Bonfarado.org fundraising tips

Let’s talk about fundraising tips

There is no one specific way to create a fundraiser but if you follow our fundraising tips you will be well on your way to a successful fundraising campaign.

What campaign information do you need?

Deciding what information to include in your fundraising campaign is an incredibly important part of the process. For many people that will lay eyes on this project, it’ll be the first time of them hearing or seeing anything about it. For them to want to be involved and back the campaign, they are going to need information about it, and the more the better. Follow our fundraising tips for success.

Campaign details

You will need to include the following details to help you have a successful fundraising campaign. Don’t by shy about sharing as much information as possible, people want to know what they are donating too.

• Introduction post about the project, yourself, and why you have started fundraising for it. If you have already personally contributed to the cause, include it.
• The goal of the fundraising project, let people know what you are trying to achieve and how they can help.
• Any additional costs that may incur this project, show people a breakdown if available.
• Photos or videos showing what or who the project is for. It’s easier to get someone passionate about a project if they can see exactly what they are committing to helping out with.

Contact potential donors

Your campaign is published and you’re ready to go, but you’re not quite sure how to proceed? Well now is the time to start approaching potential donors to help get your fundraising campaign kick started.

You will find that the first few days and the last few days is where your fundraising campaign see’s the most momentum so it’s important you maximise that potential, so let’s break this down into phases.

Phase 1:

Pick your initial target audience carefully, with close friends and family being the most likely to contribute to your cause, and work colleagues, old friends and distance relatives being the last on that list.

It’s important to have some sort of relationship formed when you asking someone to help your cause, so if you haven’t spoken to them for many years, they might not be the right person to help.

Phase 2:

Approach your inner circle of friends and family first, informing them of your fundraising cause and how they can help. Use bullet points to highlight why they might want to be involved and link them to the fundraiser for more information.

If you come across as passionate about the fundraiser, they will be more inclined to back it. Be sure to not be too pushy though, your friends and family already know and trust you, so if they are able and willing to help they will do so without pressure.

Phase 3:

Select some of your more distant relatives, work colleagues and old friends that you think might be interested in the fundraiser and the cause. At this point you should already have some momentum behind you and if they see other people are backing the fundraiser they may be inclined to do also.

Ideally you’d like to have around 25% of your fundraising goal complete after these first phases are complete and with the initial boost to your fundraising, this should help the momentum grow allowing you to hit your target.

The easiest way to contact the first group of people in bulk would be via Social Media, but if you have their contact email you can create an email campaign and contact them that way.

Communication is key

To keep the momentum going you need to make sure your fundraiser gets as much exposure as possible and this is where Social Media comes into play. It’s great to be able to contact potential donors with a more personalized WhatsApp message or SMS but why be limited.

More or less everyone has access to some form of Social Media with Facebook and Instagram leading the way. So make sure your fundraising campaign is visible by:

• Posting photos and videos
• Tagging friends and donors
• Getting shares, likes, and retweets
• Using the right #Hashtags

When you post you should use informative and important bullet points about the fundraiser and who or what it’s for. Make sure to include a call to action each time you post about it which will normally be the direct link to the fundraiser.

Keep the donors updated

It’s important for a donor to know that their donation has gone to a good cause and made a positive impact, so be sure to keep them updated on the progress of the fundraiser. Having an active fundraising campaign is also a key way to entice others to get involved. If you’re working hard for the campaign, others may follow suite and decide to help.

Why fundraising campaign updates are important:

• Your donors will feel that they are part of something
• Updates help maintain momentum, keeping the fundraiser alive
• Build up trust with potential donors. If you’re active it legitimizes the campaign
• It helps to create a buzz about the campaign

Don’t spam the campaign

It’s important to keep your donors updated on the progress but make sure not to send them out daily. Nobody enjoys receiving spam emails so make sure that you keep your emails informative and lighthearted and only send them out when you feel they will offer something.

Thank your supporters

Letting your supporters know that you appreciate their help is an important step in any successful campaign and often leads to people to be more willing to back you on your next fundraiser. However large or small their contribution was, whether it was a donation or social media, a thank you goes a long way in building a relationship with your supporters.