How to be a Fundraiser

An amateur fundraisers toolkit

An Introduction

We’re thankful for your support of NYSA and are thrilled that you’ve decided to make an even bigger impact by becoming a fundraiser on our behalf.

Your partnership in supporting our mutual cause means that by deciding to become a fundraiser, you’re taking the partnership to the next level: introducing us to your friends, neighbours and family. That’s a big deal!

To ensure you’re equipped with all the right tools, we’ve created this Fundraising Toolkit.

Develop your fundraising strategy

To jumpstart your campaign, be the first one to donate! Even $20 showcases that you’re not only a supporter but also a donor, which will encourage your network to give.

Your story is the first thing people will hear from you and see when visiting your fundraising page, so your goal is to make it as impactful as possible. Develop a clear idea of what you want to include in your story and why it is important.

It’s also important to communicate how NYSA’s mission has affected your life in a meaningful way and why you’ve decided to fundraise on our behalf. And don’t hesitate to pull at their heartstrings; people are more likely to give if there’s an honest emotional connection.

Fundraising Best Practices

Fundraising leverages the power of your social network to meet fundraising goals and help move your fave nonprofit closer to its mission.

The success of your fundraising campaign depends heavily on the amount and ways that you’re sharing your campaign with friends, family, and colleagues. Social media, email, text messaging, and word of mouth are some of the best ways to get your request noticed.

Sharing your fundraising campaign via your Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, in addition to your own personal email list, is at the heart of every campaign. Leveraging these networks is how you’ll meet—and hopefully exceed—your fundraising goals.

You won’t have the phone number of all of your network contacts, but choose a few that you know will respond well to a more intimate request: text messaging. Don’t inflict the poison that is group texting on these people; take the time to send individual (copied and pasted) texts to each one.

PRO TIP:

Get personal and select a handful of your closest family and friends to reach out to as you announce your campaign. Close friends and family are more likely to donate, so getting them on board will let the rest of your network see that people are already supporting the cause.

How often should I communicate?

There are five absolute times you should communicate with your network during a fundraising campaign:

  1. Campaign launch
  2. Midway goal
  3. Final push
  4. Campaign end or goal reached
  5. Thank you

We recommend maintaining momentum between each of these main milestone communications with one to two social posts per week and one weekly email to help keep your campaign top of mind. If you’re texting, use those requests judiciously and make sure that you’re not monopolizing the conversation with donation asks.

During the final push phase of your campaign, increasing your frequency to a few social posts a day has proven to be highly effective, so go for it!

We recommend creating a simple sharing schedule to plan out your communications ahead of time. This’ll save you time and make your campaign more fun and less stress. You can use Google Calendar, Google Sheets, or even a notebook to plan out when you’ll post to socials and email or text your network.

Privacy & Consent

When communicating with your networks, please respect their communication preferences and adjust accordingly. This includes making sure you have permission to contact your peers, particularly if you’re sending text messages.

READY, SET, FUNDRAISE!

Now that you’ve learned all the fundraising tips, tricks, and best practices, it’s time to jump into it with confidence!

We’ve included pre-written communications for you to use at every major campaign milestone to make fundraising as easy as pie.

Copy, paste, and start fundraising. 🙂

Announcement #1: Campaign

Send: Right after you’ve completed setting up your fundraising page.

The purpose of this announcement is to let your online network (IRL & social media friends, family, peers, colleagues, neighbors) know that you’ve signed on to raise funds for a cause near and dear to your heart and that you need their help. Basically, you’ve got to get the word out to everyone you know to help you reach your fundraising goals.

The goal is to share, share, share!

Here are some sample social media ideas to get you started:

EMAIL

SUBJECT LINE: Let’s raise some dough together for a good cause

BODY:

Hey, [Name]! I hope this finds you well. I’ve got great news! I’ve signed on to become a supporter of Nanaimo Youth Services Association and could really use your help. I’m committed to helping NYSA raise $50,000 which will be put toward improving the opportunities for homeless youth to get off of the street. Every donation, large or small, makes a difference and moves NYSA closer to its fundraising goal.

Are you down to make a lasting impact? Please visit my fundraising page at [put your page URL in here] and make a donation today!

If you want to make an even larger impact, you can sign on as a supporter, too, and create a fundraising site Link to Campaign Site Landing Page of your own, set your personal fundraising goal, and start spreading the news!

Can’t donate or become a supporter? No worries. You can help by forwarding this email to your friends and family to get the word out.

Thanks so much for your support!

TWITTER

Hey friends, I’ve signed on to help @orgname raise funds to help provide housing for homeless youth. Help make a lasting impact by donating today: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #nysaroughingit

FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM

Hey friends, I’ve signed on to help @nysayouthservices raise funds to help provide housing for homeless youth. Are you down to help make a lasting impact? Please share with your friends and family and donate today: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #nysaroughingit

TEXT

[Name], I’ve signed on to help NYSA raise $50,000 to help provide housing for homeless youth. Please help by donating today: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU

Announcement #2: Midway Goal

Send: When you’re halfway to the event date. In this case, probably mid-August.

The purpose of the midway announcement is to share that you’re halfway to meeting your fundraising goals and still need help to get to the finish line. The tone should be excited in nature and get your network to feel motivated to help you reach your goals.

EMAIL

SUBJECT LINE: Ohhh, we’re halfway there—there’s still time to help!

BODY:

[Name], I’ve got great news—I’m halfway to reaching my personal fundraising goal for NYSA’s Roughing It event! Pretty awesome, right? All the money raised will help NYSA provide housing for homeless youth. Will you help me move the needle forward with a donation? Visit the event site today.

If NYSA’s mission is near and dear to your heart like it is mine, consider becoming a supporter and starting your own fundraising page to help them reach their goal more quickly! Plus, it’s a great way to leverage your awesome social media networks for a good cause (but keep those cat memes coming, please!).

Thank you!

TWITTER

Ohhh, I’m halfway to meeting my fundraising goal to help in the NYSA Roughing It event. Please help me move the needle forward by donating today: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #NYSARoughingIt

FACEBOOK

Ohhh, we’re halfway to meeting my fundraising goal to help in the NYSA Roughing It event. Help me get all the way there and share/donate today: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #NYSARoughingIt

TEXT

[Name], guess what? I’m halfway to meeting my fundraising goals for NYSA’s Roughing It event! Please help by donating today:  https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU

Announcement #3: Last Push

Send: One (1) day before the fundraiser ends (September 22).

The purpose is to inform your network that time is running out and they can help you reach your goals by donating and/or sharing your fundraiser with their network. These messages create a sense of urgency with a time-sensitive deadline so your network knows they only have a little time left to help you reach your goals.

EMAIL

SUBJECT LINE: I’m close to my goal—will you help me reach it?

BODY:

Hi [Name]! Believe it or not, I’ve raised [Amount Raised] for NYSA’s Roughing It event to help homeless youth and I’m nearly at my fundraising goal. If you haven’t donated yet, please donate now!

If you’ve already donated, consider one more gift: share this link https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU with your family, friends, and social networks. Imagine how much more can be accomplished if everyone joins in.

Let’s do it!

TWITTER

I’ve already raised $XX to help nysa reach its fundraising goals! There’s only one day left and I need your help. Donate now! https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #NYSARoughingIt

 FACEBOOK

I’ve already raised $XX to help @orgname reach its fundraising goals! There’s only one day left

and I need your help. Share/donate now! [shortlink] #inserthashtaghere

TEXT

[Name], I’ve already raised $XX to help NYSA and my goal is almost reached. There’s one day left and I need your help. Donate now! https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU

Announcement #4: Campaign End

Send: When the campaign ends or you’ve hit your goal.

The purpose of this is to let your network know that the campaign has ended and/or you’ve reached your fundraising goals. The tone should be congratulatory and should thank your network for their contributions of donations/shares.

This is also a great way to share the impact of their support.

EMAIL

SUBJECT LINE: We did it!

BODY:

[Name], with your help and support, I raised [$XX] for NYSA’s RoughingIt event! I can’t thank you enough. NYSA will now be able to move closer toward a new home for homeless youth—that’s a huge deal. I hope you feel good about your contribution because I sure appreciate it.

I hope we can continue to help organizations like NYSA reach their fundraising goals. World change happens one person at a time, and I’m happy we were able to make a difference together. Until next time!

TWITTER

We did it! Thank you all who helped me reach my fundraising goal of $XX for @orgname. I’m thrilled we were able to make a difference together. Look what we did: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #NYSARoughingIt

 FACEBOOK

We did it! Thank you all who helped me reach my fundraising goal of $XX for NYSA. World change happens one person at a time, so I’m thrilled we were able to make a difference together. Look what we did: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU #NYSARoughingIt

TEXT

[Name], thank you! I’ve reached my fundraising goal of $XX for NYSA. I’m thrilled we could make a difference together. Look what we did: https://bit.ly/3ciCLzU 

Announcement #5: Thank You Letter

Send: One (1) week after the campaign has ended.
The purpose is to thank everyone who helped support you in reaching your fundraising goals with a personal message.

LETTER

Dear [Supporter Name],

We did it! Thanks to your support, I met my fundraising goal of $XX for NYSA’s Roughing It. They’re now one step closer to achieving their mission of providing support and opportunities for learning, personal development and independence to youth aged 16 to 30. through additional housing for homeless youth. How rad is that?

It felt so good to have my friends and family join me in raising money for such a great cause. Reaching this goal is a testament to the power of social fundraising and what we can achieve if we all work together toward a common goal. I hope you feel great about your contribution because I couldn’t have done it without you.

Hope we can make some more fundraising magic in the future. Until then, cheers!