Is anyone else having issues receiving donations? I seem to be having a heck of a time. I've used the emails, fundraising cards and sent out letters. I'm starting to feel a little discouraged by the lack of interest or response, for something I care so deeply about.
Does anyone have any suggestions that will help me out? I feel very stuck.
Happy Holidays, and good luck with your fundraising
Karey - you need to get people's interest, and perhaps spend a little money to get donations sometimes. I sell perogies and cabbage rolls to raise money. I do very well with that.
Bake cookies and have a bake sale in your home, a friend of mine does that.
Have a party, find a theme, make snacks, have beverages. Get your friends together in one place to donate money for you.
Find a bar that will let you "guest bartend". I've done that. The bar lets me sell tickets, and every person with a ticket gets a drink, and I get all the tips. The bar I've worked with in Edmonton doesn't charge me anything so all the money is mine!
Steph has a lot of great ideas to get some fundraising going. This is my 3rd year doing the ride and the beginning of the year typically is slower than spring time. People are gearing up for Christmas and holidays and such and generally companies have tapped out their alotted funds to donate and such so yes, it is generally harder in the winter months, unless you have a lot of previous repor set up with companies and such.
Some ideas that have worked for us in the past are garage sales, hot dog sales (Walmart most often will match what you raise), bake sales (we did one one year at a spring craft fair at a church), and just plain asking people for donations. My advice, DON'T GIVE UP ASKING. Ensure everyone knows that any little bit helps. Even $5.00. My first year, I was really stressed and worried too because there wasn't much happening but, come about March of the year of the ride, donations started coming in and I made it! Of course, I did have some help from fellow team members who had already reached their minimums and 'gave' me some of their extra funds to get to mine (one of the benefits of being on a team!)
Also, give the ride office a call if need be. They always have great ideas and are really good at getting you motivated again!
I have only had one response to an e-mail. I find that people are more likely to donate if you actually talk to them face to face. I have gone around with a bunch of printed copies of the donation forms in my hands, after having first sent them an e-mail with a link to the online donation. A lot of the people I have talked to have reservatons about transacting money online. In that case, I will take cash from them, get them to fill in the form, then donate online putting in their tax receipt stuff, then giving giving them the tax receipt when it is processed. Keep in mind that the minimum donation is $10.00 when you donate online. Another thing to get things going is to tell them that the money gets used right away, so donating now is better than later.
