Do you feel like running (or walking) to help us raise funds?
The City 2 Surf is fast approaching and we would love for you to join us on the day….
YOU can join people who are already raising funds for us by participating in the City 2 Surf… people like Tiffany and Jo from Kingswood Florist and Creative Balloons, or Greg from Think and Give
You can register for the City 2 Surf here and create your own fundraising page here
We’ll provide your shirt!
That’s right, when you sign up for the City 2 Surf and register to raise funds for the Samuel Morris Foundation we want you to be able to show the world who you are running for so we will provide your T-Shirt for you to run in on the day…..
You can set up your fundraising without leaving your chair and doing any running around, you don’t have to chase people up to collect money, you don’t have to worry about producing receipts… in fact once you’re registered the only thing you need to do is let everyone know you have set up your fundraising page and encourage them to support you in your effort by making donations, all of the other administration and management of funds is taken care of for you!
WHAT? You don’t like running?
That’s perfectly OK, we get that not everyone is up for a 14 Km challenge…. but you can still help us to raise funds by setting up your own fundraising page and using the tips below to help us raise funds! You could create your own personal challenge (like quitting smoking, losing a certain amount of weight… anything that people will feel like encouraging you to achieve), host an event as a fundraiser, turn a special celebration (major birthday, anniversary etc) into a fundraiser and ask for donations instead of presents… the options are limitless.
Tips for making your fundraising successful!
Thanks to EVERYDAY HERO here is a list of tips to make your online fundraising challenge a success.
1. Make your fundraising page your own
To make your fundraising page as effective as possible, upload your own photograph, or even better, a video showing you in action. In your webpage entry, try to tell a story. Explain why you are trying to raise money, the specific uses the money can be put to, and why you are personally moved to support your cause. Personalise your page!
2. Don’t set your target too low!
You may be surprised by how deep your supporters will dig to help you get across the line to reach your goal. Raise as much as you possibly can for the Samuel Morris Foundation by trying to set an ambitious, but achievable target.
3. Email your close friends and family first
Send an email to close friends and family and those you think are likely to be your most generous supporters first, before asking others to donate. People tend to match the amounts already donated, so target your most generous supporters first!
4. Use your own email as well as the ‘Share your fundraising page’ facility within your account dashboard
Copy and paste the URL from your fundraising page (your fundraising page web address) into your own email system and then use this to contact your supporters. You can send out more emails at once like this, and also set up email groups. You should also make use of the ‘Share your fundraising page’ section within your account dashboard. From here you can send emails, share your page on Facebook and even Tweet your friends and followers. There’s also a widget that you can insert into your own blog or website.
5. Change your email signature
Consider changing your email signature at work and/or at home to add a line at the bottom that includes the web address of your fundraising page.
6. Make sure you contact all your potential supporters
In addition to close friends and family, don’t forget to contact any other groups you may have connections with: former colleagues, old school and college friends, friends who have moved out of the area or overseas, members of sporting clubs you belong to, or committees you are part of. If you are involved in business don’t forget to ask your suppliers, as they often like to show support.
7. Update your Fundraising page and email your supporters again
People mean to donate, but sometimes it gets pushed to the bottom of the inbox and they forget. It usually takes more than one round of emails to nudge everyone into action, so don’t feel embarrassed about asking people again. To update your fundraising page, log in to your account by entering your username and password (which you set when you set up your page). You can then change your fundraising page by posting a new photo or video and updating your entry. Tell everyone how fit (or otherwise) you are feeling and how much money you’ve raised so far. Then re-send the link to your updated page by email.
8. Ask to be included in your company website or newsletter
Lots of companies encourage staff to participate in charitable events and fundraising, so ask your company if they are willing to include something about you on the company website or the intranet or company newsletter. Some companies offer a donation-matching scheme, where they will match the amount of money an employee raises.
9. Put up a poster
Create a poster (you can do this automatically from your “Dashboard” after creating your fundraising page) and put it up in the office kitchen or lift, beside the water cooler, or at your local supermarket, gym, post office, school or anywhere else you can get permission. Use the poster to ask people to visit your fundraising page and support you.
10. Don’t stop fundraising when the event finishes
A surprising number of donations are received after the event has finished, so don’t stop fundraising when your event is over. Once you’ve recovered, update your fundraising page again and email it to your contacts. It’s a great way of letting those who have supported you know you have achieved your goal, and of prompting anyone who still hasn’t donated to do so.
Don’t forget to register for the City 2 Surf, set up your City 2 Surf fundraising page, or if you’re not a participating in the City 2 Surf set up your own customised fundraising page at EVERYDAY HERO or GO FUNDRAISE
image by Sheffield Tiger
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