THE HUNT
Fundraising Tips for Success
Not sure where to start? Here are some fundraising tips…
· OneCause Fundraising Tools - Your OneCause fundraising page has all the tools you need to get started. Go to “Manage My Page” and then on the left side, click “Raise at least...” OneCause has options to help you fundraise via Email, Text, Facebook and Twitter. It can auto-generate a message for you, or you can customize the message. What is easier than that!?!? (If you need help finding your OneCause page, email Bethany at bordaz@bbbsmadison.org)
· Facebook Fundraisers - One of the easiest ways to ask your friends/family to donate is through a Facebook Fundraiser. As long as you start the Facebook Fundraiser through OneCause, your fundraiser will be linked and the donations will show up on your fundraising page automatically!
· Venmo: Did you know we accept donations through Venmo? You can find us @BBBSDC. Note that these donations don’t automatically show up on your OneCause page, so make sure you enter them as an offline donation (visit our FAQ page to see how!).
· Instagram - Unlike Facebook, Instagram does not link directly to OneCause. The easiest way to fundraise on Instagram is to add your fundraising link to your bio. Post in your feed or on your Stories, and ask people to click the link in your bio to make a donation.
Success Starts With You!
- At any point during THE HUNT, you can make a personal donation to your team. Make it even more interesting by pledging to your friends that you'll match the donations made to your team, or perhaps commit to make a donation when a friend/colleague signs up to participate.
- Ask friends, family, and colleagues for donations by using the templates from your OneCause fundraising page. Reach out easily to your network through email, text, and social media. Make it personal, and see the donations roll in! More fundraising equals more points for your team.
- Pay attention to the Scheduled Mission Calendar (will be updated as we get closer to THE HUNT). Some days have bonus points for completing fundraising activities, so be strategic with your fundraising and maximize your points!
- Make it personal. Share why you are participating in THE HUNT to support BBBS and watch the donations roll in! More fundraising equals more points for your team.
- Need talking points? Here are a few ideas:
- "I am participating in THE HUNT to support youth in our community."
- "I want to help BBBS make more Matches."
- "It costs $1500 to support one Match for one year. Help me support my Match this year."
- "Every $25 donation helps to facilitate a Match Meeting, the first step in the relationship for a new Big and Little."
- "BBBS has around 200 kids waiting to be matched. Your donation will help recruit more Bigs for the Littles on the waitlist."
- "Big or small, any donation helps support youth in Dane County!"
Recruit Other HUNTers
- When you recruit your friends, family, and colleagues to join your team, you can earn points on THE HUNT.
- Do you have a family next door who likes getting out and having fun? Maybe another business in your office building or a client who likes to give back? Recruit other companies/individuals to register for THE HUNT, and get points when they sign up. Not only does it engage more folks in THE HUNT, but it means more fundraising, which ultimately helps BBBS reach our goal.
- Ask the folks you recruit to give an additional donation at the time they register.
Post on Social Media
- Pick a day during the week to take some fun team photos or videos of you and your team. Create a post on your Facebook or Instagram highlighting your involvement in THE HUNT, and have your teammates share it.
- Facebook Fundraisers can sync with your fundraising page, so donations made through Facebook will automatically be added to your team's total. Plus, Facebook passes 100% of donations along to BBBS with no cost to us.
- Tag friends on social media and challenge them to make a donation. Even more fun? After a friend makes a donation to your page, tag them with a personalized GIF that reminds you of them. It'll draw attention to your posts (and probably get a few laughs).
- Make sure to pay attention to the days when posting on social media can get you bonus points on THE HUNT!
Fundraise at the Office
- Create mini-competitions WITHIN your company. Set funny stakes, like a pie in the face, and see which department/branch can outraise the others!
- Have a Jeans Day, Hat Day, Badger Fan Day, costume contest, etc., where you request a $5 from everyone who wants to participate. Collect the money and enter it as an offline donation for your team.
- Get you customers/clients involved! Put out a tip jar, ask customers to round-up their purchases, run a Penny War between branches/locations, ask for customers to donate for a chance at a prize, etc. THE HUNT is a great way to show your clients that you are committed to giving back in the community, so take pride in sharing your involvement!
- Use your company's gift matching program, or ask if you can get one started. If your company offers a match, make sure you know the process so you can get your gift matched, AND tell your colleagues how to secure a match when they make THEIR gift! If your company doesn't have a gift matching program, see if there's an opportunity to get some corporate support behind your employee engagement.
Do you have some great ideas for BIG fundraising? Share them with us to inspire other HUNTers! Your competitive self may want to keep your best strategies close to the chest, but don’t forget that the more successful EVERY person is, the more resources we have at Big Brothers Big Sisters to make meaningful mentoring relationships for kids in our community. So spread the wealth, share your tips, and let’s make a difference for our Littles!