Top Tips
If you are planning on taking part in a sponsored event for Sussex MS Centre, please contact us to let us know, then we can help you by providing you with printed A4 sponsorship forms, stickers, leaflets, flags and banners, running vests, charity merchandise and more. In the meantime here are some top tips on how to go about fundraising and collecting sponsorship for your event.
Sponsorship Forms and fundraising tips
- We suggest you take your A4 sponsorship forms into places like your workplace or down to your local pub. You could make photocopies and leave a form on the wall or at the bar so that your friends and colleagues can sponsor you. It’s also worth writing a personalised note to say why and who you are taking part in the sponsored event for.
- Always talk to your employers and let them know you plan to complete a sponsored event for charity, companies will often offer to match what you fundraise.
- Send out a personal email to your colleagues, family and friends, even with a small company still let your bosses know what you plan to do and you’ll often be surprised by people’s generosity!
- Write a compelling story about your event and what, or who, has inspired you to fundraise for the MS Centre. Contact your local newspaper or any local free magazines and ask them to include your story. Send a photo, everyone loves a picture of fundraisers in action!
- Local business support – It can be daunting to approach a business for support. If you haven’t already done this, just remember- if you don’t ask, you don’t get! It can be surprising how much money businesses are prepared to donate, particularly if you are fundraising for a charity they are passionate about! Make a list of local businesses where your friends or family might work, it’s always good to approach a business via someone who works for them or do a Google search of local businesses and make a list of the ones you are going to approach. Aim for 10-15, that way at least one should say yes! Make a one page leaflet with photos of who you are, what you are doing and why. The more emotive and personal you make it the more likely they are to donate! Include your Virgin Money Giving details as even if the business cannot make a donation, some of the staff may like to.
- On the day – so the day of your big event has arrived and the pressure is on! It’s STILL not too late to raise even more money for your charity. Even if you have already smashed your totaliser target why not go the extra mile to raise even more money. Every penny counts.
Setting up an online fundraising page with Virgin Money Giving
We use the Virgin Money Giving website instead of the Just Giving website as this is a more cost effective way of fundraising for both us and you as they do not take a penny in profit from donations.
To set up an online fundraising page go to www.virginmoneygiving.com and search for Sussex MS Centre in the “Donate to Charity” Search box. When you have found the Sussex MS Centre Page on the website click on the Start Fundraising button, and then click on the Personal Challenge button and the website will help you create your personalised fundraising page for the Centre. Fundraising online is a great, quick and easy way to get your friends to support and sponsor you!
- We suggest you use online social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter to update your friends about your marathon. You can easily link the web address for your Virgin Money Giving page to your Facebook or Twitter Status updates.
- These websites are great for getting friends from far and wide to sponsor you. Posting pictures and stories about your event or training really helps people to feel involved and motivated to support you.
- Ask your close friends and families to put a link to your Virgin Money Giving fundraising page on their social media pages too.
- Create an event on Facebook for your event and invite friends along. When your friends see how much effort you are going to they may even donate more! Other people in the crowd may also be encouraged to donate on the day.
- It’s always worth sending your Virgin Money Giving page details out in a message to your email address book and as a group message to your friends on Facebook
- Add your Virgin Money Giving page’s web address, or one of the ‘sponsor me’ badges, to your email signature. That way, every email you send raises awareness of your fundraising and attracts more donations.
Other Fundraising Thoughts..
- Be persistent. It takes more than one round of emails to reach your target. You know what it’s like – people mean to donate, but sometimes they don’t quite get round to it on the first request. Remember to thank the people who’ve already supported you, and to ask them to send your page to their contacts.
- Be creative, do something unexpected, for example you could host a cake sale at work, a coffee morning, a quiz night down the pub, organise a jumble sale or offer your services for a donation; sometimes extra little fundraising projects can help make all the difference.