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1. Register your Sleep Out.

To gain full access to the Sleep Out Resource Center and create your custom team page, you must complete the registration form. Make sure that your company name is included in the team name so that coworkers and donors can easily find you.

Don't worry about having all the details finalized. You can modify any of the responses on your registration form and make changes to your team page at any time.

2. Identify a captain and build your team.

The person who creates the team page becomes the team captain by default, but you can email us to promote another team member to the role. Your Sleep Out team captain will be able to email the roster, make changes to your team page, and receive team donation notifications. The captain does not have to be the most senior person in your organization, rather, it should be the person coordinating the logistics. 

You will create a custom URL for your team page after registering, which you should use to ask coworkers to join or donate to your team. Determine your recruitment strategy before blasting it out: Is everyone in the organization invited to join? Should you create team pages for different departments to foster friendly competition? Will you encourage people to participate with their families, or will this be exclusive to employees?

Find sample recruitment messages in your Fundraising Tools and editable materials in the Resource Center. 

3. When and where will you Sleep Out?

Visit the Resource Center to download an editable Sleep Out planning timeline, event checklist, and tip sheet. We recommend giving yourself at least three months to plan and fundraise, but we can work with you to meet almost any timeline.

Finding a safe and legal place to Sleep Out is critical. If you choose to invite everyone to sleep in a shared location (e.g. a company parking lot), make sure you have permission and are following the rules of the venue. A venue checklist is included in the Resource Center.

If you cannot get permission for an outdoor space or if it is unsafe to sleep outside for any reason (e.g. weather) it's perfectly fine to sleep indoors. The idea of the Sleep Out is not to replicate homelessness, but to give up your bed and understand just some of the discomforts that youth experience while homeless. You can also ask people to participate from their own backyards, gathering virtually before heading out to sleep.

4. What is your fundraising goal?

Fundraising is an important part of the Sleep Out, because it's what ensures that young people can find safe shelter at Covenant House. You should set a team fundraising goal (we recommend something that feels like a slight reach) and decide if you want to set individual fundraising goals as well (e.g. $500 per person). 

In addition to being listed on the team roster, each participant receives an individual fundraising page which they can customize with a photo and bio. Funds raised on the individual pages will count towards your team goal.

Fundraising tools are available and additional info can be found in the Resource Center. To help jump start your efforts, consider asking your company to make a gift on the team page. Additionally, if your company would like to cover the registration fee, let us know.

5. What will your night look like?

Giving up your bed for a night is an important part of Sleep Out, but just as important is understanding why and challenging yourself to learn more about youth homelessness. Purposeful activities and thoughtful conversations build camaraderie, giving your employees space to connect on a deeper level. And including a fundraising celebration acknowledges the effort that folks put forth.

The Resource Center has activity ideas, sample timelines, videos, and stories — everything you need to plan a meaningful experience for your team. Email us for additional support. 

1. Register your Sleep Out.

To gain full access to the Sleep Out Resource Center and create your custom family page, you must complete the registration form. 

If you create a team page for your family, you can use the "Register Another Participant" feature in your dashboard to add team members or share a custom link so they can register themselves. Each team member will create and customize their own fundraising page that they can share. We recommend this option for kids ages 13+! Fundraising is a great learning experience for budding advocates and our fundraising tools make it easy to participate. 

If you have children under the age of 13 or prefer to have only one fundraising page, please register using only one adult's information. Once you complete the registration form, you can update your "Display Name", bio, and photo so that the page is inclusive of the whole family.

You can modify any of the responses on your registration form and make changes to your page at any time.

2. When and where will you Sleep Out?

Visit the Resource Center to download an editable Sleep Out planning timeline, event checklist, and tip sheet. We recommend giving yourself at least one month to plan and fundraise, but we can work with your family to meet almost any timeline.

Finding a safe and legal place to Sleep Out is critical. Private property is easiest (your own backyard or car, a friend's porch or terrace, etc.) and a location checklist is included in the Resource Center.

If you don't have access to a legal outdoor space or if it is unsafe to sleep outside for any reason (e.g. weather) it's perfectly fine to sleep indoors. The idea of the Sleep Out is not to replicate homelessness, but to give up your bed and understand just some of the discomforts that youth experience while homeless.

3. What is your fundraising goal?

Fundraising is an important part of the Sleep Out, because it's what ensures that young people can find safe shelter at Covenant House. You should set a team fundraising goal (we recommend something that feels like a slight reach) that you can work together as a family to reach.

Decide if you want to set individual fundraising goals as well. This is a helpful exercise if your kids are fundraising (which we encourage!) The celebration once they reach their goal is a plus! You could also consider starting a friendly family competition — a challenge to see who can get donations from the most people is more inclusive than a race to the highest amount.

Fundraising tools are available and additional info can be found in the Resource Center. Consider starting a friendly family competition to see who can receive the highest number of donations (rather than amount), and 

4. What will your night look like?

Giving up your beds for a night is an important part of Sleep Out, but just as important is understanding why and challenging yourself to learn more about youth homelessness. Purposeful activities and thoughtful conversations are bonding experiences for your family, and learning opportunities for your kids. And including a fundraising celebration acknowledges the effort that folks put forth.

The Resource Center has activity ideas for all ages, sample timelines, videos, and stories — everything you need to plan a meaningful experience. Email us for additional support. 

1. Register your Sleep Out.

To gain full access to the Sleep Out Resource Center and create your custom team page, you must complete the registration form. Make sure that your school, club, or group name is included in the team name so that friends and donors can easily find you.

Don't worry about having all the details finalized. You can modify any of the responses on your registration form and make changes to your team page at any time.

2. Identify a captain and build your team.

The person who creates the team page becomes the team captain by default, but you can email us to promote another team member to the role. Your Sleep Out team captain will be able to email the roster, make changes to your team page, and receive team donation notifications.

The captain does not have to be an adult (the website is accessible for kids ages 13+), but if you are under the age of 18, you should identify a trusted adult to help you navigate the logistics.

You will create a custom URL for your team page after registering, which you should use to ask friends to join or donate to your team. Determine your recruitment strategy before blasting it out: Who are you inviting to join? How do you plan to reach them? How many people do you hope to recruit?

Find sample recruitment messages in your Fundraising Tools and editable materials in the Resource Center. 

3. When and where will you Sleep Out?

Visit the Resource Center to download an editable Sleep Out planning timeline, event checklist, and tip sheet. We recommend giving yourself at least three months to plan and fundraise, but we can work with you to meet almost any timeline.

Finding a safe and legal place to Sleep Out is critical (students under the age of 18, this is when you will need help from a trusted adult!). If you choose to invite everyone to sleep in a shared location (e.g. a school parking lot or field), make sure you have permission and are following the rules of the venue. A venue checklist is included in the Resource Center.

If you cannot get permission for an outdoor space or if it is unsafe to sleep outside for any reason (e.g. weather) it's perfectly fine to sleep indoors. The idea of the Sleep Out is not to replicate homelessness, but to give up your bed and understand just some of the discomforts that youth experience while homeless. You can also ask people to participate from their own backyards, gathering virtually before heading out to sleep.

4. What is your fundraising goal?

Fundraising is an important part of the Sleep Out, because it's what ensures that young people can find safe shelter at Covenant House. You should set a team fundraising goal (we recommend something that feels like a slight reach) and decide if you want to set individual fundraising goals as well (e.g. $500 per person). 

In addition to being listed on the team roster, each participant receives an individual fundraising page which they can customize with a photo and bio. Funds raised on the individual pages will count towards your team goal.

Fundraising tools are available and additional info can be found in the Resource Center. To help jump start your efforts, think about asking a favorite restaurant or neighborhood business to make a gift on your team page. Additionally, if your school or parent would like to cover the registration fee, let us know.

5. What will your night look like?

Giving up your bed for a night is an important part of Sleep Out, but just as important is understanding why and challenging yourself to learn more about youth homelessness. Purposeful activities and thoughtful conversations make the Sleep Out a powerful bonding experience. And including a fundraising celebration acknowledges the effort that folks put forth!

The Resource Center has activity ideas for all ages, sample timelines, videos, and stories — everything you need to plan a meaningful night. Email us for additional support.