Top tips for fundraising success!
Get going!
The sooner the better. By getting your fundraising underway you can focus on preparing for your event. Set up an online sponsorship form in minutes. Add a photo and a message, then email the link around. Watching it grow will give you that extra momentum.
Aim high
Set your target at double what you hope to raise. This will encourage larger donations and you might even exceed your own expectations.
Be smart
Get friends and family who will sponsor you generously to donate on your fundraising page or to write their sponsorship amount on your forms first, setting the standard for everyone else.
Be bold
Ask everyone you know. Friends, relatives, work colleagues, neighbors, former employers, your old school or university… you’ll be surprised at how many people – even casual acquaintances – will be willing to support your efforts. The personal approach often works best, so talk to them or email them individually.
Tell people why
Don’t just tell people what you’re doing, tell them why. Use our literature to show people what they are supporting and include a link to the Survival website on your sponsorship page.
Spread the word
Give a talk about your event at your school, community hall or place of work. Send an email to your colleagues, put an announcement on your notice board. Write a blog about the run-up of your event, or promote it on Facebook and Twitter. Add a ‘footer’ to all your e-mails telling people about what you are doing and direct them to your sponsorship page.
Double your money
Ask your employer to match £/$ for £/$ the money you raise.
Stay determined
Keep up the drive! The more money you raise for charity the better you’ll feel when you complete your event.
Tick that box
If you are in the UK, ensure your sponsors tick the Gift Aid box on your online fundraising page or on your paper sponsorship form. As long as they are a UK tax payer it costs them nothing extra and Survival can receive an extra 25p for every pound they give.
Delegate
Get your family and friends involved. Give them a copy of your sponsorship form and ask them to collect on your behalf. Give them a target, say £/$50 per person. Also ask them to also take photos of you on the big day. These are vital for getting press coverage and donations after your event and hugely inspiring to other supporters (please also share your pictures with us!).
Give something back
Hold a raffle and sell tickets; make dinner for friends and ask them to donate what they would pay in a restaurant; or have a party and ask people to make a donation on the door.
Get noticed in local media
Write an article for your local paper about what you are doing. Look for ‘special interest’ sections and angle your message accordingly. Local media loves anything visual – send photos of your event or ask Survival to send you some images from our gallery.
Say thank you
Whenever someone sponsors you thank them. If you do it via Facebook it may persuade or remind others that they need to do the same.