Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers (like you!) raise over $1Billion for their charities annually. So there's no question that what you are doing is important and there's no question that you don't have to be a professional fundraiser to be a powerful fundraiser. Here are some proven to make your fundraising more effective:

--Make the first donation. Thee are a few reasons to do this:

1. You love the charity you are supporting and you know how important it is. 

2. Those who you are asking to donate want to see that you're doing it too. 

3. It motivates you to ask others. 

4. Your page simply looks better without a zero on it!

--Share your page regularly and in different ways. 

We live in a busy and often distracted world so your peers won't always see your request for their support, and even when they do they might not have time to donate at that particular moment. Studies show that the average donor donates after the third ask. So, while you don't want to be in people's faces, you shouldn't shy away from consistent asks. Also, share your page in different ways-- through emails, on social, through texts and Whats App, by adding a link to your page in your email signature, by telling your peers about what you're doing, etc. 

--Add a personal story.

Storytelling is the human means of experience sharing, it's memorable and impactful. Customize your fundraising page to tell your personal story about why you are raising money for your charity. Maybe you've benefitted from what they do-- directly or indirectly. Perhaps you work or volunteer there. There usually is a story about why you've chosen to support your Charity, share it!

--Thank your donors. 

This probably seems obvious, but we can get busy and forget. Although your donors will get an automated acknowledgment of their donation along with a message of thanks, you should try to send your own. There is a thank-you area in your page's backend that facilitates thanking donors and keeping track of whom you have thanks. You can use that to send custom thank-you emails. You can also send texts of thanks, post on social or send a hand-written note. At Gratitude Rising, we're all about the gratitude so let it flow!