SWIMATHON FUNDRAISING MANUAL FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE

Transcription

1 SWIMATHON FUNDRAISING MANUAL FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE WHAT S INSIDE 1. Aim High 2. Creating Your List of Potential Donors 3. Fundraising Ideas 4. Face-to-Face Meeting 5. Fundraising s 6. Company Donation Matching Programs 7. Expand Your Giving Circle 8. Follow Up Photo by Tony Austin

2 WELCOME TO THE 2012 SWIMATHON FOR VICTORIA HOSPICE! You're participating in the Swimathon for Victoria Hospice (Swimathon) to help support end-oflife care through Victoria Hospice. Fundraising is the way to make a real difference but, it doesn't have to be hard or a chore; Swimathon is all about fun and accomplishing something extraordinary! People want to help you and they want to support end-of-life care. By asking them to give a donation, you are giving them an opportunity to make a difference. 1. AIM HIGH Set Your Goals High The suggested fundraising amount for each participant is $500 but victory demands you stretch a bit, risk a little, and challenge yourself. Pick a number that feels like a real reach and go for it. This does not have to be the ceiling for your personal goal as the average team raises much more than that. Think of fundraising as a personal challenge, your team s challenge and also as a part of the adventure. Think about a fundraising goal that would be a truly big accomplishment for you. Think of the lives you are touching and shoot for the stars. Remember the golden rule of fundraising: if you don't ask, you don't get. Aim high and go for it! 2. CREATING YOUR LIST OF POTENTIAL DONORS Sit down with a piece of paper and write down the names of all of the people in your life - Family, friends, neighbours, co-workers. Go through your address book. Include your doctor, auto mechanic, relatives, former classmates, your child s teacher, everybody you do business with, your dry cleaner, everyone you talk to at your office, place of worship, or school. Think about any people who ve asked you for money for a charity before and put them on the list. Don t leave anyone out. You never know who might be waiting for an opportunity like this to support this cause. Next to each name on your list, write the method by which you will contact this person for a donation. Some options are a face-to-face meeting, a fundraising letter, a fundraising party, or an with a link to your Swimathon fundraising page. FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE Page 2 of 7

3 3. FUNDRAISING TIPS & IDEAS Fundraising Tips Be informed about the cause, the history and future of the event Ask a large group of family and friends in a social setting (i.e. family gathering, volleyball night, watching a hockey game, etc.) Don t assume that someone can t afford to give ask all of your friends and family Always have donation forms on you or be ready to give information or direction to the website to donate. Better yet consider printing your own/team s business card with your message and web site address of your fundraising page. Ask via . It s best to ask when sending a personal . Drop in an ask at the end of your . As a part of your signature and footer, add a line that says, Thanks to everyone who has supported my fundraising efforts for the BMO Swimathon for Victoria Hospice. So far I have fundraised $ and my personal goal is $. If you would like to donate, please visit Thank you to: Joe Donor Joanne Donor If you have a personal reason for participating in Swimathon, personalize your fundraising efforts and let your friends know that you re dedicating your participation to a loved one, honouring someone who was supported by Victoria Hospice, or giving back to the community Combine more than one fundraising idea at one event (i.e. 50/50 draw at a Karaoke night) Be sure to advertise your fundraising events early and well (advertise and send out reminders every week) FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE Page 3 of 7

4 Fundraising Ideas The list is endless, but here are a couple of simple ones to get you started. Pub Crawl Plan a pub crawl, limit your overhead costs as much as possible (emphasize the cause to the pubs to get the best cover charge possible), host a couple of head shaves at each pub to raise more funds. A Fundraising Party Types of parties: Pay-per-view UFC wrestling match with appetizers = $15 X 10 people = an easy $150 (Try to keep your food & pay-per-view costs below 20 per cent) Barbeque = $10 X 10 people = an easy $100 (Try to keep your food cost below 20 per cent) Four Course Dinner Party (If you re not a chef extraordinaire, ask someone that you know if is to donate their cooking time to your cause) = $30 X 10 people = an easy $300 Throwing a party: 1. Make your guest list. Try to invite as many people as possible. 2. Send invitations to everyone you would like to attend your party. It should be clear that the party is about raising money. Tell your guests that there will be information about Swimathon and Victoria Hospice and remind them to bring a cheque book or credit card. 3. Make reminder calls to your guest list a few days before your party. 4. Prepare for the party by printing plenty of donation forms, set out some food and refreshments. Greet your guests warmly as they arrive and mingle until everyone has arrived. After the video, give your guests time to ponder their commitment and fill out donation forms. Let everyone know how much was raised when the evening is over. 5. Thank everyone for coming. 6. Mail all donations (cheques only) to: Victoria Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation, 1510 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8S 5J2 7. Send thank-you notes to those who donated. 8. Follow up with those who could not attend by calling them and sending them a donation form. FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE Page 4 of 7

5 (Throwing a party con t) Party Tips: Fundraising parties are successful when they take place in a controlled environment where the guests can focus on the presentation. Nightclubs or busy restaurants don t usually work well. Do not sell tickets to the event. Your guests will listen to your presentation thinking they have already contributed if they have purchased a ticket. Let your guests rise to the occasion and donate on their own. The focus should be on the event, not your birthday or a holiday. Be up front about the purpose of the party. Don t take your guests by surprise. Note: if you are interested in holding a fundraising event outside of your home and are planning to either serve or sell liquor, you may be required to obtain a liquor license. Please contact your liquor licensing board to ensure you comply with their policies and receive appropriate approval. If a license is required we are unable to assist with the process. Please talk to the licensing bureau directly for all information on the availability of such a license. Likewise, if you wish to hold a raffle or 50/50 draw, you must apply for a license from the Gaming Commission. Similar to the above, we are unable to assist with this process. Please visit Car Washes with a bbq Office pool Create an office pool based on which team member will bring in the most amount of money. Seek a sponsor to provide a prize for the office pool winner. Each participant in the office pool pays $20 to participate. Bar cover charge Many local bars are supportive of fundraising events & will donate the proceeds of their cover charge. Get in touch with bars and ask to see if they would consider this for your team Garage Sale Organize your community or a sports team to host a garage sale with funds raised going towards your team s goal FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE Page 5 of 7

6 4. FACE-TO-FACE MEETING For your potential contributors, you ll want to set up a face-to-face meeting. It can be lunch, dinner, a casual coffee or a walk around the block. Be sure to set a definite time and place. Then, tell your donor how much you hope they ll give. This may seem difficult, but when you are specific, you are doing your donors a favour. They may have no idea how much money to offer, so ask them to donate $20, $50, $100 or whatever they can afford. Don't be afraid to ask because a donor will not give more than they can afford, but they will not give more than you ask for. Once you have asked for the donation, remain quiet until the donor has responded. Give them a moment to think about your request. Your patience and silence in the moment after you ve asked conveys your seriousness. But don t leave the meeting without a definitive answer. Have donation forms with you so your donor can fill one out right away or if you're at home, offer your computer to make a donation online. Make it easy for the donor to act on what they have offered. 5. FUNDRAISING S You ll want to send fundraising s to any potential donors whom you are not asking at a face-to-face meeting, or at a fundraising party or event. Though a fundraising campaign can be enormously successful for many fundraisers, it is less personal than a face-to-face request and could result in a smaller donation. When composing your fundraising , remember to personalize it as much as you can. Make each different, as if it were any other piece of personal correspondence you were sending to a friend. Address your donors by their first name, and open up with a personal comment. Then, after your personal opening, explain that you re participating in Swimathon and are writing to ask for support. Talk about the event and your commitment to it. Explain your own personal reasons for participating. Though you will want to keep your fairly brief, try to engage your donors in your personal journey and inspire them to give. Ask for a specific donation amount, such as $100, and be sure to include the link to your personal Swimathon fundraising page. Once the donor has made the decision to give, you want to make it as easy for them as possible. FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE Page 6 of 7

7 6. COMPANY DONATION MATCHING PROGRAM Many companies will match employee donations to Victoria Hospice. Find out if your employer will match your donation. Please be sure to verify your company s donation matching status. 7. EXPAND YOUR GIVING CIRCLE You can multiply your donations by giving additional donation forms to your family and friends who have already donated, or asking them to their friends. Ask them to talk to people about the event and your participation in it, and help you ask for donations. If you have a Facebook page, include information and link to your fundraising page on your Facebook page. 8. FOLLOW UP If you haven t received a response from someone you ve asked for a donation, be sure to follow up. Make a phone call or send a quick note to make sure that they haven t forgotten your request. A good way to keep people involved in your adventure is to send an update newsletter or . Keep your donors and potential donors informed of your fundraising and training progress. Once you have received a donation from someone, let them know that their contribution, whatever the amount, is important to you and that you appreciate it. You can also invite your donors to the Swimathon so they can see the results of your hard work in person. After the event, you may want to send out a newsletter or with some photos, and an additional thank you for your donors support. Thank you! Your efforts will help in raising funds to support end-of-life care! If you have any questions or would like more information please contact Tamara Dean tamara.dean@viha.ca or FOR SUPPORTERS OF VICTORIA HOSPICE Page 7 of 7