Our #1 fundraising tip: Ask!
Ask personally and ask directly. Reach out to your friends, family members, colleagues and neighbors in whichever format - email, text, social media post, or phone call - works best.
Ask for a specific amount
Your fundraising page has some suggested donation amounts built in. But when you’re reaching out to people personally, it helps to let them know what you’re asking for specifically. Suggest an amount that you think is right for them – $15, $30, or more.
Choose a communication method that works.
Asking for donations is easier if you pick a method you are comfortable with. But keep in mind that email and personal texts are the most effective tools. Facebook posts and tweets are likely to get passed by, because they are directed to such a big audience.
So get personal! Email or text your potential donors individually with a short note telling them why PHA's mission matters to you, why you’re supporting the organization, and why they should join you. Remember to include the link to your page.
Make a donation to your own page.
Donors are more likely to give if they see that you’ve made your own commitment to PHA – even if it’s just a few dollars. When you ask people to give, you can tell them “I’ve made my own contribution because this cause is so important. Will you join me?”
Personalize your page.
Of course, you can share your page link right away – it’s all set up for you. But you’re more likely to raise more money if you update your photo and the text to tell your supporters why this cause matters to you.
Include your fundraising page in your email signature.
Make sure you’re spreading the word by including something like this in your email signature: “I’m running walking in the O2breathe Walk to support programs for people with pulmonary hypertension. I'd love your support - please consider donating!” Be sure to include a link to your page.
Think big.
For some donors, $20 represents a large donation. But if you have a friend or family member who is able to give a larger gift, don’t be afraid to ask. People are much more likely to give when you ask for a specific amount, and every year our participants raise donations of $100, $250, $500 and beyond.
Thank your donors.
Be sure to let your donors know how much their support means to you. Hand-written notes never go out of style, and personalized emails and public Facebook shout-outs are great, too!
Make a big deal about the milestones you hit in your fundraising efforts. Post on social media, send an email, and toot your own horn when you get your first donation, your fifth donation, and so on. Make a big deal when you’re halfway to our goal. Share your success – your enthusiasm will motivate people to give, and your donors will feel like they're part of something big.
Your goal is achievable – just break it down.
Let’s say your goal is $150. That might seem like a lot, but when you break it up into smaller donations, it will be easy to reach. Ask three family members to sponsor you for $25 each. Ask a few friends to donate $10. Ask three neighbors, housemates, or coworkers to give $15 each.
You did it! Thank everyone for their support, and consider raising your goal to motivate others people to give.
Feeling stuck?
Ask, ask, and ask again. Many people will wait to donate until you remind them. Remember, when you ask people more than once, you’re telling them how important this is to you. It is definitely OK to text or email people every couple weeks, and to post on Facebook a few times a week.
Ask everyone. Think beyond local friends and family. You can ask everyone you know to sponsor you: neighbors, colleagues, ex-coworkers…members of your faith community…people on your softball team…third cousins…your parents’ friends. Ask everyone!
Don’t be discouraged if someone can’t donate. We are so grateful that you’ve asked! When you ask someone to give, you’re raising awareness about pulmonary hypertension. If you ask people directly and personally to donate, most will say “yes” because they’ll understand how important this it to you.
Get creative. Come up with a special way to motivate your donors to give. Offer every donor a raffle ticket for a handmade item you’ll give after the event – like a scarf or a batch of cookies. Post a silly thank-you video for every donation you get. Or come up with an idea of your own!
I’m posting my page on social media, but I’m not getting much of a response. Please don’t be discouraged - this is true for most of us! Facebook posts and tweets come at us a mile a minute and they’re easy to ignore. Email and text are far more effective, so make sure you're doing that.
Update your fundraising goal
Have you met (or surpassed!) your fundraising goal? Terrific! Keep going! Log in to your page and raise your goal. The more you raise, the more PHA can do to fight PH. It’s that simple.
Team Captain Fundraising Tips
Reach out to your team
Be sure you’re communicating with your team regularly – an email or text once a week is great. Give an update about your team’s progress towards your goal. Make sure you communicate what you expect of your team members. We suggest asking everyone to raise at least $50. These emails are a great place to talk about friendly competition.
Friendly competition
Competition is a terrific motivator for many teams. Watch your standing on the leaderboard and choose a team to compete with. Engage with them on social media. Keep it friendly and fun. Or, create competition among your team members when you email your team each week. Be sure to recognize anyone on your team who’s done particularly well in their fundraising that week!