Fundraising Tips
FUND-RAISING SUCCESS
Who it is For: You’ve decided to sign up for a Lone Star Chapter Bike Ride, but are wondering how you are going to raise the required pledge of $300. We’re here to help.
What You Will Do: Over the next four weeks you’ll go through a mini-course in fundraising. Each week, we’ll give you one task to do or skill to practice that will turn your fundraising efforts into pledges. By working on these skills and tasks a little bit every day, you’ll have everything you need to make your fundraising efficient, effective and easy.
Overview
Reminder Cards
Easy Pickings
Easy Picking Cards
Easy Pickings Form Materials
Materials Prep
Materials Prep Card
Prospects List
Prospects List Chart
Reminder Cards
Sample Materials
Talking Points
Talking Points Form
Start with the Basics:
- Start early
- Set a fundraising goal; In 2007 the avg. per cyclist was $700; Make your goal to be BETTER THAN AVERAGE!
- Educate yourself about ms before you begin your campaign. Click here to learn the basics about multiple sclerosis and where the money goes. Also, what the much needed money pays for…for people living with ms.
At the Office:
- Donation jar (Extra change in my pocket jar)
- Post your pledge sheet; (List your personal pledge first); Hang MS 150 poster
- Does your company match? Easy money….
- Ask if you can solicit the vendors you work with
- Bake cookies / bread and bring them to the office every week to sell
- JEANS DAY; Ask your boss if employees can contribute $5, so they can wear jeans each day they contribute
- Company vacation days – Ask your boss or HR Manager if they can swap one of your vacation days for a days pay….and donate that amount
With Family, Friends, or Just Out and About
- Ask anyone you come into contact with to sponsor you
- Birthday…Ask for donations instead of presents
- Karaoke Night…Who cares if you can sing. Get your friends to pony up a $100 pool. Then let them watch you sing your guts out
- Use your friends as a “mini-committee” to reach your goals. Ask them to share their rolodex of friends. They can even form a e-donate link. You don’t have to be a rider to have a link or to raise funds
- Many carwash businesses across DFW will give a % of the money brought in that day to you
Great Ideas to Do as a Team
- SONIC…Get your team members to roll out and deliver food out to the cars. Sonic will let you keep the tips to turn in towards fundraising
- Texas Rangers baseball team; The organization will let your team members manage a concession stand and keep a % of the money brought in that day
- Money for team jerseys; Get your team members to approach their respective companies for sponsorship dollars and in turn their company logo will go on the team jersey. (Ex: $2,500 get a logo on the sleeve; $5k on the front)
- Company team…Rent a dunking machine and for an afternoon get your boss or CEO to sit on the lever. Employees will surely want a crack at dunking their boss
- Every team member goes out and collects five items for a team silent auction; There are numerous restaurants that will donate space to display auction items
Home / On the Computer:
- Create an e-donate link & blast it out to your address book: Click here to set your link up today
- Send out a weekly email of your Top 10 or 20 sponsors; Watch them jockey and contribute more $ to stay in the top list or even to make the list
- Answering machine…Put on your message and let people know you are doing something special
- Letter campaign… Send out letters w/ a self addressed envelope.
- Host a poker night; Get a big ticket item as the grand prize(s) ex. Flat Screen TV
- Movie night…Charge admission at your door; This is a chance to visit with friends and then enjoy the movie together
IMPORTANT TIPS:
- As you ask people for donations. Make sure you keep an accurate list of these people that give $. Also, make sure you start asking for donations at the same time of year every year…..Why? After awhile, your donors will start remembering it’s that time of the year that Joe Smith will ask me for a donation. Our fundraisers tell us that your donors will start contacting you b/c they have been trained to know its that time of the year for that donation……..
- After the MS 150, send out a letter / email thanking your donors. Recap the event and let them know how much you raised. You can even list THAT Top 20 list of your top donors. Make sure you list a deadline for contributions and that way it’s final. People will be calling you to make that final list. Click here for a recap example
- Invite your donors out to the start line / overnight / finish line to witness what it is they donated towards; Let them enjoy in the festivities of the MS 150
Summary:
The above fundraising techniques are the ones that have been used most frequently by our top fundraisers year after year. These are the best and most common fundraising tips out there. There are numerous more ideas. For a random and long list of other ideas, click here.
