Start Off Strong Checklist
☐ Take a few minutes to personalize your fundraising page. You can add pictures and update the text in several areas to encourage your network to give generously.
☐ Lead by example and make a self-donation to your page if you can.
☐ Check out the tips and links in the “Ask Your Friends” tab – send emails, texts, and post on social media. Sample verbiage to help you get started can be found in the email/social post sections below.
☐ Use the campaign hashtags #GiveBackGiveSPORTS #GiveSPORTS and #APreciousChild when posting on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
☐ Make sure to thank your donors and enter any offline donations you receive.
Keys to Success
Make it personal
The messages located here are samples that you can use as is, or better yet, as a starting point to create your own. Customizing the content you share on your online fundraising page, social media, email, text, etc. is a great way to highlight why this is important to you. This will inspire your network to give even more!
Set a goal, and plan to reach it
Keep scrolling for a list of daily activities that can help you raise $250 (or more) in just one week!
Focus on actions like emailing, texting, posting, and asking for specific donation amounts that will help get you to your goal.
PRO TIP: If you are getting close to or exceed your fundraising goal, you can update it to reach for a new goal! To do this, log in and go to the Manage My Page Personalize Your Page tab (left side menu). Here, you will be able to update the amount in the “What is your personal fundraising goal?” section.
Make it fun
Consider fun challenges, “going live” on social media, small incentives, shoutouts, and other ways to have fun while raising money!
PRO TIP: Check out the “Complete Activities” tab in your participant center for more fun ways to take your fundraising to the next level! You can host an event, create/complete challenges, and even track fitness efforts!
Create a sense of urgency
To persuade people to act quickly, consider ways to create a sense of urgency throughout your fundraising. Can you create micro-goals to promote via social media (e.g., help me raise $100 today, etc.)? Can you use mission messages to inspire your network to donate right away? Brainstorm some other ways to engage everyone throughout your fundraiser. People love a challenge!
Work your connections
Do you know a company who might want to sponsor your fundraiser or a business owner who might want to donate a portion of their proceeds? Reach out to share details about A Precious Child to see if they might want to get involved. Do you know someone with a large social media following? Ask them to help you promote the fundraiser on their channels. You will be surprised how many people will want to help if you ask them to!
Have a follow up plan
People are busy and may not be able to donate when you ask them to. Think of some follow up messages you can send to your network to encourage continued support. Creating a follow up plan will help ensure that you reach your goals. You’ve got this!
PRO TIP: Three weeks is a long fundraising timeline, so when it comes to outreach via email and text, it’s best to wait about 5-7 days between each individual touchpoint. If you’ve emailed someone once or twice already, consider switching it up by texting them next time. Post on social media about 1-2x per week and mix it up by using different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and perhaps even LinkedIn. Space it out and mix it up!
Show thanks
Fundraising for three weeks and reaching your goal means lots of support from friends and family. Show the love and share words/actions of thanks whenever you can! Send thank you messages, give social media shoutouts to donors, highlight the impact of giving, etc. Your supporters will be grateful for anything you do to thank them for giving and sharing throughout your campaign!
Sample Email
Subject Line: My fundraiser for the giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Challenge
Hi friends and family,
I hope you are doing well! My company recently joined an awesome campaign called the giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Challenge for A Precious Child to raise funds, equipment and awareness for A Precious Child’s giveSPORTS program. This program provides new and gently-used sports equipment and support for sports program costs associated with registration, uniform, camp and participation fees to children in need, giving them the opportunity to participate in activities that help them feel a sense of normalcy alongside their peers. We aim to engage our local community in a three-week fundraising competition to benefit their charities of choice.
If you would like to contribute, please visit (Insert Fundraising Page Link) to learn more and donate. If you would like to contribute any amount, please visit (Insert Page Link) to learn more and donate.
Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so much in advance for your support!
Sample Follow-Up Email
Subject Line: Please support my efforts for the giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Challenge
Hi friends and family,
I am still working hard to reach my goal of (Insert Goal) to benefit the giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Challenge for A Precious Child.
Thank you to everyone who has supported my efforts so far! If you have not had a chance to donate yet, I hope you will consider giving today.
Tell your friends & family about the charity.
Sample Social Post/Text Message A:
I am proud to be participating in a three-week fundraising initiative called the giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Challenge with my company, COMPANY NAME. We are supporting A Precious Child's giveSPORTS program and you can help put a child in the game by donating today. Visit (Insert Fundraising Page Link) to learn more. Thank you!
Sample Social Post/Text Message B:
Did you know that A Precious Child aims to reach over 14,000 Colorado children in need with the giveSPORTS program? You can support their important work by donating to my fundraiser today. Every dollar helps! (Insert Fundraising Page Link)
Sample Social Post/Text Message C:
Challenge alert! I am only (Insert Amount to Fundraising Goal) away from reaching my fundraising goal for A Precious Child and my (INSERT COMPANY YOU ARE SUPPORTING). Won't you please give today? You can donate or share this post to help me reach my goal. Thank you! (Insert Fundraising Page Link)
Campaign Hashtags:
#GiveBackGiveSPORTS #GiveSPORTS #APreciousChild
Social Shareables: Click here to view available social shareables
Check out the FAQ section for important facts and stats for A Precious Child and the giveSPORTS program to incorporate into your messages.
Raise $250 in a Week Challenge!
Day 1: Kickstart your fundraising by making a self-donation of $20. It will inspire others to give!
Day 2: Call two of your extended family members – aunts & uncles, grandparents, cousins – and ask them to each match your $20 donation. Now, you’re up to $60!
Day 3: Record a short video about why you are fundraising and post it on social media along with the link to your fundraising page. If three people give $20 each, you’ve doubled your total to $120!
Day 4: Send an email to family and friends with your fundraising link. Ask them to help you hit your fundraising goal. If three of them give $10 each, you’re already up to $150. Just $100 more to go!
Day 5: Text the link to your 5 best friends to ask them to each make a $10 donation. Now you’re up to $200 – so close!
Day 6: Check out your charity’s social media to find content that stands out to you, then share it on your social pages along with your fundraising link. If two more people give $15 each, you’re up to $230!
Day 7: Video chat with your favorite family member or friend and ask for that final $20 donation. Then, they can help you celebrate when you hit your $250 goal!