For many, the idea of raising money is just as (if not more) daunting as their training plan. If you’re planning to raise money for us at this year’s Vitality Big Half here are some tips to help you reach your goal as easily as possible:
1. Start Early
Don’t think that you can start a few weeks before the race and reach your goal without a huge time commitment and stress on your part. The earlier you start fundraising, the less stressful and time intensive it will be.
2. Asking for Donations
When you ask for donations, tell people why you are running for Silverfit. If you have a personal connection, let them know about it. The more personal you can make your appeal, the more people will be willing to support you. Even if you don’t have a personal connection there is a reason you chose Silverfit out of the numerous choices. Tell people about us and what their money will go toward. [Keeping older people active, fit and connected to a community. Money will go towards staff costs, instructors, venue hire, marketing… if you need to know more please drop us an email [email protected] and we will happily provide you will some wording]
3. Sponsor a Mile
Ask people to sponsor you per mile you complete during the race. Especially if this distance is new for you, people may be willing to donate several pounds per mile just to help push you to run the entire race. You may not raise all the cash pre-race using this method, but you will know how much to expect post-race, assuming you finish. The added bonus is that when you’re getting tired, you’ll have an incentive to keep going.
4. Sponsor Based on Time
If you’re an experienced runner, ask people to donate based on how many seconds or minutes faster your time is than your current PR (personal record). So if you’re gunning for a Personal Record ask people to donate £10, £20, or £50 per minute you run faster! Then train smart and go for it on race day.
5. Reach Out Through Email
Write a personal email detailing what you are doing and why—and email everyone you know. It’s highly recommended that you send individual emails to your perspective donors because people tend to ignore mass emails. Make sure to include a link to your Just Giving page or Silverfit’s Just Giving page so they can donate online.
6. Facebook Is Your Friend
Post your Just Giving link on Facebook and ask for donations. You will need to post fairly regularly to garner significant donations as not everyone will see it every time you post, and it takes several viewings for most people to donate. Make sure to include a little blurb about why Silverfit is a worthwhile charity to fundraise for.
7. Keep People Updated on Your Progress
Regular updates whether in the form of email updates or Facebook posts are a great way to keep your friends and family updated with your preparation and training progress. It’s also a great way to give a gentle reminder to those that haven’t donated yet to see all the effort you are putting in to prepare and hopefully motivate them to get their wallets out to donate!
We wish you the best of luck with your fundraising and appreciate every penny raised, thank you.
