I mentioned I'm in charge of a team for an upcoming ALS walk on behalf of FIL. He really wants to be the number one fundraising team for our region. I don't really have any experience in fundraising, so I'm looking for some out of the box ideas (and, frankly, in the box) for how to reach this goal. We have a little less than 3 weeks to raise $5,200 (assuming the current leading team does not get additional donations). We currently have $1,755.
How do we we get the word out? So far, we've come up with: - Posting it on our FB timelines - Message board for the union that FIL has been very active in, and a member of for 30+ years - A flyer at his regular bar (assuming they approve it) - Word of mouth, FIL is texting and calling his friends.
Most of the family still has not donated, and the union/past coworkers market is still largely untapped. There's still a lot of his friends who haven't heard yet also. I think the $5,200 is a very obtainable goal, fwiw. We just need to get the word out. What are some other good ways to promote? I could put something up at work, but that makes me a little uncomfortable and I would hate to pressure anybody.
I like to bake so I offered up on my next door page and my hobby fb page that I was making cupcakes. I had two $50 donations and sold about 26 dozen cupcakes and made over $500. This was also for ALS as part of #BakeToDefeatALS.
Post by jeaniebueller on Aug 31, 2015 15:23:27 GMT -5
Do a bake sale at a local store (with their permission obviously)? I don't know the rules but I know that some of the grocery and big box stores let nonprofits or other community groups do that. Or a car wash (if you have other family members who want to help) Do you have connections with any local businesses who would let you have a donation jar? How about doing a bottle/can drive?
Host an event at the local bar. Ask the bar managers if they'll give a percentage of proceeds from a particular time.
Also Wendy's has options where they give you 10-15% of proceeds during a particular time.
Email everyone from you network, your H and FIL.
Eta - if the bar doesn't kickback then you can still host something and ask for donations. Maybe do a raffle for some items. If you do a raffle, you can call local restaurants for gift cards. Most are more than willing to give $25-50 for a good cause. You just gotta ask. Good luck.
Ask strategic givers (personally) to post it on THEIR facebook with the link, and to challenge three people to give.
If YOU have given in the past at work, maybe ask just those people personally (via email). Ask your HR is they have a matching program or if they would give XX -- ask for a specific amount (if you are comfy with the hr angle).
On the message board, be very specific about how to give -- make sure there are envelopes or tear offs with the link. Explain WHY this is so important.
I once read the number one reason WHY people give is... because they were asked. Can your FIL also send personal emails with the link?
Does anyone have a vacation home to raffle off a week or a boat or or or? Limit tickets to say 200 and sell them for $25 each or limit of 100 and sell for $50. This also makes it easier to approach friends. Do you know a chef who would cook? A fisherman or woman who would share a catch and cook it and deliver --- some experience.
good luck and ask ask ask and be specific with the amount you want from the ask.
ETA: Also if there are any businesses you frequent often / spend big bucks with, ask them.
Send flyers and call local realtors for help. In exchange for advertising on your walk. Local businesses. See if your local paper will post it in community events. Set up a donors choose account for two weeks.
In general, you want to break your goal down to realistic amounts. You need another $3,445?
Do you know a thousand people who will give you $4 each - that will get you $4K
Or do you know four people who will give you $1000 each?
Or seven people who will give you $500 each?
Or a mix of big donors and small donors
That's may be a good way to measure how you proceed for the next three weeks.
So, if your goal is another $3,445 - how much do you think you can get from each donor on FB, union member, bar patron and friend? What price point would appeal to each group. And how do you thank them?
I do a lot of fundraising for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and two of our large successes last year were a huge yard sale where all proceeds went to LLS (we had 15 people donate stuff and we gave them receipts for it for tax purposes from LLS) and a shot of the month at our local bar. I asked the bar manager if they would be willing to have a signature shot the whole month and a dollar for every one of those shots was donated. They called it a Shot for a Cure and it made over $1,500 for our donations. The bar got the donation and we raised money It never hurts to ask!