Justgiving
To create your own page:
- Go to www.justgiving.com/ndcs/raisemoney
- Click on create your page
- Chose your event "NDCS Three Peaks Challenge"
- follow the instructions and set up your page
- In order for us to easily identify your payment, please use your team name in the Page Title box
1. Personalise your page
Make your page as compelling as possible by adding your own photograph and text. Make sure your page communicates the reason you have chosen to raise money, and why you believe NDCS deserves support.
2. Email your chief executive and closest clients/contacts to donate first
Before sending an email to your entire address book, ask your closest contacts and your chief executive to donate first. An empty page can be a little intimidating, so do make sure to capture a couple of donations before contacting your entire list of potential sponsors.
People tend to match the amounts already listed on the page, and may even get competitive, so make sure you target your most generous supporters first!
3. Tell everyone you know
Email your family, friends and colleagues with a link to your page, but don't forget other groups of potential supporters: former colleagues, old school and college friends, fellow members of a church, club or PTA — you may be surprised how many would like to sponsor you.
Encourage them all to pass on the message to anyone else who might support your chosen charity. Also think of those people living in different parts of the UK or abroad. The Internet is global — so make the most of it!
4. Contact your local media
Publicity in the local media can be an invaluable fundraising tool. A few lines in the local paper, or an appeal for sponsorship on your local radio station, can yield amazing results.
With Justgiving, attracting sponsorship couldn't be easier — readers and listeners can simply visit your page and sponsor you direct. The best way to get some publicity is by sending out a press release.
5. Keep your page updated and email your contacts — again
Be persistent. It takes more than one round of emails to reach one's target. Encourage people to re-visit your page by regularly updating it.
Change your team picture, post updates on your progress and you could even keep a training diary, with pictures! Let your supporters know how much you've raised so far. An email update is interesting for those who've already supported you and a nudge for those who haven't.
You know what it's like - people mean to donate, but sometimes they don't quite get round to it on the first request.
You can also "sell" logo space to your contacts, and give named thank yous to the company who tip you past each £1,000 mark.
6. Use your own email as well as the facility on the page
Because you are already familiar with your own email system, you can set up groups and you'll be able to send more emails at once than you can via your sponsorship page.
Some of your potential supporters may feel more comfortable opening an email that comes from you personally through an email address they recognise.
7. Change your email signature at work and/or at home
After your name and title etc, add a line at the bottom including the address of your web page. This will raise awareness of your event and ensure every email you send has the potential to prompt a donation. Ask everyone in your office to do the same.
9. Put your justgiving address on your company's website
Get your team's justgiving page added to your company's public website or private intranet. Your company will be keen to promote the charitable work of their staff and you could get a lot of extra donations from this.
10. Personalise your thank you email
When you create your page, you have the opportunity to personalise the thank-you message each donor automatically receives. In addition to expressing your thanks, use this opportunity to ask supporters to pass on your web address to anyone else who might be interested in sponsoring you.
If you have already created your page, you can log in to your account to personalise the thank you message at any time.
11. Keep fundraising after your event
Some 20 per cent of all donations through Justgiving come in after people have completed the Three Peaks Challenge. So don't stop fundraising once you've cross the finish line! Update your page and email your supporters with news of your success.
Remind those who haven't yet donated to do so, and ask others to donate again in recognition of your achievement.
