Fight Back with Fitness

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Fundraising Toolkit

First, here are RACHEL'S QUICK TIPS for fundraising success:

"Here's what I did to raise over $1,000 in 4 weeks:

Make it urgent. Set a deadline for your fitness goal and in your emails, let people know you need them to help out now.
Keep reminding people. Everyone's busy but they'll respond if they see you're serious and it's important to you.
Show people your progress. They'll get swept up in the momentum.
Emails worked better for me than Facebook postings. They're more personal. Here are the emails I used.

Good luck and I hope you can raise lots of funds in honor of Jake and for all the kids who need better treatments and cures for cancer!"

Now here are the basic tips that will help you meet your fundraising goal.

TIP 1: MAKE YOUR FITNESS GOAL SPECIFIC AND SET A DEADLINE.

You have your own Fight Back with Fitness web page to state your goal and communicate with your donors. If you make your goal specific, it's easier to stick with it: "I'm going to go to the gym 3 days a week" is better than "I'm going to get into shape." Set a deadline, too, something around 2-4 months. That gives you enough time to make a difference fitness-wise, while keeping people interested (and donating!) especially as they see the deadline approaching.

The web page is all yours and the more you make it personal, the more donors will feel like this is something important to you and jump in to help. It's great to add some photos and post some comments so people can see how you're doing.

By the way, your web page can be seen by anyone who visits the FBF website and anyone can make a comment – but you get to screen them so the page is totally under your control.

TIP 2: WRITE A FUNDRAISING EMAIL THAT'S PERSONAL TO YOU
We have sample emails you can use as a place to start. Here are a few options:

the full fundraising email,
the nanosecond version for people with short attention spans,
and samples of Rachel's emails that raised over $1000 in 4 weeks.

But...what will be most compelling is something that's personal to you, so feel free to start with our samples and then just be yourself!

A few things to be sure to include are:

Your fitness goal and deadline.
Why you’re doing this.
Instructions on how to donate. Donors can pay by PayPal or credit card by going to your personal fundraising page and clicking on "Donate". They can also pay by check made out to “The Jake Wetchler Foundation for Innovative Pediatric Cancer Research”and mailed to The Jake Wetchler Foundation, P.O. Box 3214, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034. Tell people to put your name in the memo field of the check so we know who to credit for the donation, and we will update your web page with the amount.

TIP 3: ASK LOTS OF PEOPLE - THEY WILL ADMIRE YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING
It's amazing the comments our participants get from their donors, things like, "Proud to be your friend!" and "What a great cause...I'm inspired!" Yes, you will be showered with positive vibes for the great thing that you're doing! So share the goodwill with as many people as you can!

Start by making a list of people and remember, you have a family…friends…co-workers…members of organizations you belong to (professional, sports, temple/church, etc.)…businesses you patronize…neighbors…the list goes on and on. Compared to what you’ll be doing (getting fit), their part (making a donation) is easy, so make the list a long one.

TIP 4: SPREAD THE WORD

If you like Facebook, you can post your FBF activities by responding to the automated prompts provided by our site, or clicking on the box labeled "Share this Page". Here's a sample Facebook post you can use. If the mere thought of Facebook sends shudders of social and technological inadequacy down your spine, don’t worry – just ignore this feature and it won’t somehow turn itself on without your knowing.

You can also send a Tweet with a link to your fundraising page by clicking on the Twitter icon under "Share This Page."

Another way you can spread the word is to create a signature that leaves a little unobtrusive message with all your emails. Whoever wants to take action will, and the others will think you’re pretty cool for being an activist. Here’s a sample and you can create one by copying and pasting to your email "signature."

I've set a fitness goal to help fight back against pediatric cancer.

Please sponsor me online at [insert your web page address]. Thanks in advance!

TIP 5: PESTER

We all have that stack of stuff we really do want to get around to doing but it’s constant triage and we overlook things. A friendly reminder, like telling people you’ve embarked on your fitness program and they’d better get their check to you before you start looking like Brad Pitt (or Angelina Jolie, depending), can get you to the top of the stack and people will feel good that you helped them cross something off their to-do list. Here is a sample reminder email.

TIP 6: REMEMBER TO SAY THANKS

We’ll send an automatic thank-you to anyone who donates on the website but it’s always nice for you to add the personal touch with a note of your own. Short and sweet is fine and your donors will remember your social graces next time around. Here is a sample thank you note that you can use to tailor your own.

That should be enough to get you going (or send you running in the opposite direction but hey, it’s still a workout.) If you have questions or problems, you can contact JeanSinger@DontLetTheCancerWin.org.

2013 Cap Fest Tournament

For all our volleyball players, below are sample emails and a Facebook posting that you can use.

Good luck and thanks for helping to fight pediatric cancer!

Cap Fest Sample Fundraising Notes