subject: Online Fundraising Tips If You Are Running A Marathon For Charity [print this page] 1. Personalise your message1. Personalise your message
The best fundraising pages tell a really good story. Let people know why you're going to the trouble of raising money, and they're much more likely to take the time to donate. Explain why Guide Dogs deserve support and what their donations will buy. For example, 20 will buy a complete grooming kit for a guide dog or 40 will buy a guide dog harness, handle and lead.
2. Add photos and video
Personal photos make your page much more engaging. You could display photos of your training runs. If you are so inclined you could upload a YouTube video. If you have a video of you making an idiot of yourself there is a good chance that your friends and supporters will forward it on to other people.
3. Tell everyone about your page
Make sure that your richest family member or friend is the first person to donate on your site. This will set the standard for the rest to follow. Then get your other closest friends and family to donate. After this email your entire address book. Generally people tend to match the amounts already listed on the page, so if theyre generous ones, all the better!
I have always got a much better response from my work colleagues by contacting them individually rather than sending out a group email or putting up a notice on an online bulletin board. Dont be bashful about asking for money. The worst thing that can happen is that someone will ignore your email.
Put your webpage details into the signature of your email. This will make sure that you publicise your page with every email you send out whether you are asking for money or not. Just Giving has a badge that you can put into the signature of your emails if you use Microsoft Outlook. A badge is a button that links to your Just Giving page. It stands out more than a simple text link.
4. Publicise your page
Make sure you get the benefit of social networking sites. I must admit that I have not joined the Facebook phenomenon, but my wife and each of the kids has. They have promoted my marathons on their pages, resulting in donations coming through from people I have not seen for years. Both Just Giving and Virgin Money have Facebook applications that can be put on your Facebook page and on your friends Facebook pages. Make your sponsorship requests viral.
If you have your own website or blog you can put a widget that links back to your online giving page. A widget is like a mini version of your online giving page which you can use to spread the word about your fundraising. For example, the Just Giving widget is made in Just Giving colours and shows how you're progressing towards your target, with a thermometer that moves. You can put it on your personal website or blog, and ask friends and family to put it on theirs. When someone clicks on it, they'll go straight to your online giving page where they can make a donation.
5. Keep your page up to date
Post regular updates on your progress and upload new photos. It gives people a reason to come back to your page and encourages them to donate again or to send your page on to their friends. You could do your updates as mini blog posts. Dont forget to include any mishaps along the way.
6. Send a follow-up email
Be persistent. It takes more than one round of emails to reach your target. You know what it's like - people mean to donate, but sometimes they don't quite get round to it on the first request. Remember to thank the people who've already supported you, and to ask them to send your page to their contacts.
7. Contact your local media
A few lines in the local paper or an appeal on your local radio station can really help. By going straight to your online giving page, readers and listeners can sponsor you really easily. I thought I might get a small piece in our local free paper by sending an email. It ended up that the same article appeared in the free paper (The Stowmarket Advertiser), morning paper (East Anglian Daily Times) and evening paper (The Evening Star). It even turned up in the Eastern Daily Press which circulates in Norfolk rather than Suffolk.
8. Keep fundraising after your event
Just Giving say that around 20 per cent of donations come in after people finish their event. I think sometimes people feel sorry for me walking around like John Wayne after a marathon and that prompts them to donate. So keep fundraising once you've crossed the finish line - it's a good chance to email an update and a final appeal!
by: Michael Saville
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