CanadaHelps offers these fundraising tips for participants. Download a PDF version here.
SO YOU’VE SIGNED UP TO FUNDRAISE – NOW WHAT?
You’ve signed up as a participant in a peer-to-peer fundraising event, taking the very first step to support a cause you love. Now it’s time to spread the word and ask for support, but where should you begin?
Whether you’re participating in a run, walk, bowl-a-thon or something else, on a team or individually, there are many things you can do to inspire people to donate to your campaign and help you reach your fundraising goal.
If you’re just getting started, there can be a lot to learn, but it’s easy and fun!
The first few days of joining a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign are key. Starting your fundraiser early maximizes the time that potential donors have to donate and allows you room to experiment, work through any learning curves, and seek fundraising help from the charity if you run into any roadblocks.
Make sure you hit the ground running by taking some time to review the following fundraising tips and best practices that have been shown to make a difference. The more of them you try, the higher your chances of succeeding. We’re counting on you!
FIRST, GET YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE IN TIP-TOP SHAPE
Before you start asking for donations and inviting people to join your team, evaluate your fundraising page and ensure it hits the mark for both visual and emotional appeal:
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Set a SMART fundraising goal (if you haven’t yet)
Make it specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Your goal should be high enough to encourage donations, but low enough so it’s not unattainable.
Establishing a goal will allow people to track your progress, and allow donors to see how much their donation helped you toward reaching your goal.
If you’re about to reach your goal far ahead of the deadline, you can try increasing it to inspire more people to donate.
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A strong page name goes a long way
Grab attention from the second someone lands on your fundraising page.
Try choosing a page name for your fundraiser that includes call to action words, such as “Please Help”, “Join the Fight” or “We Can Stop”.
Convey the need the campaign will support, such as “Join the Fight to End Hunger.
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Use photos and videos
Photos and videos are great for connecting with people.
Sharing photos and videos related to your fundraiser gives people a way of visually connecting with the cause and will help increase the amount of donations you receive.
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Share your fundraising story
Sharing your personal connection to the fundraiser helps others connect with the cause, and provides motivation for them to donate.
To craft a hard-hitting page description, ask yourself why you’re participating, why this cause is important to you, and what the impact of the cause is on the environment, community, etc.
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Make the first donation
Start your fundraiser by donating yourself! This sets the tone and creates momentum for future donations.
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READY? SET? GO! IT’S TIME TO START FUNDRAISING
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It all starts with the ask
Very likely, the people close to you will be eager to help if they know how important the cause is to you.
Send a personal email, text message, social message, etc. to your friends and family.
Mention your participation and personal goals at your next family gathering or in the break room at lunchtime.
If they seem interested, follow-up with an email that includes the direct link to your fundraising page.
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Share on social media
Sharing posts on social media is a fantastic way to bring awareness to your fundraiser.
Social media can be used to share updates, photos, and both the short and long term outcomes of your fundraiser.
Connect with your network by sharing your inspiring, personal stories that are related to the cause and upload lots of photos and videos before, during and after the event!
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Hold mini-challenges for milestones
Offer fun challenges that you will complete at certain milestones, such as posting a funny throwback photo of yourself at $500 donated, or dying your hair a fun colour at $1,500 donated!
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Don't forget about email
Email is a great way to send personalized messages to those who have personal connections to your fundraiser, or those that you think would be interested but don’t use social media.
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Include a link in your email signature
If you use email often, include a link to your donation page in your email signature to effortlessly spread the word.
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Ask for donations as a gift
If you have a birthday or big event coming up and you’re willing to forego gifts for a good cause, let your loved ones know it.
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Share the impact of a donation
Will $10 buy dinner for a family? Will $20 buy someone a coat for the winter?
Share this in all of your communications because people tend to give more when they know exactly how their donation will make a difference.
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Create a video
Create a short video to share on social media that tells people about the cause you’re supporting and why it’s important to you.
Videos often result in higher online engagement.
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Reach out to your network
Try reaching your extended network through friends, family, or co-workers.
Having someone share your fundraiser with their network expands your reach to people who you may not otherwise find.
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Do one final push
A final call for donations on the day before and the final day of the fundraising event can really help move the needle.
Once your friends and family see how close you are to reaching your fundraising goal, they’ll want to help you get past that finish line even if it means making a second donation.
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