcommittee to conduct advocacy recruitment with Survivors at
Relay.
 Work with Survivor Engagement Volunteer to ensure Survivors and
Caregivers are educated on available programs and services. Also
promote resources and services available to assist patients,
Survivors, families and Caregivers.
 Work with the Survivor/Caregiver Retention Chair to publicize any
post-event survivor/caregiver activities to promote at the Relay.
 Work with Survivorship Chair to develop a recognition plan and
communicate progress regularly.
4. Survivor and Caregiver Engagement
The Survivor and Caregiver Engagement Sub-committee plans Survivor activities &
functions at the Event and throughout the year. It is also responsible for providing
opportunities for Survivors and caregivers to become engaged in American Cancer Society
programs and services year round.
Plan and implement functions and activities that:
 Recognize and honor Survivors year round.
 Educate Survivors on Volunteer opportunities
 Work with Mission and Advocacy Chairs to determine local
opportunities
 Educate Survivors on available programs, services, research efforts,
advocacy efforts, the National Cancer Information Center 1-800ACS-2345, American Cancer Society website (www.cancer.org),
and the Cancer Survivor’s Network
 Provide Survivors with various opportunities to participate in
American Cancer Society programs and services throughout the
year.
 Work with Survivorship Chair and communicate progress regularly