Getting Started: Four Easy Steps for Fundraising

Step One: Develop a Fundraising Target List
Team Captains should encourage team members to each raise $200 or more. Enclosed are fundraising tips for Team Captains to share with team members.

You will be surprised at how many people you know and what a resource they can be in the process. People are especially understanding of fundraising efforts these days, particularly when it is for such a great cause like Best Buddies. Here are some ideas of whom you might add to your list.

• Family: Your mom, dad, sister, brother, stepsibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, and even your own children.
  
• Friends and Associates: Co-workers, neighbors, clubs, PTA, religious groups, civic groups, charitable groups you do work with, business associates, high school friends, college friends, military friends, former co-workers, people from the neighborhood, alumni groups, private clubs, sorority/fraternity, significant others and their friends and family or co-workers, friends of your children and their parents.
  
• Businesses You Patronize: The place you buy your coffee each morning, your doctor, lawyer, accountant, dry cleaners, veterinarian, pediatrician, beautician, barber, jeweler, landlord, mechanic, plumber, landscaper, interior decorator, financial advisor, pharmacist, travel agent, restaurants you frequent, bars you visit and stores you shop in.
  
• Your Lists: Holiday card list, address book, club lists, chamber lists, professional group lists (Rotary Club, leadership organizations), employee lists, suppliers list, church directories, group e-mail lists (have your friends forward your e-mail to their friends) cycling club rosters, running club rosters and other phone trees you may have from work, marching band, and little league teams.

Step Two: Fundraise by Writing Letters
Now that you have your lists and your website organized, you need to work on your donation letter. The number one way of raising money is by writing a personal solicitation letter.

What makes the solicitation letter so successful is how little time it takes to send a good deal of information to a large amount of people. With every letter you mail, you should include a pledge form with your walker information on it and a return envelope.

Keep in mind it usually takes two to three weeks before the donations from these solicitation letters begin to appear on your account, so get these letters written and sent as soon as you can.

• Set a Deadline: People are generally motivated by deadlines. This is a good way for you to assess your progress before it is too late.
  
• Explain the Donation Process: Be sure to give clear directions on the donation process. Walk them through the process step-by-step to be certain they correctly fill out the enclosed pledge form and use the provided return envelope when sending in their donation. You may also walk them through the online donation process if they choose to give online.
  
• Track Your Letters: Keep a list of all the people you send letters to and track who gets back to you and who does not. This will not only help you send follow-up notes or make follow-up phone calls, but it will also come in handy when you send out your thank you notes after the event.

Step Three: Fundraise Using E-mail
E-mail is a great and simple way to get information to a lot of people in a short and productive amount of time. Unlike letters sent through the mail, e-mails can be much shorter but can still be powerful tools to help you get your fundraising message to a large group of people. It should be noted that e-mail might not be appropriate when targeting your "Heavy Hitters" for large donations. In the event you are seeking large donations, a personalized letter may be a better option.

To assist you in your e-mail fundraising campaign, we highly recommend that you utilize the e-mail fundraising engine we have provided you at the event website. By utilizing this service you will greatly increase the options potential donors have to donate. Track who is responding to your requests and manage your fundraising progress. In the event you decide to send e-mails without the help of the event website, make sure you provide instructions on where donations should be mailed and to whom checks should be made out. All checks should be made out to Best Buddies.  It is recommended that check, credit card and cash donations be mailed to you first, with the attached pledge form, so that you can log and forward them to your Best Buddies office.

When you write e-mails to potential donors, be sure these people actually use e-mail as a way of communication. For those people that use it everyday, it can be a good way to gain fast access to your audience.

Step Four: Fundraise as a Team
Try Fun and Creative Ways to Raise Money! Encourage your Team to conduct team fundraisers as a way to raise money for the Friendship Walk. If you have already written donation letters and e-mails, have handed out sponsor forms to everyone you see and still want to do more - here are some great ideas to give you a head start. With any of these suggestions, be creative. People love fun and interesting things to do, and are very likely to participate if helping out a good cause is part of the deal.

• Throw a Bar Party: If you are going to throw a party, try to get everything donated by local establishments. Bar parties can be very successful for not only generating interest but also raising lots of money. Make a deal with a local establishment and charge everyone coming in a minimum cover charge/donation. $10-15 is usually a great start. Ask the establishment to provide you with not only the space, but also food and drink for one or two hours, with the idea that your friends will stay long into the night and continue to eat and drink once the free stuff is gone. Many bar owners will be sympathetic to your cause and like the idea of generating new business.
  
• Host a Party at Your Home: In order to charge at the door, you will have to think up a theme. You can try to get food and drink donated from local establishments for your party to help cover your personal expenses. Be sure that everyone knows they are paying for a great cause and have plenty of information sheets and additional pledge forms on hand in case they want to learn or give even more!
  
• Have a Raffle: Enlist the help of some friends and hit your community to get prizes donated. These prizes can be anything from clothing, artwork, and spa treatments to dinner, movie passes or tickets to sporting events. Sell each raffle ticket for a set amount (we suggest $20-25). Just make sure the prize they will be getting in return is worth at least the ticket amount.
  
• Make it a Family Effort: This is a great family project and will help teach your children how important it is to help others. Host a "Sibling Challenge" and let the child in the family who raises the most money pick their favorite place to go out to eat, or choose dessert for a week. They can only get this special prize once you have reached your final goal, which also makes this fun and gives your kids (and you!) something to shoot for. Keep a chart in the house that tracks everyone's progress as well as the overall goal.
  
• Hit the Schools: Another great way to get your kids involved is by reaching out to their schools. Kids are great fundraisers. If you have any friends that are teachers, ask them to let you speak to their class about the event. Send them home with information about the event and what exactly Best Buddies is and whom it serves. If their parents read the information, maybe they will get excited and help you by spreading the word to their friends. Speak with the principal of the school and ask if he would sponsor a pizza party for the class or homeroom that raises the most money for Best Buddies.
  
• Casual Days or Raffle a "Free Day Off": Ask your boss to agree to a casual day for everyone who donates certain amount of money. Have a friend host one for you at his or her company. See if your boss will agree to a "free day off" raffle, where the winning person gets one extra vacation day added to their total. Remember, if you or your friends work for companies that participate in gift matching, you double your money!
  
• Gift Matching: Ask the company where you work if they match money given to non-profit organizations or charities. If they do, the company doubles what each co-worker personally donates, making your process even that much easier. Also have your donors ask if their companies do. You can find a sampling of companies who participate in the matching gift program. Each company is different on how often they cut checks.

Fundraising Tips

It's Easy to Raise $200 in only ONE WEEK
Raising money for the Friendship Walk is a worthwhile undertaking, and one that will give you a great sense of pride. We want to help you reach your goal and exceed it!

How to Raise $200 in a week... 7 ways in 7 days!

• DAY ONE - Put in your own $20?................................................................$20
• DAY TWO - Ask your friend/spouse for $20..................................................$40
• DAY THREE - Ask two co-workers, boss, etc for $20....................................$80
• DAY FOUR - Ask your 3 relatives for $20....................................................$140
• DAY FIVE - Ask a neighbor for $20.............................................................$160
• DAY SIX - Ask two people from church/temple for $10..................................$180
• DAY SEVEN - Ask the manager of your special store/restaurant for $20........$200

Here are a few ideas:

• Give something up - movie, manicure or dinner at an expensive restaurant - and contribute what you would have spent to the Friendship Walk.
  
• Host a fundraising party and ask attendees to pledge their support.
  
• Create a buddy system. Ask someone who cannot walk to help you collect donations.
  
• Bring your fundraising letter and Friendship Walk information everywhere.
  
• Ask one person a day to sponsor you in the Friendship Walk.
  
• Ask your friends to contribute to the Friendship Walk instead of purchasing a gift for your birthday, anniversary, or any occasion!

Tip #1: ASK Every Day!
The No. 1 reason people don't get involved or donate is that they are never asked! Ask someone new every day! Your friends and family will want to support you in your efforts.

Tip #2: Raise Money the Easy Way.
The easiest and most effective way to raise money and awareness for the Friendship Walk is online at www.bestbuddiesnewyork.org/liwalk.

Tip #3: Double your Money.
Find out if your company has a matching gifts program. Contact your human resources department for more information.

Tip #4 Incentives.
There is no registration fee or minimum required fundraising amount to participate, but we encourage teams to fundraise to receive great incentive prizes and awards! Raise as much money as you can to help support Best Buddies! To be eligible for incentive prizes all money must be turned in no later than ten business days after the Walk. There are incentives for both individual and team fundraising.

Individual Incentives:

• Best Buddy ($2,000.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt, drawstring bag, sweatshirt,
     $25 iTunes Gift Card, $40 Restaurant Gift Certificate, iPod Shuffle
• Best Friend ($1,500.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt, drawstring bag, sweatshirt,
     $25 iTunes Gift Card, iPod Shuffle
• Buddy ($1,000.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt, drawstring bag, sweatshirt, $25 iTunes Gift Card,
     $40 Restaurant Gift Certificate
• True Friend ($750.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt, drawstring bag, sweatshirt , $20 iTunes Gift Card
• Friend ($500.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt, drawstring bag, sweatshirt, $10 iTunes Gift Card
• Partner ($250.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt, drawstring bag, and sweatshirt
• Supporter ($125.00 +) - Best Buddies t-shirt and drawstring bag
• Fundraiser ($50.00 +) - Best Buddies Friendship Walk T-shirt

Team Incentives

• Team Best Buddies ($10,000.00 +) - to be announced
• Team Buddies ($5,000.00+) - Best Buddies Friendship Walk Group Photo and Frames for
     the team
• Team Friendship ($2,500.00 +) - Best Buddies Friendship Walk Commemorative Pins for
     the team