WALKER AND TEAM SUPPORT
This year's walk has gone VIRTUAL in response to COVID-19.
New to fundraising? Need a refresher course to boost your total? Need help recruiting your team? All great questions and we are here to answer them all. This page is filled with some great ideas, steps and ways you can be truly successful. The first step would be to download our Fundraising Kit and look over all the different ways you can fundraise.
>> DOWNLOAD FUNDRAISING KIT <<
Below are three easy steps to get you started and remember to aim high and you could be one of our top fundraisers!
Step 1) Make It Personal: Personalize your fundraising page, where friends, family, and co-workers can sponsor you online, by logging in to your Participant Center. There you can:
Share your reasons for walking by editing the text on your page.
Create or change your custom URL that links directly to your fundraising page.
Upload your own images or videos.
Set or change your fundraising goal.
Step 2) Talk the Talk: Now that you have a sparkling new personal fundraising page, share the link with everyone you know and ask them to sponsor you for AIDS WALK Charlotte. Don’t be afraid to follow up or send reminders, and remember to thank your donors! You can share the link by:
Sending an email through your Participant Center - the link is automatically included in all messages you send and there are templates to choose from and customize!
Connecting your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts to your HQ to post outreach messages to all your social media contacts.
Copying and pasting your custom URL into your fundraising outreach emails directly.
Step 3) Walk the Walk: Get ready for AIDS WALK Charlotte by reviewing important Day of Walk information. At the Walk, you can:
Turn in any cash or check donations you have received at Registration/Check-In.
If you have raised $35 or more, don't forget to pick up your t-shirt at Registration/Check-In.
Be a positive impact with others knowing that your work supports youth, adults and seniors living with HIV and those at risk in the Charlotte area.
TIPS TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOAL:
The people most likely to give are those who have given before. Go back to our previous supporters and let them know the impact of their past donation(s). Keep your supporters updated on your progress and follow up after the walk. Thank your supporters… and then thank them again.
Request a Presentation: Does your team want to learn more about how their fundraising is making an impact to those living with HIV and at risk? RAIN Staff are available to give a presentation at your office, school, community center or fundraiser. Contact Nathan Smith at n.smith@carolinarain.org or call 704-973-9818 to set something up.
Set Your Target and Request: Ignoring to set up your fundraising page is the biggest cardinal sin in the land. A successful fundraising page includes a personal picture along with a personal message talking about why the walk is important to you. Including tangible outcomes, such as “A donation of $100 supplies food for a support group meeting for our youth and adults living with HIV.", are often effective.
Post On Social Media To Maintain Momentum: Leverage your social media networks to maintain momentum. Thanking people for their contributions, posting pictures/videos of thanks and your previous participation, asking friends to share/re-post your ask and seeking more donations is pretty effective.
>> DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA KIT <<
Send Regular Updates And Celebrate Successes: Use email and social media platforms to keep everyone up to date with your progress. Send regular updates, especially when you hit certain milestones (50% raised). Use this communication to seek donation pledges that will get you to the next milestone.
Send Personalized Email Appeals: There is nothing more your friends, family and colleagues care about than “WHY” the walk is important to you. Research has shown that most donors give because the cause is important to the fundraiser. Make the email personal by conveying why you are walking and why they should donate.
Follow Up With Texts And Calls: So you’ve created a stunning page, donated on the page yourself, have reached out to close friends and family via emails. It’s time to put the hammer down and start following up with them via texts and phone calls. In this day and age of limited attention spans, making sure that you’re driving donations to action is extremely critical.
MY CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN!
Your dedication, passion and compassion shine through all of your fundraising work and we thank you! Whatever your fundraising efforts are, remember to promote them as a benefit for RAIN.
>> DOWNLOAD TEAM CAPTAIN KIT <<
COMMUNICATE WITH THE TEAM REGULARLY
Touch base via email, phone or text (even hold a team meeting)
Brainstorm fundraising ideas
Inspire the team with stories/facts about RAIN
Keep the team informed of their progress - highlight a certain member’s fundraising efforts (they received a big donation or reached their goal)
BUILD AN AWESOME AND DYNAMIC TEAM
Look to your family, friends and co-workers to be on your team.
Be sure to emphasize AIDS WALK Charlotte as an opportunity to make a difference in the Charlotte community and how it is helping RAIN end HIV in our community.
Seek people with different connections to widen the circle of possible donors.
MOTIVATE AND ENCOURAGE TEAM MEMBERS
Challenge the team
Foster a competitive spirit
Thank members throughout the process
MAKE SURE THEY ARE APPRECIATED AND RECOGNIZED
Consider ways you might recognize each team member for their contributions.
Help the team share in the glory of any formal awards received the day of the walk.
Remember to recognize your own contributions and keep in mind that each dollar raised is impacting someone who is living with HIV.
A THANK YOU GIFT FOR BEING A TEAM CAPTAIN
Thank you for serving as a Team Captain for AIDS WALK Charlotte 2020! Your support shows the community that we are a POSITIVE IMPACT for all who are affected by the HIV epidemic. We are so grateful for the time and energy you are putting into this raising money and awareness for RAIN and the Charlotte HIV community.
Our Team Captain t-shirts this year highlight our theme "Be the Positive Impact". Please reach out to Joyce Brooks directly at j.brooks@carolinarain.org or by calling 704-973-9819 to work out getting yours.
This is also a great time to pick up any promotional materials you might need or want.