Washington/Alaska

Checklist for Fundraising 104

• Update your status on Facebook, Twitter, etc. to tell everyone what you are doing and include a link to your fundraising page.
• Create a Facebook event and invite all your friends to join.
• Put an automatic signature on your emails with a link to your fundraising page.
• Ask friends and family to update their status, send Tweets, etc to talk about your efforts.
• Repeat - frequent updates are far more effective than one-time posts.

Update Your Status: Sample Posts for Facebook and Twitter

• Help me save lives! I'm training for an endurance event with Team In Training, and I need your help to cross the finish line. Please support my efforts to help find a cure for blood cancers by visiting my website [insert link]
• Vicky - is wondering who will be the first to donate to help me beat blood cancers! [insert link]
• Leah - How long does it take to run 13.1 miles? I'm going to find out: [insert link]
• Janet - says "don't just stand for something - ride/run/walk/hike/tri for it!" Join me.
• Barb - is hiking higher than Mt. Everest this summer to beat blood cancers. Help me find a cure at [insert link].

Creating a Facebook Event

• Name the group: "I'm running a marathon!"
• Edit details - name of event, date of event, why you are doing it, [insert link].
• Write a message.
• Invite EVERYONE and ask them to pass it along.

Are You a Blogger?

• If you already have a blog, use it!  Talk about  your training and fundraising and link to your fundraising page.
• Not sure how to be a blogger?  It's really just as simple as a journal, a diary or storytelling.  Your fundraising webpage is already set up to work like a blog with what you write divided into individual posts that you add throughout the season. Use your webpage to tell your story and to engage and involve your donor network. 
• Readers (and donors!) look for inspiration, commitment, community - you have plenty of all three to talk about as you post updates.
• Be sincere, honest, funny, ironic, dedicated, insightful - be yourself!
• Use photos - that pathetic photo of you coming back soaked from a run in the rain can inspire donors to give!
• Let your audience know why this is important to you and never hesitate to ask.

Photo Albums

Are you one of those people who sends out an album on Picassa or Flickr every time you have a birthday party, go on vacation or play league sports?  Send out an album of photos from team practice and include the link to your fundraising page in the invitation to the album.

Tip! Make the ask using a photo! 
In the first photo in your album, have a picture of yourself holding up a sign asking donors to give - include the link to your fundraising page.

Other Ways to Increase Mass Awareness

Tip! Use an Email Signature
You will reach out to people you didn't even think of asking, and it's a great friendly reminder to those who have not donated yet. Example: "I'm training to run a marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, to raise life-saving funds to help those fighting blood cancers. Please help! You can donate to my event at: [insert link]"

Tip! Use YouTube to ask for donations and say thank you on video!
Go watch these great samples:

1. Bobby Dobroski is fundraising $2000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with Team In Training: http://goo.gl/Alb82 .
2. Bobby Dobroski says Thank You for Donating to the LLS Part 1: http://goo.gl/sCpQY .