Millions of you combine your passion for walking, running and cycling into a fun weekend of activity to benefit charitable causes. You pay your registration fee for the “athon,” train and are asked to raise funds. While the charity often gives you a URL and password for your personal fundraising web page, you’re not a fundraiser so you really don’t know where to begin. You want to feel good about your participation, not guilty about failing to hit a fundraising goal — so what to do? Convio, the leading provider of fundraising and donor management software, offers these tips from some of the country’s most successful participant fundraisers:
1. Start early. This may seem obvious, but if you’re prone to procrastinate, this might be the best piece of advice you follow. The earlier you start fundraising, the more money you will raise. Like your training you don’t just show up and run — take time to ramp up your efforts — from getting organized and creating lists to developing a schedule and customizing emails. The key is to create a longer window during which you can solicit donations.
2. Contact everyone you know. Don’t limit yourself to your email address book – there are plenty of other people out there who you know. Develop an exhaustive list of potential donors. Add names from clubs or organizations to which you belong (e.g., a running club, a church congregation). Your dentist? Doctor? Hair stylist? They’re all fair game. Reach out to anyone who might donate — you’ll likely be surprised by who will contribute.
3. Customize your emails. The charity you’re raising money for will likely provide you with an email template that you can use to solicit donations. To maximize donations, customize this template so that it sounds as though it was written by you; it’ll be far more effective than some canned version. Include:
- Why you’re participating in the event
- Why the cause is important to you
- What the nonprofit does
- How the individual’s donation will help
- Link to your personal fundraising page
4. Ask, ask, and ask again. Maybe the hardest task but one you have to do — you’ll need to ask, ask, and ask again at every possible opportunity. The only way that people can make a donation is if you give them the opportunity to do so. During face-to-face interactions or phone calls with friends, family, neighbors, or other prospective donors, mention your fundraising progress and your goal. Give people a chance to donate, but leave the ultimate decision up to them. Don’t take it personally if they don’t give.
5. Customize your personal fundraising web page. The most compelling fundraising web pages include text, a personal story, and photos. The combination of these three elements will enable you to convey your strong passion for the organization in a way that motivates web page visitors to make a donation.
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