Plan your fundraising
July 20, 2021 2024-08-15 13:22Plan your fundraising
Steps for a successful fundraiser
Plan, plan, plan!
What?
Pick something you enjoy doing.
Check out our Fundraising Ideas page.
Keep it simple, especially if this is your first fundraiser.
Set a date and time, or a period, as you might do an event which is over several days.
If you are hiring space for an event, ask for a charity discount, or ask if they will donate the space to your fundraiser.
Look at multi-level fundraising, to maximise the money that you raise. For example, if you are holding a fashion show and charging admission, hold a raffle or sell table space to a few businesses which fit the theme of your fundraiser.
Check if your employer offers match funding as this could double what you raise.
Where?
Will your fundraiser be indoors or outdoors?
Do you need to hire a venue and if you do, can you negotiate a charity discount or get it for free?
Make sure that the venue is easy to access and that there is sufficient parking or accessed by public transport?
Check the venue’s public liability insurance and make sure it covers the owners liability risks.
When?
Avoid clashes with local or national events or bank holidays.
Allow enough time to plan the event and everything you might need to make it a success.
Who?
Think about who might be helping you organise the event.
Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for their help especially if they have some useful skills.
Do you know anyone with great social media skills?
Do you know anyone with connections to local media (radio or newspapers)?
Ask for help on social media, local community or local support groups, remember many hands make light work.
Why?
Tell everyone you are fundraising for Together Against Cancer.
Let people know what we do and how valuable their support is.
Download fundraising resources
Fundraising Guide
This guide is full of ideas and helpful advice about how you can fundraise for Together Against Cancer to help people living with cancer.
Virtual Fundraising Ideas
This poster provides some fundraising ideas that can be enjoyed virtually.
Event Poster
This poster is ideal for getting the word out about your fundraising activities.
Sponsor Form
Using our sponsor form will allow you to capture key information from all those willing to donate. It also includes a note about Gift Aid.
Gift Aid Form
Boosting donations with Gift Aid can make a huge difference to the overall total raised. This form helps you capture Gift Aid details.
Payment Form
Using our payment form allows us to receive your funds raised. We thank you very much for your fundraising efforts!
Tell us about your fundraising
Fundraising Inspiration
Ragdale Ladies
We did it!!!
12 weeks of walking and we smashed our target walking over 4,200 miles and raising over £4,500 for Lou’s chosen charity who supported her and provide vital support to so many others living with cancer.
Thank you for your amazing donations – you’ve been so generous and your messages of love for Lou and support have been fantastic. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Here’s our final miles total and a picture of our final walk live from 3 locations! Thank you all so much.
With Love The Ragdale Ladies xxx
Once you have decided what to do, start spreading the word!
Getting the word out
Use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote your event.
If appropriate you might want to set up a facebook event page or a separate page for your fundraiser, this gives you additional places to promote what you are doing and any updates can go there too.
Produce posters and ask local groups, schools, shops to display one.
Make some very short promotional videos for your social media channels.
Connect with local radio and see if they would be prepared to give you a short slot to spread the word.
Connect with local newspapers or community magazines and see if they have a free section or if they would cover the event.
Use your fundraising page (Justgiving etc) and update regularly making sure you thank those who have donated or businesses who have donated raffle prizes or publicised your event.
Ask friends to share your social media pages or tell others about your fundraiser.
Don’t be afraid to remind people after a week or two or regularly up to the event date.
Your gift will help us to support those fighting cancer
Get support
Depending upon the type of fundraiser you plan to do, you might want to ask for support from local businesses, pubs, restaurants etc.
If you are including a raffle, don’t be shy, get out and ask for raffle prizes.
You will need to be able to talk about what Together Against Cancer do and what you are fundraising for (so general funds to cover charity expenses or a specific area such as complementary therapies etc).
Look at your connections, through work, family, friends, local neighbourhood groups, your extended network and social media.
Make sure you approach the right person – ask for the store/company Manager or the person responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
It is often easier to persuade a local business to give you something tangible such as an item to auction or offer as raffle prizes. Often donations in shops are at the discretion of the manager.
Other forms of non-monetary support might be to put up a poster advertising your event or posting on the company social media. This is a great form of publicity.
Think about what you are prepared to offer in return, if appropriate you may want to offer a public acknowledgement or publicity opportunities. Although this is seldom the reason that companies give support it is worth bearing in mind in case asked.
You might want to consider listing them on your fundraising site and putting a shout out to them on social media. Businesses love this as it shows their customers that they are doing their bit and its positive publicity.
Depending on what you are asking for, you will either call in to local businesses with a letter outlining what you are doing, what it is you are asking for, and why a company should think about supporting you or you would send a letter.
If you are asking for some something substantial, it’s a good idea to follow this up with a phone call and/or suggest a meeting to discuss how any partnership or sponsorship might work.
Remember to say ‘thank you’ and let the company/business know how their support has made a difference. This not only prepares the ground for any future donations, but also helps ensure the reputation of the charity and fundraising in general.
