DCR’s Constitution Beach | East Boston, MAFundraising Tool Kit and Tips
For a complete guide to fundraising for BARCC, you can view our webinar, Fundraising 101.
For helpful ideas for fundraising for the Walk for Change, please use the following links!
General tips and tricks
- Get the ball rolling! Before you ask anyone to donate to your efforts, consider making a donation to yourself! When people visit your page and see that you have personally made a financial investment in BARCC, they will be more encouraged to do so themselves.
- Keep your fundraising page up to date with new photos and messages. The more active you are, the more likely your supporters are to be involved. You can even leave comments and thank-you messages for supporters directly on your fundraising page!
- Share a link to your fundraising page on your Facebook wall, Twitter feed, and Instagram page. The more accessible you make your fundraising efforts, the easier it is for people to support them.
- Mention your donors in a thank-you post on Facebook. Not only does it show your appreciation, but it also lets others know how they can make a difference for BARCC.
- Ask anyone who gives toward your fundraising goal to share about their donation on their social media as well—and challenge others to do the same by tagging them in the post.
Fundraising on Facebook? When you post about the Walk on Facebook, you may be prompted by Facebook to add a donate button to your post. Just a heads-up that if you add the donate button any donations given through the button will go to the Walk but will not be associated with your personal fundraising page. If you would like donations associated with your personal fundraising page, make sure not to add the Facebook donation button when posting.
Overcome your fear of asking:
Asking for donations is something that makes most people nervous. So it’s normal to be a little anxious, especially if this is your first time fundraising. Here are some strategies for overcoming your fears.
Focus on the cause. Think about what would be possible if BARCC had more money to help survivors. That’s your inspiration, and it’s surely bigger than your fear. When asking for donations, let your family and friends know why BARCC matters to you—that’s what they care about most!
Don’t take it personally. People are going to say “no,” for many reasons. It has nothing to do with how they feel about you or your relationship. And no one is going to think any less of you for asking for a donation to an important cause.
Practice makes perfect. It will get easier. Start with your close contacts, because they are the most likely to donate and say “YES!” Try sending some quick personal messages to your inner circle to build up some momentum.
Who to Ask
Leave no contact left unasked—friends, family, teachers, hair stylists, personal trainers, dog-walking buddies, knitting club friends. Ask everyone! Remember, sexual violence impacts one in four women, one in seven men, and one in two transgender people. Chances are people in your network have been affected and will be grateful for an opportunity to help you work toward ending sexual violence and supporting survivors!
| Parents, siblings | Fraternity/orority members | Personal trainer |
| Grandparents | Boss and coorkers | Book club members |
| Aunts, uncles, cousins | Neighbors | Running club members |
| Best friends | High school/ollege friends | |
| Friends you’ve donated to | Fellow church members |
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