FUNDRAISING TIPS
Your efforts will help us to eliminate avoidable
blindness!
Each team is required to raise a minimum of $1600 to support the
work of The Fred Hollows Foundation to restore sight to the
needlessly blind.
So, if each team member asks just 16 friends to sponsor
them at least $25 for this year's Coastrek, you will have
already reached your team's fundraising target!
For this year's event, we've set a target to raise an incredible
$1,700,000 to continue restoring sight to the needlessly blind.
But we need your help to get there!
Raising money online - the easy way to fundraise!
Through your online fundraising page you can send emails to your
friends and family to ask for their support, as well as post your
page on Facebook and Twitter to get your friends to sponsor you,
but here are a couple more creative ideas to reach your goal and
raise those sight restoring dollars!
Sponsor yourself first
Before you ask your friends for their support, lead by example
and make the first donation yourself! This will inspire your
sponsors as you have put your money where your mouth is
and proved your personal commitment to the cause.
Also, If you donate a large amount first, your friends are more
likely to follow your lead.
And don't forget to make sure everyone knows about it by posting
to Facebook once you've made your donation.
Set a high fundraising target
All trekkers are required to raise a minimum of $400, but you
can definitely set yourself a higher target to give the gift of
sight to even more people across the world.
Would you donate more to a friend if their goal was $400 or
$4,000?
Your friends want to help you reach your personal milestone and
a higher goal just shows your passion, commitment and determination
to a cause that you believe in.
Personalise your fundraising page
Did you know that fundraisers who upload a personal photo or
video to their page raise more money than those who don't? It's
that easy!
Your friends and family want to hear YOUR story and what you're
doing to make a difference, so personalise your page and keep it
updated with your team's progress to give your friends a reason to
show their support!
Tell everyone about your amazing challenge
Spread the word about your trek to restore sight! Your friends,
family, employer, colleagues, clients and suppliers will love
hearing about your trekking challenge and your fantastic efforts to
restore sight to the needlessly blind.
They will want to support you, all you have to do is
ask!
Be sure to promote your fundraising efforts at work, school or
your local community group - use posters, flyers, message boards,
email and social media - sites like Facebook and Twitter are free,
easy to use and reach a large audience!
Did you know - you can post to Facebook
& Twitter directly from your fundraising
page? Login
to your fundraising page now and look out for the icons!
Didn't get a response the first time? Follow up
You might have emailed your friends once, but sometimes friends
who mean to donate don't quite get around to it right away. Don't
be afraid to send a reminder email to nudge people into action, or
continue to post your fundraising page on Facebook to keep
spreading the word!
The easier you make it for your friends, the more likely they
will sponsor you!
Ask your workplace to match your fundraising efforts
Does your company have a 'matched giving' program? Many
employers offer programs to match their employees fundraising
efforts to encourage their staff to support charitable
organisations. This is an easy way to instantly double your
fundraising total!
Even if there is no such program in place, it never hurts to ask
as many workplaces are more than happy to also make a company
donation to support their employees in helping a great cause.
Check with your HR Manager or employer if you're unsure. All
direct donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Increase your fundraising target
Already reached your target? Keep going! Increase your target so
that your supporters know you want to raise as much as you can to
end avoidable blindness! You'll be surprised at how this will
inspire your friends and help you raise more funds.
We recommend going up in $500 increments every time you reach
your goal - your supporters will see that you still have a way to
go and will want to give more generously to support you.
Host your own fundraising event
Thinking of hosting a fundraising event? It can be as simple as
selling chocolates in your workplace or holding a dinner party or
trivia night with your friends. Click here to find out more about
hosting a Coastrek Fundraising event!