Raising Money Gives a Child a Voice

By joining the Forgotten Children Campaign, you are joining forces with passionate, like-minded people in your community and across the country, people who understand the powerful voice that CASA volunteers provide for abused and neglected kids. By harnessing the power of your social network to raise money, you are helping your local CASA program to recruit and train new volunteer advocates, each of whom will play a major role in the life of a child. The money you raise stays in the CASA program in your community to help kids in your area. You can put a CASA volunteer into the life of a child by following the tips below on how to be a successful fundraiser. Good luck on exceeding your personal participation goals!

Tips on Conducting a Successful Fundraising Campaign

Remember, the No. 1 reason people donate is because they are asked!

Start Early

• Develop a list of potential donors and decide how much to ask each person to donate. Do you give to other people's fundraisers' If so, those people are likely to support your efforts. Include friends and family from your holiday card list. Did you include any businesses you frequent, such as dry cleaner, day care provider, banker, doctor, dentist, hair stylist, car dealer or real estate agent'
• Give people a reason to care! Share stories about the devastating odds that kids living in foster care face, and about the real-life impact of CASA volunteers.

Raise Money Online

• Register online at [URL here] to create a personal Forgotten Children Campaign page. Include a photo and a paragraph or two about why it is important to raise money to recruit and train new CASA volunteers.
• Add your personal touches to the email templates—or create your own unique template—before sending to friends and family. People are much more likely to respond to a personal and passionate story.
• Download your address book to your personal Forgotten Children Campaign web page, and follow the directions to send and track emails and donations on your page.

Send a Fundraising Letter

• Create a solicitation letter to send to prospective donors. Be sure to add your personal story and motivation for joining the Forgotten Children Campaign.
• Include a self addressed stamped envelope with your letter to make it easy for your donors to contribute.
• Follow up with a phone call to all friends and family who have not responded.

Set aside a Time to Call

• Decide who on your list you want to call to ask for a donation.
• Speak from your heart.
• Tell people where to send a donation or how to donate online.

Ask in Person

• Consider asking people you will be seeing in a meeting, at the soccer field, at school, or in a business meeting for a donation.
• Don't forget to tell people where to send a donation (or how to donate online) if you do not receive it on the spot.

How To Raise $950—the cost to put a CASA volunteer into a child's life