23 Jun 2010 No Comments
This week’s Best Practice in Action- June 23: Get post event donations!
As every dedicated fundraiser knows, the fun(draising) never stops! This is especially true in the days and weeks surrounding a major fundraising event. Too often fundraising efforts peak just as the event is about to occur and drop sharply after the event has concluded. But, as mountain climbers know all too well, reaching the summit is only half the climb. Although it can be a challenge, sustaining the momentum built by the event just a little bit longer can make a big difference.
Our friends at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center host Sprint for Life, an annual 5k Walk/Run to benefit ovarian cancer research. This year, they exceeded their $100,000 goal, but they didn’t want to stop there. MD Anderson’s Department of Gynecologic Oncology’s Community Relations staff encouraged their 78 fundraisers to make a final push and see how much more could be raised by the end of the month. They were encouraged to call and/or email their friends and family and to think about those who wanted to donate, but had not done so. They raised an additional $10,000!
All it took was an email sent out to all pledge page fundraisers announcing the fundraising totals and reminding them that fundraising pages would remain active until June 30, 2010. They also provided helpful hints for fundraisers and included the phone number and email address for the FirstGiving support team in case anyone had problems or questions. Most importantly they said thank you!
So to recap…
- Let your fundraisers know they can still receive donations after the event is over
- Remind them of ways to promote and personalize their page
- Include a direct link to FirstGiving support
- Say “Thank You!”
