FUNDRAISING GUIDE BOOK

Transcription

1 AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY 12TH ANNUAL PAN OHIO HOPE RIDE THE FUNDRAISING GUIDE BOOK JULY 26-29, 2018

2 INTRODUCTION YOU DID IT! YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE 2018 PAN OHIO HOPE RIDE! By registering for the 2018 Pan Ohio Hope Ride (POHR), your commitment, hard work and dedication will play an important part in the success of POHR, and will help the American Cancer Society in our mission to save lives, celebrate lives, & lead the fight for a world without cancer. This fundraising guide is designed to provide you with the tools and information necessary to achieve your fundraising commitment. After 11 years and more than $7 million raised to go towards patient services program such as the American Cancer Society Hope Lodges, we encourage you to set your personal goal to help us reach $8 million this year. Over the years the Pan Ohio Hope Ride Executive Leadership Team has collected tips and tricks to help support you succeed in your fundraising. We know that if you use these tips laid out in this guide book, you ll meet and exceed your fundraising commitment this year while having fun along the way. Let s make 2018 the BIGGEST and BEST year for the Pan Ohio Hope Ride! Thank you for your support, dedication and efforts! TABLE OF CONTENT Where the Money Goes 3-5 Four Step Fundraising Method 6-9 Tips from our Top Fundraisers 10 Social Media Tips and Tricks 11 Fundraising App 12 Worksheet Section Example Section Fundraising Worksheets The Pan Ohio Leadership Team 2

3 WHERE THE MONEY GOES YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS CAN HELP SAVE LIVES Your support enables the American Cancer Society to help those touched by cancer and continue our lifesaving mission in so many ways. You may not know all the American Cancer Society is doing thanks to our generous donors. Simply put: we save lives by helping people stay well, get well, by finding cures, and fighting back against cancer. STAY WELL The American Cancer Society helps people live healthier lives by preventing cancer or finding it early, when it s most treatable. GET WELL The American Cancer Society is committed to helping people get well by guiding cancer patients and their families through their cancer experience and relieving some of their emotional and financial burdens that a cancer diagnosis can bring. FIND CURES The American Cancer Society funds and conducts groundbreaking research that helps us understand cancer s causes, determine how best to prevent it, and discover new ways to cure it. As the largest private, not-for-profit funder of cancer research, we ve played a role in almost every major cancer breakthrough in recent history. FIGHT BACK The American Cancer Society empowers those touched by cancer to fight back to working with legislators to pass laws to help fight cancer and rally communities worldwide to join the fight. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network the Society s non-profit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate is the nation s leading cancer advocacy organization that is working every day to make cancer issues a national priority. HOPE LODGE The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge program provides free overnight lodging to cancer patients and their caregivers who have to travel away from home for treatment. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for it allows patients to focus on the most important thing: getting well. More than just a place to stay, the program offers a home-like, nurturing environment where patients and their caregivers can find support among staff, volunteers, and other residents going through a similar experience. Two of the Society s 38 Hope Lodge communities are located in Ohio. Support of Society events, like our Pan Ohio Hope Ride, helps make these communities possible. 3

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6 FOUR STEP FUNDRAISING Now that you re registered for 2018 Pan Ohio Hope Ride, it s time to start spreading the word! It s also time to come up with your plan of attack for your fundraising strategy. You may be a little worried about meeting your fundraising minimum but we ve come up with a Four Step Fundraising Plan to help you get to your goal! PREP. ASK. REMIND. GIVE THANKS. STEP ONE PREP Before you dive head first into making the ask, we recommend that you identify your audience and outline your story. IDENTIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE When you commit to a fundraising event, you need to THINK BIG about who you know. From the moment you signed up, the whole world has become your audience. We have created a helpful document for you to print out to brainstorm Who Do I Know (see the Print Off Section). Don t be afraid to ask people! You may be thinking, That person won t donate to me., but how do you know that? Have you asked yet? Probably not! You don t know the answer unless YOU ASK! You may also think, I barely talk to that person anymore. I feel awkward asking. Don t! You never know if that person has been personally affected by cancer. We have some helpful sample s for you to use for situation like this. Before moving onto perfecting your story PAUSE and start brainstorming. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Now go print off the Who Do I Know worksheet, grab a pen and start brainstorming! PERFECTING YOUR STORY Now that you ve completed your Who Do I Know worksheet, it s time to outline your story to tell your future donors. To help you perfect telling your story, here are some questions to think about and write down: (see the print off section) 1. What does Pan Ohio mean to you? 2. Why did I sign up to participate in Pan Ohio? 3. What are my goals this year? 4. Am I hoping to increase the amount I raise from previous years? 5. Am I going to attend more POHR events leading up to the event? 6. Am I going to make more of an effort to get to know more riders and volunteers? 7. How has cancer impacted my life and why do I believe it s important to fight for a world without cancer? 8. If I had a donor tell me their donation wouldn t make a difference, what would I tell them? 6

7 FOUR STEP FUNDRAISING STEP TWO ASK Now that you have your Who Do I Know worksheet completed and your story finalized, it's now time to focus on MAKING THE ASK. Over the years, we ve found that most successful fundraisers have one simple thing in common: they ask as many people as they can for their support, in a very personal and meaningful way. Tip: Don t procrastinate from the time you sign up it s time to start telling the world what you re doing and reaching out to all those potential donors! IT S TIME TO MAKE THE ASK! We ve broken out these tasks for you. 1. On your Who Do I Know worksheet identify each individual and how you re going to reach out to them using these abbreviations: = EM Mailing = M Facebook Message = FB 2. Creating an and / or letter. When you sit down to start this process make sure you address the following topics: What is Pan Ohio? What is my fundraising goal? Where does the money go? How can a donor support me? Why am I participating? TIP: Make your / letter on a Word Document first, save it so you can copy and paste it as needed.. 3. Whether it s your first year or your 12th, you are MAKING A DIFFERENCE! See the Sample Section in this Fundraising Guide to help you succeed in MAKING YOUR ASK! 4. Once you ve completed your first draft ask a friend or family member to review it.. 7

8 FOUR STEP FUNDRAISING STEP TWO ASK (continued) 5. Think about how you can enhance this initial letter to create several communications (both and printed). We recommend sending at least four communications to your donors throughout the year using this format: Announce that you are participating in the Pan Ohio Hope Ride, share your story and why this cause is important to you, and make your first ask. After training rides, share details about what your experience has been so far and include some photos from your training rides. This is a great opportunity to thank everyone who has supported you and give a little reminder to those who haven t yet. Share an update on your training and progress of your goal. This is also a great time to thank everyone who has already donated, and offer a gentle reminder to those who haven t yet done so. During the ride we will announce how much money we raised for Pan Ohio Share this exciting news with all your donors and remind them that wouldn t have been possible without them! Also, share your experience with them and how this event made you feel. Don t forget to include some event photos! Example One: DO YOU HAVE YOUR 30 SECOND ELEVATOR SPEECH READY TO GO WHEN TALKING TO POTENTIAL DONORS? IF NOT, WE VE GOT YOU COVERED! The Pan Ohio Hope Ride is a cycling event that benefits the American Cancer Society. Donors support Riders (like myself) by donating to the American Cancer Society s mission to help those fighting cancer and support cutting edge research to help end cancer. The event starts in Cincinnati passes through many major Ohio cities including Springfield, Columbus and Wooster before finishing in Cleveland 4 days later. You should check out POHR.org to find more information about the ride; while on the site, you can register to ride or donate to my fundraising campaign... Example Two: I m riding in the 12th Annual Pan Ohio Hope Ride this year and would love to have your support! The Pan Ohio Hope Ride is a 4-day cycling event that starts in Cincinnati on July 26th and finishes in Cleveland on July 29th; the ride goes through many major Ohio cities. The goal of this year s event is to net over $729,000 to help the American Cancer Society fight cancer and help those effected by cancer. Every rider is required to raise $1,100 minimum in order to ride; will you help support me and the American Cancer Society by making a donation? You can donate online by visiting POHR.org and going to my fundraising account... Example Three: Have you heard of the Pan Ohio Hope Ride? It s a 4-day cycling event that benefits the American Cancer Society. I m riding to help the American Cancer Society fight cancer and fundraise to help those that are currently fighting cancer! Since its start in 2007, the event has raised more than $7 million dollars and this year, we re trying to net more than $729,000! If you re interested in riding, donating or volunteering, you should visit POHR.org to learn more about the ride and how to get involved. 8

9 FOUR STEP FUNDRAISING STEP THREE REMIND Over the years, we ve heard how participants will make an ask and their contacts will respond back with, I ll do it later this week. or I ll give you money next time I see you. or I d love to support you. I ll donate!, but they forget to follow through. We ve all seen this! Trust us! This is why we ve added in the REMINDER STEP to help you in sending reminders out to those certain individuals. Just remember, your fundraising minimum is due Tuesday, July 10, We suggest sending a final reminder days before the deadline. By adding in the number of days until POHR, it will add a sense of urgency to your reminder and will let you share your story one last time. See the example in the Print Off Section Tip: Don t over thinking the reminder . Just spice up the opening paragraph a bit. Type out how many days left until the Pan Ohio Hope Ride and make sure to BOLD it! STEP FOUR GIVE THANKS WOOHOO! CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT! Now it s time to thank your donors! Even though this may be the most time-consuming part, it s the MOST IMPORTANT PART of the fundraising process. Taking time to give a heartfelt and gracious THANK YOU means the world to people. We have a couple ideas to share with you on how to GIVE THANKS to your donors: 1. Make personalize postcards, with a hand written thank you to mail out. 2. Buy generic thank you cards from the store, then write your thank you and mail out. 3. Send an thank you (BONUS Include some photos)! 4. Make a personalized thank you video that can be posted on social media. 9

10 TIPS FROM OUR TOP FUNDRAISERS Ask for donations from the businesses you frequent and buy from. These can be car dealers, home improvements service providers, stores and restaurants you frequent your loyalty is appreciated! Send s from the POHR site, or get more personal by sending from your personal . Send a snail mail request with similar content from the generated s asking individuals to logon to POHR.org and donate to your account or mail a donation into the American Cancer Society office and designate POHR as recipient in check memo. Ask everybody...we mean everybody! Simply ask for donations in person and utilize the American Cancer Society fundraising app; almost everyone has a connection to cancer and if you bring up the cause, most will relate and have a story to share. Ask donors to provide the names and relevant information (if they re open to it) of the people they ve lost to cancer or would like you to ride for -- so that, in essence, you can take them along with you on the trip. Host a personal fundraiser each year at your house with food donated by family and friends. Make the fundraiser open to all! Offer a Chinese Auction, a 50/50, rubber ducky race, and more raffles to raise money. Ask everyone you know to join you in riding the POHR. Most will politely decline, but then you can make donation request so they feel still like they're part of the event (which of course they are!) Connect your donation ask to the Hope Lodge's mission. A network of 38 homes away from home for cancer patients and their families to stay for free while they receive life-saving treatment at leading cancer centers. Think about people you know and how they could help with incentives to donate. You may be able to source your own incentives to use as fundraising drivers. Host a private event with services / location / food donated from local companies (restaurants, murder mystery dinner, car wash, etc.). Ask early and often. Send out personalized s about every 6 weeks to your contacts. Persistence is key! Identify a local foundation that may be able to contribute. Connect with family, friends, and colleagues through Facebook Partner with a local restaurant to setup a Dine-to-Donate night; a portion of food sales goes towards your campaign. Utilize our free ACS FUNdraising smart phone app! 10

11 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS AND TRICKS Now that you ve mastered Making the Ask, it s time to spread the word through social media! Using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, a blog or any other social media platform will help you share your story, gain donations and recognize donors. FACEBOOK With over 1.3 billion people on Facebook, we can say there are a TON of potential donors you can gain through using Facebook. Facebook is a great way to share you story, give updates on your training and fundraising, share links and share the facts about cancer. Make sure to always share the link to your fundraising page and don t forget to use our hashtag! TWITTER Twitter is a quick and easy way to make a quick ask, give a quick update on training and your fundraising progress and share quick facts about cancer. Since you have limited characters in a post, you re forced to keep it short and sweet! Always remember to put your fundraising link in your bio! INSTAGRAM Instagram + Photos = 1,000 words! Instagram has blown up in the past couple years. People love scrolling through to see other peoples photos. Make sure to take photos at fundraising events and training rides. Keep images of facts about where the money goes, statistics that hit home with you, etc. for posting as well! With Instagram you can t post a direct link into your comments so make sure to put your link in your bio. Make sure to in your comment section! 11

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13 WORKSHEET SECTION THIS SECTION OF THE FUNDRAISING GUIDE HAS WORKSHEETS FOR YOU TO PRINT OFF AND USE TO HELP WITH YOUR WITH BRAINSTORMING WHO YOU KNOW AND PERFECTING YOUR STORY. TIP: BLOCK OFF 30 MINUTES (OR MORE) IN YOUR SCHEDULE TO DEDICATE TO THIS TASK. USE A PENCIL. TURN OFF ALL DISTRACTIONS AROUND YOU. 13

14 WHO DO I KNOW LET THE BRAINSTORMING BEGIN! Immediate Family Your Professional Network Extended Family Volunteer Network Friends Religious Network College Friends Neighbors High School Friends Childhood Friends Parents Current Colleagues Clubs and Social Groups Former Colleagues Family Friends Past Year Donors Doctors, Dentist, other Health Care Providers Social Media Connections Hairdresser, Gym Instructor >>> OVER >>> 14

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16 PERFECTING MY STORY 1. What does Pan Ohio Hope Ride mean to you? 2. Why did I sign up to participate in Pan Ohio Hope Ride? 3. What are my goals this year? 4. Am I hoping to increase the amount I raise from previous years? 5. Am I going to attend more POHR events leading up to the event? 6. Am I going to make more of an effort to get to know more riders and volunteers? 7. How has cancer impacted my life and why do I believe it s important to fight for a world without cancer? 8. If I had a donor tell me their donation wouldn t make a difference, what would I tell them? 16

17 EXAMPLES SECTION THIS SECTION OF THE FUNDRAISING GUIDE HAS EXAMPLES FOR YOU TO GET YOUR WHEEL TURNING ON WRITING LETTERS TO YOUR SOON TO BE DONORS. YOU CAN CHANGE, ADD AND DELETE ANYTHING YOU D LIKE FROM THESE SAMPLES. TIP: MAKE IT SOUND LIKE YOU! 17

18 SAMPLE ONE Dear, On July 25, I will be heading down to Cincinnati to beginning my journey on the American Cancer Society Pan Ohio Hope Ride, a 4-day cycling tour across the state of Ohio. We will be departing from Cincinnati on July 26 and ending in Cleveland on July 29. I humbly ask for your help as I take on one of the greatest challenges of my life in an effort to save the lives of others. I m truly excited to be a part of this event, and hope you ll support me, so that I can finish the race and achieve my personal goal of raising $[insert dollar amount] for the American Cancer Society. Your support will help the American Cancer Society save lives every day by helping people stay well, get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back. Your gift will mean so much to me and to the millions of people impacted by cancer. To support my efforts, please visit my personal Web page at If you would rather donate by check, please make a check payable to the American Cancer Society and be sure to include my name in the memo line. Please mail the check to the office address listed below so it can be properly credited: American Cancer Society Attn: Pan Ohio Hope Ride Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH Thank you for supporting me in pursuit of my goals as part of the Pan Ohio Hope Ride. Not only are you helping me achieve the challenge of a lifetime, you are also helping the American Cancer Society save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. I plan to ride fast, train hard and find cures! Yours in the fight against cancer, [Insert name] 18

19 SAMPLE TWO Dear Family and Friends, I have recently decided to take on a new challenge that will require much dedication, determination, and perseverance. I ve decided to ride in a 4-day, 328-miles cycling event called the Pan Ohio Hope Ride and fundraise $[insert amount] for the American Cancer Society! I will complete the Pan Ohio Hope Ride from July 26-July 29 with hundreds of other riders that are dedicated to the American Cancer Society s mission to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. Cancer has touched us all in some way. In fact, 1 in 3 people are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Together we can fight back; together we can conquer this disease. On a personal note, I have signed up for this ride to honor, who has survived/was taken by cancer,/is currently battling this disease. Riding across the state is a challenge, but I know that doing so for such a good cause will push me forward. With your help and support, I know I can reach my goal of crossing the finish line in Cleveland and creating a world with more birthdays! I will continue to be reminded during my ride of what (insert honoree s name) has been through and that this ride is minimal compared to that. [Insert photo of honoree] I hope my effort makes a difference in fighting a disease that has affected (insert honoree) and so many others but I cannot do this alone. Please consider supporting me in this effort by making a tax deductible donation to the American Cancer Society. Every dollar counts! You can donate online to my fundraising website at or mail a check (with my name in the memo) to the office address listed below so it can be properly credited: American Cancer Society Attn: Pan Ohio Hope Ride Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH With gratitude and appreciation, [Insert name] 19

20 FUNDRAISING WORKSHEETS THIS SECTION OF THE FUNDRAISING GUIDE HAS FUNDRAISING WORKSHEETS FOR YOU TO PRINT OFF AND USE TO RAISE MONEY! TIP: SOME OF THESE YOU LL WANT MULTIPLE COPIES OF SO DON T BE SHY AND GET OUT THERE! 20

21 RAISE $400 IN 7 DAYS! Raising $400 is easy if you break it down into smaller donations. Ask everyone you know to support you. Everyone knows someone affected by cancer. You may be surprised at the number of people willing to support you! DAYS ACTIVITY TOTAL COMPLETE Day 1 Sponsor yourself for $25 $25 Day 2 Ask 5 family members to donate $25 $125 Day 3 Ask 5 friends to contribute $20 $100 Day 4 Ask 5 co-workers to contribute $10 $50 Day 5 Ask 3 neighbors to contribute $10 $30 Day 6 Ask 3 people from your place of worship to contribute $10 $30 Day 7 Ask your boss for a company contribution of $40 (better yet, find out if your company will match what you raise!) $40 Congratulations! You raised $400! 21

22 6 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE FUNDRAISING 1. Drive traffic. Never pass up an opportunity to gather addresses and encourage people to register. In your offline publications, highlight your web site and the benefits of donating online. Talk about it - become the face of online giving and fundraising! 2. Get personal. Personalize s and web pages and encourage participants to do the same. Each online interaction is an opportunity to learn more and sharing your personal reason for supporting the American Cancer Society goes a long way. 3. Know your audience. Who do you hope will donate or join? Keep in mind their age, technological comfort level, and access to the Internet. Distribute how to sheets and offer assistance and training. 4. Make it easy. Be creative, but keep it simple. You want site visitors to be able to find what they are looking for, and people don t want to look through cluttered web pages to discover how they can donate online. 5. Be clear, be brief. Individuals attention spans are much shorter on the Internet than they are reading through a brochure or report. You have a short window of time to get your message across. 6. Make it interactive. Think of online fundraising as building an online community. Issue challenges to teams and communities and highlight different events, people, or stories from your participants. 22

23 THANK YOU TO OUR 2017 SPONSORS 23

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