A Reminder: Send a Reminder.

With our fundraising deadline less than 1 month away (yep, you read that right – our deadline is July 2nd!), it’s time to really buckle down and surpass our fundraising goals.  If you’re feeling like your fundraising has been moving slower than your 5th hill repeat on the west drive, it’s time to send a friendly reminder to your friendly donors.

The other day at GTS I was talking to a teammate who was expressing frustration about not having any luck with his contacts that he thought would contribute.

“Have you sent a reminder?” I asked.

“A reminder??”

“Yes, you need to remind people to contribute!”

“I hadn’t thought of that!”

“Duh!”

If you sent your fundraising emails months ago and the donations have stopped coming in, it’s time to send a reminder.  I’m sure that we’re all aware what I call the ‘email blackhole’ – if something falls below the first page of your inbox, chances are it’s out of sight out of mind.  You probably have hundreds, if not thousands of dollars out there waiting to be donated, but your message fell into the blackhole.

So, open up your original email, hit ‘reply all’ and get yourself back on the radar.  I guarantee if you send a reminder someone out there will respond with a donation.  If they don’t, let me know and I’ll make a donation!

Also, another friendly reminder – if you need help, email us!

Where Do Your Donors Dollars Go?

With re-commitment only one week away (May 7th!), now is the time ask your friends and family to contribute. If you’re looking for a little something to spice up you messages to you donors, here is a some information about what a big impact that their modest donations can have.

What does a $25, $50 $100 or $1000 donation buy?

• A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
• A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members
• A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
• A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

Slides from the Fundraising Clinic.

If you missed the fundraising clinics this month, you can download the powerpoint presentation here.  It contains information on how to spiff up your fundraising site using a Rock You slideshow; tips on hosting an event; and information on letter writing.

Speaking of letter writing – TODAY is the last day for you to drop off your letters at the LLS to receive free postage! The LLS is located at 475 Park Ave. South, 8th floor.

And speaking of the LLS – Wendy has answered all your questions from the fundraising clinic and posted the answers in this document.  Read it over – it contains a ton of great information!

Both these documents also live on the Forms & Docs page, so they’ll be easy for you to find in the future.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Not much of an event planner? Finding it hard to garner enough support from letter writing? There’s a solution! Ongoing fundraisers are a good way to earn some income and put it towards your fundraising. Whether you’re a baker, an entrepreneur, a physical therapist or an artist, most of us have some sort of skill we can use to make fundraise some extra dollars.

In fact, a couple TNTers are leading the way and launching their ongoing fundraisers already. Check out the “Ongoing” tab up there for a comprehensive list, and send me links to your projects. I’ll post them as they come in, and also keep that Ongoing page up-t0-date.

Here’s what we’ve got so far:

Miriam Weiskind’s Encounter with Tori Spelling

MIRM – click the link, no further explanation necessary.

Michelle Chang’s Marble Brownies

MARBLE BROWNIES: Who doesn’t love a post run pat-yourself-on-the-back treat! Just 2 bucks a square folks. Made entirely from scratch and with love. Yes, I even melt the chocolate myself. For those that need to know, I use 100% natural whole wheat flour (unbleached), organic evaporated cane juice sugar, organic light brown sugar, eggs, sea salt, pure vanilla, imported semi-sweet, dark, and bittersweet chocolates, and unsalted butter. I will have these whenever possible after Tuesday Runs. Look for me, Michelle Chang, I’m a mentor.

How To Tell Your Story

So, you’re working on your website and you’re wondering how you’re going to convince your friends and family that they should donate to your campaign, other than just having them to place bets on whether you’ll actually jump into the Hudson River this July?

One really great way to get your friends and family invested in your cause is to tell your compelling story about why you’re doing this. To help you create this story, I’ve dug up an article by the folks at Network for Good, along with an accompanying podcast about how to create a compelling story in 5 simple steps.

I’m listening to the podcast right now and while it’s more geared towards non-profit organizations, it also contains some great points that could be useful in creating your website and/or fundraising letter. Coincidentally, the example that the speaker uses is that of a marathoner/triathlete!

Read the article after the jump (click more…), or download the podcast here.

Happy writing!