Fundraising for Your Cause - Tips from a Pro
In Today's Unfit, a mini instruction manual for that walk, ride, run, golf tournament, birthday, or rubber ducky derby you're doing to raise money for your fave non profit
I recently had a friend ask me for some advice on how to do a fundraising effort for her upcoming AIDS/Lifecycle ride. Because fundraising is my profession, I launched into a laundry list of things to do, which, after a while of me talking and talking, somehow circled back around to tracking donations in excel—and I realized, probably a little too late, that I had delivered such an overwhelming amount of information I may have made it seem like raising any money at all is impossible! So I wanted to take a moment to write it all out here so that any one of you who is headed into the season of giving trying to fundraise for the causes near and dear to your heart can have a helpful list of things you can do to meet your goals.
Before I get into it, though, here’s a note from my friend who asked for the tips originally. She is doing the AIDS/Lifecycle Ride in 2023. If you can, please donate! I did!
In June of 2023, I will be taking on the AIDS/ Lifecycle challenge for the first time. It’s 7 days back to back, taking us on a 545 mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles. A challenge like this resonates profoundly with me on many levels. The commitment to the training process, a seemingly unattainable goal, opportunity for immense growth all while joining forces with countless others to lift up and support the LGBTQ community and those who deserve health justice. These are the reasons I will be logging countless pedal strokes and hours on the bike along with raising donations and awareness for this essential organization. Please, join me and follow me on my journey.
—AM
The following fundraising framework supports the kind of fundraising any one of us might do for a run, ride, walk, rubber ducky tournament, or a year-end birthday fundraiser.
At its most basic, this effort uses our network and the people we know to support us in challenging ourselves, and raising money for a cause. This is important to remember, because the people in your network and the people you know may support you for the first reason, the second reason, or both: because they love you and want to support you, and/or because they love that cause, and want to support the cause. Understanding this can help you tell a targeted story about why you are doing what you are doing. Now, let’s dig in.
Set a Goal
This is how much money you want to raise. Some efforts will tell you the minimum you need to raise to participate, and you can certainly make that your ultimate goal. However, you should consider the size of your list, the folks on it, and what you actually think you can raise—and make that your goal. People have a tendency to give what you ask, so you should ask for as much as you really want to raise.
Build Your List
Your list is: your closest friends, your family, your co-workers, your acquaintances, anyone whose newsletter you are on, and all the followers across your social media platforms. The order of this list is intentional: you will raise the most money from your closest friends, followed by family, then co-workers, acquaintances, newsletter people, and finally, social media followers. What that means is: spend most of your energy on those you will raise the most from. Give them the love.
Tell Your Story
If I called you tomorrow and said gimme twenty dollars, you would ask me what it’s for. Human beings can’t help it. We want to know. So in this instance: tell us why. This doesn’t need to be a long story (it is okay if it is) but it really needs to be a true story. Meaning, don’t tell me about the AIDS crisis across history if you are trying to raise for Lifecycle. I could read that story anywhere. Tell me what it means to you to participate. Why you are taking up the challenge. What does it mean to you personally: did something happen? How did this cause become important to you? Why do this ride (or walk or whatever) instead of just give that cause some money? Write at least a 3-5 sentence paragraph, and don’t overthink it: just write it the way you would say it to your best pal over dinner. Most fundraising efforts have an individual participant fundraising page, so spend some time customizing it with your story and some photos.
Make Your Donation
Yes, you heard me right: you must make a contribution to your own cause! If possible, make it first. And make it honestly: if you are going all-in on this, then go all-in. Know what you really can afford to give, and give that.
Ask for Money
People will usually give what you ask them for. So it’s best to ask for something specific, and based in reality. Bill Gates is not on your list. Your pal is. Start first with your innermost circle, then work your way out.
Closest Friends: think about who these people really are, and send them EACH a personal email asking for a specific amount that you believe they can give. No group emails! Design the email like the example below (always remember to link to the donation page of your cause. Don’t make people search, or have to click more than once to get there):
Dear NAME,
I’m writing to ask you to support me as a cyclist in the 2023 AIDS/Lifecycle ride! If you can make a contribution of $Specific Amount, I’ll be well on my way to my $Goal amount.
This year I am riding because…include your story that you’ve already written here.
Say thank you to this person who is your friend for just being your friend. So far I have been able to raise $AmountRaisedtoDate— I hope you can support!
Love and Gratitude,
Your name
Family: these emails should be just as personal as the ones to your close friends. Depending on your family, and your relationship with them, you can send these notes individually, or as a group family email. If you send individually, ask each of them for a specific amount. If you send as a whole, set a family goal, ask your family to help you achieve it, and tell them how much you contributed to get them started. Use a similar email template as above.
Co-workers: again, these emails should be just as personal as friends and family, but it might work best to do them as a group, and set a workplace goal, similar to how you set your family goal. Make it realistic, and if your workplace can make a contribution and/or does matches, be sure to include this as part of your ask and goal, and remind people about it! Sometimes the promise of a match lights a fire for making a donation.
Acquaintances/Newsletter people: How many substacks do you follow and read? How many folks send you newsletter updates by email? Send them all this request for support! And now, you can start getting general, and send a group email. Adapt your letter to make sense when sending to this group, and also include a sentence asking them to share with their networks (be sure to link to your fundraising page). You may not get any money from this group, but you might be able to extend your circle of prospects.
Social Media: this is last, because it’s hard to raise money on the internet, from strangers. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. It does mean, however, that you should spend the least amount of time here. Set up a facebook or instagram fundraiser and set a specific goal to raise from this audience. Repost it periodically with updates on the amount left to raise.
Say Thank You
When a contribution comes in, personally email, call, text or DM that person and say thank you. Choose the vehicle that makes the most sense for the donor: if it was your close friend, you might want to call or text; if it came through an extended network via facebook, then DM, etc. It’s simple, and it’s the most important thing you will do. Just say thank you.
Follow-up
Depending on how long you are running this fundraiser, you should prepare to follow-up. Here are some basic guidelines I use (and why I encourage you to keep track of everything in excel, so you know who you already emailed, who already gave, what they gave, if you thanked them, etc.)
If someone doesn’t give on the first ask, ask two more times. Follow-up asks for your personal peeps should be more like reminders (just wanted to make sure you saw my note!), and follow-up asks for your acquaintances/social media strangers should be repeat asks (literally, repost, with updated amounts raised - “I still have to raise XX to meet my goal!”). If you are on a short fundraising timeline (like a month) ask once per week until your deadline. If you are on a longer one (like 3 or more months) ask once per month. If they haven’t given on the 3rd try, let it go!
Send Close-out Notes
Here’s where you can full-on use group emails, but always be sure to utilize BCC etiquette so you don’t inadvertently share all your contacts’ emails with each other.
All the people you asked deserve to know how it went: both your fundraising effort, and your walk, run, ride, etc.
After your fundraising effort is over, no matter who did or did not give, send all the people you asked a big thank you, including information on the total amount raised, and info on when your actual walk, run, or ride takes place. If they can watch online, send the link. If they can join in person, provide details. And, believe it or not, include a link to donate at the bottom of this update email! Some of the folks who did not give originally, may very well feel the excitement and give now—it’s a good cause, after all. Share the close-out thank you on your social media as well.
After your ride/walk/run is over, send the same group an email letting them know how it went! Pictures, funny stories, total amount raised for the cause, etc. are all very welcome here. And as you close out, let everyone know whether or not you plan on doing it again next year, and once again, thank them. You literally could not have done it without them, so tell that truth and prepare them for next year when you’ll be coming around to ask them to support you and the cause again. Share the update on your social media as well.
That’s it—good luck with your fundraising! If you take anything away from this email, let it be that fundraising is not magic. It’s work, just like anything else. And while you may not always know the outcome of the work (will I raise $250 or $2,500!?) you can be sure that the amount of work you put in will have a positive result on the amount you raise. The more work you do, the more you will raise.
—MBF