May 15, 2012
Become a Fundraising Rockstar
Walk 100 kilometres in honour of our loved ones suffering from Kidney Disease? No problem.
Raise $2,200 in honour of our loved ones suffering from Kidney Disease? Oh no, oh no, oh no. I can’t do that.
For many people in the March, the thought of doing the actual March isn’t an issue. Heck, our 70 year old neighbour is running ironman triathlons…how hard could walking 100 kilometres be?
Newsflash. The 100 kilometres is a challenge. Once you get going, fundraising is equivalent to a walk in the park. And if anyone should know, it’s one of our rockstar fundraisers (Lori Cartwright).
Without having any fundraising experience (although with grit, determination, and good team members), she was a top fundraiser in 2011, raising nearly $7,000 for her individual total. Building her team, the Blister Sisters for 2012, here are some of her tips to help get over the fear of fundraising.
Break It Down into Small Bites
Let’s face it: most people have never raised $2,200. It’s a large amount of money. And, it’s a big commitment on your part.
So how do you get there? One donation at a time. Break it down. Sure, a $2,200 cheque is tough to come by, but a $100 donation? Only need 22 of those. A $50 donation? Just need 44. Chinese proverbs say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Same with the $2,200.
Get Big Mo (Momentum) On Your Side
You know what’s addicting?
“That sounds like a great cause. I’d love to donate”
or
“You’re doing what? 100 Kilometres for Kidney Disease? How can I help?”
All you need is one or two of those and you’ll be surprised at how easy the rest gets.
Think Outside the Family
Most people start with their friends and family. And that’s fine. But unless you’re from a family of oil tycoons, that well can dry up rather quickly. For $2,200, you gotta think outside the box. Here are a few ideas that some of our marchers came up with (and if you need more, call our support and outreach team and we’ll connect you with some fundraising wizards)…
Idea 1: Hold a bottle drive and a garage sale.
Put up flyers around the neighborhood, post on social media accounts, and invite your neighbors to bring their junk, errr, treasures.
Idea 2: Sell hot dogs in the parking lot of a car dealership.
This technique raised over $600.00 on a single Saturday. The car dealer was happy to help, multiple times. Get the dogs and buns donated.
Idea 3: Hit up the local businesses
You go to a doctor, a chiropractor, a hair dresser, a massage therapist all the time and they appreciate the business…tell them what you’re up to and ask for a donation.
Idea 4: Host a pub night
Ok, well, drinking isn’t exactly the best thing for your kidneys, but auctions and door prizes will bring a good chunk of change. Beer is proven to induce giving, so…
Idea 5: Host a ‘Wine and Cheese’ party
$40 at the door, invite a few clothing shops to sell their items, take 10%, and have a blast!
Idea 6: Think Big
Walk into your local gas company or any other big business you can think of…and ask for $1,000. Just do it.
Involve Your Donors
Potential donors may not be walking 100 kilometres and hitting the bricks as a fundraiser for kidney disease research and support, but they are excited to support the cause with their cheque book. Get them involved! Email them updates on training with photos. If it’s a business, like them on Facebook and let them know how training is going. And most importantly, THANK them personally for their help.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Here’s the worst thing. Someone could say no. You ask them to get involved in the fight against Kidney Disease, and they don’t really want to. And that’s not a big deal, maybe they support another cause close to their heart, maybe they are in a bad mood. But whether they say yes and write you a $10,000 cheque, or they say no thank you, the conversation was worth it. The fringe benefit of having our Marchers out fundraising is that we’re building awareness with every ask. The silence of kidney disease ends one interaction at a time. So ask.
If you need any help with fundraising, give us a call. We’ll gladly hook you up with some fundraising mentors that can help you along.
And if you’re not registered, you still can. You have about 4 months to fundraise from today- that’s plenty of time. For you newly inspired fundraising rockstars, it should be a cake walk (hmmm, cake walk? might be another fundraising idea there)!
Register Now!
PS: And remember, ASK. You raise money when you ask for it. You don’t raise money when you don’t. Simple as that. The more you ask, the more you will receive. That’s the true secret of successful fundraising.