Having started my journey with Knight-thon this year, I have a newfound outlook on how difficult it can be to raise money in support of a great cause. Reaching your goal starts to feel like more of a chore rather than a good deed. Not to mention the fear of possibly falling short of your goal by the time the event comes around. Sometimes you feel awkward asking others for their money or simply just lack the time to dive full force into the pool of fundraising. Well, raising money for a good cause is easier than you think! All you need is a positive mindset and the correct tools to get that money flowing on in!
First things first, use social media to your advantage. Almost all charity events provide the participants with an online donation page in order to collect money. Take that link and paste it, well, basically everywhere! Sites like Facebook and Twitter are the most efficient because a wide range of people will come across the link and be more prone to either clicking on it or sharing it with others. Make sure to ALWAYS add a sentence or two about what the donation is for and why it would be beneficial. The key here, however, is to make sure the link gets reposted at least once a day. With so much exposure, more people have the opportunity to see it and donate.
Believe it or not, a big chunk of your fundraising money can come from family members. It’s no secret that our own blood relatives enjoy hearing that we young college students are actually doing something to help the community. They want nothing but to see us succeed in all of our endeavors, so they gladly open their wallets and become an integral part of the fundraising process. The family members you never quite hear from even come out of hiding to help! It’s almost as if they want to make up for the lack of involvement in your life by pouring out the donations — which is totally fine if you ask me. Reaching out to family ensures that your money meter will continue to shoot up to that goal amount.
Once you’ve finished going through your list of family members, it is time to reach out to the community. This is where most fundraisers fall short because they fear rejection or just can’t seem to get people to willingly donate. It may be true that we catch others’ attention with phrases that are short and sweet, but when it comes to fundraising, it is actually quite the opposite. People do not want to donate their money unless they know exactly where the money will be going. As a fundraiser, it is your job to know the cause you are raising money for and why their money would be appreciated. We as humans also act upon our feelings and impulse. Being informed about the charity you are fundraising for ensures that you will be able to sincerely and genuinely talk about it to others. In turn, they will gladly donate to help you reach your goal.
The most important advice of all is that you need to fundraise one dollar at a time! Trying to raise money can get disappointing when you don’t see big bills being donated. This is where you need to take a step back and realize that money adds up. No fundraiser should expect to reach their goal within the first 20 minutes of fundraising. Raising money for charity takes time and being grateful for any amount you receive will help you enjoy the fundraising process inevitably more.
If you perfect your technique and have fun with it, then you will have no problem reaching your fundraising goals no matter how big!