h2b fundraising tool kit

Fundraising Toolkit
Community Research Initiative fundraising toolkit for riders and crew doing
Harbor to the Bay Ride 13 on September 19, 2015. Contact spoudel@crine.org
for more information.
IN A NUTSHELL
1. Personalize your H2B fundraising page and set a goal. The minimum
goal for riders is $1,000 but you may want to set a higher goal. Crew
members are not required to but are encouraged to raise $250. 2. Send a general email to as many people as possible and include a
link to your fundraising page. The more people you ask, the more
donations you are likely to receive. 3. Make a general social media post explaining what you are doing and
include a link to your fundraising page. 4. Ongoing: thank those who donate as soon as you can. Thank them
via email, mail, social media, in person, or use more than one method.
5. Send targeted emails and snail mail, and follow up individually. 6. Ongoing: update and thank your audience on social media.
7. Ongoing: keep asking and reminding. We all put things off or forget! 8. Get creative: host an event, use ebay, offer a skill people need and
ask them to support your ride in exchange (see more ideas below). 9. Double or triple your fundraising! Seek an individual, your employer,
or another business to match all donations up to $x amount, and
encourage each of your donors to ask their employer to match their
individual donation as well. Many businesses have a match program
so take advantage of it!
www.crine.org/h2b
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THE ASK
How to Ask for $1,000+ for Harbor to the Bay in One Week
Your fundraising efforts can add up quickly. Here's how to ask for more
than $1,000 in just a week:
Day 1. Sponsor yourself for $25.
Day 2. Ask all your Facebook friends to contribute any amount.
Day 3. Ask six or more family members for $50.
Day 4. Ask five or more friends to contribute $40.
Day 5. Ask four or more co-workers to contribute $25.
Day 6. Ask your bosses to sponsor you by contributing $100.
Day 7. Ask six or more businesses you frequent to donate $50 each.
Remind yourself of the importance and significance of what you are
doing and why you are participating in Harbor to the Bay on behalf of
CRI, and tell others. Then ask! Remember, donations often come in
from the least expected places, so ask everyone you know...or don’t
know.
Ask in person and via e-mail, snail mail, and social media.
Let your supporters know they can donate via your online fundraising
page or they can mail a check with your name in the memo to:
HARBOR TO THE BAY RIDE
P.O. Box 990243
Boston, MA 02199
www.crine.org/h2b
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is a powerful and effective tool for fundraising so use it early
and use it often. It is common to receive support from people who you
aren’t in regular touch with simply because they see your commitment on
their social media feed!
Join CRI’s H2B event, “Harbor to the Bay Ride for CRI - Ride 13” and
share Ride news that may interest your audience. Start by letting your friends and family know you’ve signed up for an
incredible challenge and your reason for doing so. Link to your
personalized fundraising page and let them know they can learn more
and make a donation there.
Thank your donors on social media to publicly acknowledge their
generosity and to remind others to support your ride.
Don’t just ask. Update your audience with pictures from training rides
and Ride events; share fundraising milestones; and invite them to
Ride events or your own fundraising event if you are hosting one.
Use the hashtags #teamCRI and #H2B2015. Ride day is great for fundraising. Update your audience from each pit
stop and from the finish line. Seeing you in action will inspire more
donations.
www.crine.org/h2b
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THANK DONORS
Your supporters donate to your Ride because they believe in you, share
your commitment to improving the lives of others, and want to help you
achieve your goal. By donating, they are telling you that your pursuits
matter. Be sure to let them know just how much their support means to
you.
Here are some ideas for acknowledging your donors:
Give them a shout-out on Facebook and tag them -- let the Facebook
world know how wonderful your supporters are! Send them a personal email.
Send them a personal thank you card -- taking this extra step shows
just how much you care.
Share CRI’s donor incentives and offer your own. It doesn’t have to be
expensive or labor intensive and can be something you’d do for friends
and family anyway. Set your own incentive levels and use your own
skills. For example offer a custom drawing for supporters who donate
$200+; cook dinner for supporters who donate $100+; write a custom
haiku or offer to help shovel for supporters who donate $50+; give a
humorous paper award to supporters who donate $25+. Get creative
and have fun! Let them know that 100% of their donation goes to CRI’s life
transforming research and that people everywhere are benefiting
because they care!
www.crine.org/h2b
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MORE IDEAS
Do you have a skill that people need and would pay for? Cut a
friend’s hair, help a friend move, offer to pet sit or babysit, cook a
meal, etc. If the person you helped offers to buy you a drink or
otherwise repay you, ask if they’d consider donating to your Ride.
Promote your Ride and fundraising where you work. Tape a poster
or flyer to your cubicle or office door that explains what you are
doing with a clear ask to sponsor you. H2B has donation forms you
can provide or you can direct them to your online Ride page. Once
a few colleagues have donated, you can tape a thank you flyer next
to the ask flyer and list names of people who have supported you.
Ask your employer if they would consider matching those
donations. Do you pay for services like massages, meals at restaurants, gym
classes, and car wash? Ask each of those businesses if they would
consider providing the service to you for free or for a discount in
return for you putting that money toward your fundraising. Be sure
to credit the business on your fundraising page and send them a
link when you thank them.
Do you have some extra time on your hands this summer? Ask
your friends and family to donate some items to you that they don’t
want but that someone else may find valuable and pay for. Take
pictures of those items and list them for sale on Craigslist, ebay, or
Facebook, explaining where the funds will go.
www.crine.org/h2b
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