Well hello there Fundraising Fans! This week we’ve got some great tips from a VSO ICS Team Leader who created a funny fundraising video in order to bring in the money for his second ICS placement in Tanzania with VSO ICS.
We asked him for his tips…
“I believe that the best place to start a fundraising campaign is online!
"As the vast majority of your donations will go through your JustGiving page, you want to get that out there as soon and as frequently as possible.
"Social media is the best way to let everyone outside your immediate family and friendship group know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and what they can do to help.
“I then set out to organise a big event that I could invite a lot of people to, including people that I might not have had on Facebook and won't be exposed to my normal online fundraising. In this case, I organised a charity Race Night at my local Royal Air Force Association club.
"I found that one of the best fundraising tools at any event is the donation bucket - everyone's leftover change after they buy a pint really adds up!
"Events like this can help you raise a big sum of your fundraising target however, it's best not to rely entirely on one event, in case you fall short with not much time left!
“As a return volunteer from an ICS programme in Zimbabwe in 2014, I found that some people are less willing to donate as they had already contributed last time. Because of that I've had to think outside the box a little bit to grab people’s attention (and their donations).
"This could be anything that you’re good at or you think will be interesting to people, the more creative the better. As I play the guitar I decided to write a fundraising song and accompany it with a silly video, to post on Facebook.
"This is a great way to get people to pay attention to what you’re doing and why, and will hopefully be catchy enough to get in their heads or make them laugh. People appreciate the extra effort rather than you just asking for money three times a week!"
Tips for fundraisers starting out:
- Start early and get the word out frequently! Some people will mean to donate, but won't until they've seen your post 3-5 times
- Do something creative or inspiring! This could be something that's out of character for you or something you’re great at and want to share
- Check out what foundations, charities or trusts might be applicable for you! Organisations like Rotary Clubs, The Lions Club, or in my case the local RAF Association can help a lot
- Donation buckets are great! At one event I made £60 on entrance fees and £100 in the donation bucket!
