This kind of post vindicates anything Emily Post ever wrote or my Mom ever said. It seems the lessons they tried for years to drill into us, actually were good things to learn. In fundraising, but especially personal fundraising, these three keys can go a long way to helping you reach your goal:
Make the Ask
It sounds so obvious to ask people for donations, but few people actually do it. Lots of walkers simply announce they are walking and then hope people will “just want to” donate. It can be uncomfortable to ask people for money. But, what makes this easier is that you’re not asking for you. As an Atlanta 2-Day walker, you’re asking people to help you raise funds that will stay here in Georgia supporting organizations that work in the breast cancer community.
Make it Specific
This tip may be new to you, but research proves that asking people for a specific amount raises more money than just asking for “a donation.” One of the fun ways our minds work is that when asked, but without a specific amount, our minds go to work in trying to figure out how much to give. All kinds of factors come in to play, our finances, our relationship to the person asking, our understanding of the charity, our relationship to the cause, if any, our perceived value and more. Our brains get rather overwhelmed by so many factors and so many people just opt out and never donate. So make it easy on your friends and family and ask for a specific amount. For example, “A $50 donation – the price of a night out to dinner – would bring me one step closer to raising funds that support Georgia’s breast cancer community…”
Send a Personal Thank You
If you’ve followed those first two steps – made the ask and made it specific – the next best thing you can do is send an immediate thank you note. Don’t worry about the cardstock or your handwriting skills, send a personal note thanking that person for their donation. You can include how close you are to your goal or how training is going, but be sure to thank them for supporting your efforts. In a world of digital shortcuts, a handwritten note goes a very long way to making someone feel recognized and appreciated.
In this same lesson, a good idea is to send a thank-you postcard after the event. You can upload your picture to a site like Snapfish.com and create postcards that you can send to all of your donors and supporters. You could include a second thank you – letting them know that his/her support helped you get to the start and cross the finish line.
Share with us – what other key lessons would you add to our list?
