At the start of your fundraising journey, short term goals can help motivate you towards your final fundraising goal. A good early goal is to focus on raising your first three donations. Here’s some key steps that can help:
1) Choose 2-3 people to reach out to first
After creating your fundraiser, think about the people in your life who you’re closest to. The best people to start with are usually family members, best friends, or someone you work closely with. Unlike sharing through social media, you’ll be able to tailor your message to the individual.
2) Choose the best sharing method
Where do you normally talk to this person? Do you spend most of your time communicating through email, text message, or on the phone? Are they a serious friend, a goofy friend, a dreamer? Craft a message that you think they’ll respond to depending on their personality, then try one of the following strategies below. If you use Facebook, check out some of these strategies to help create engagement, which will boost your page to more people.
3) Messaging Strategies
Ask for feedback:
Before requesting a donation, try getting your friends involved by asking if they have some time to provide feedback on your fundraiser.
This can give them a sense of ownership for your project. They might also catch things that could use clarifying before you share your page further.
After you receive feedback, thank them and ask if they would be willing to donate to your cause or share your page. You can let them know that the first donations and shares are important to a fundraiser, since they help encourage others to participate.
Be detailed with your request:
When you reach out to these close friends, it can help to be specific about how a contribution will affect your life.
For example, if you’re fundraising for bills, you might say something like, a $60 donation will help cover half the cost of the electricity bill for the month. Breaking down what you’re fundraising for into smaller bite size pieces can help donors feel like they’re making an impact.
Give Options:
Everybody’s financial situation is different. Let your friends know that although donations are appreciated, they can also share your fundraiser with their network to make a big difference. For friends with smaller networks, you can request resources, tips, or even introductions to people who can lend a hand to your situation. For example, if you need home repairs, maybe someone knows a contractor who does reasonably priced work.
Polite follow up:
People can get busy and you may need to circle back if someone hasn’t responded to your message. When you follow up, try to adjust your messaging to keep it fresh.
For example, if your first message was requesting a donation, your follow up email could ask for a fundraiser share or advice instead. "Hey, I totally understand if you're not in a position to donate right now. If you're able to share my GoFundMe with people you know or offer any advice, it could be a huge help to me. Thanks so much.”
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