How to raise your sponsorship target – top fundraising tips

Whether your goal is to get fit in the New Year by training for the London Marathon, take a trip of a lifetime to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or participate in United Response’s first ever sponsored swimming event, following these simple tips should ensure that you maximise every opportunity to raise much needed funds for United Response:

1. Think outside the box

The more creative you are, the more likely you are to attract attention, stand out, and get people on board.  If you need inspiration, remember that the worldwide phenomenon known as Movember started as a drunken idea in a Melbourne pub and has now raised over £100m; six year old Jack Henderson raised over £15,000 for an Edinburgh hospital by selling his paintings online; and the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising activity, ‘Relay for Life’, involves participants running a marathon…in Second Life.

2. Stand on the shoulders of giants

You don’t have to start generating ideas from scratch: many others have attempted to raise sponsorship before, so ‘borrow’ their good ideas and learn from their mistakes!  In addition to blogs and articles written by other fundraisers, check out some of the ‘useful websites’ suggested below and speak to a member of the Fundraising Team (020 8246 5202 / fundraising@unitedresponse.org.uk) to discuss ideas.

3. Divide and conquer

Don’t be discouraged by seemingly unachievable targets: break them down into smaller amounts and think about your ‘giving circles’ – groups of people with whom you interact such as: sports clubs, religious groups, work colleagues, mates down the pub and old school friends.  For each group, identify key people who can help you to make a fundraising plan and mobilise the support of the others.  In this way, you are not only breaking the target down but also sharing the burden of the fundraising.

4. Think digital 

An ever increasing amount of fundraising is done online, so set up and personalise your Virgin Money Giving page early!  Regular updates on your training and progress towards your goals will inspire people to give, as will the generosity of others and stories of how the people we support benefit from fundraised income.  You may also wish to set up a Facebook page and share the link with your friends or create a ‘template tweet’ for your supporters to copy and paste.

5. Shout from the rooftops

Take every opportunity to tell people what you’re doing, and most importantly why you’re doing it.  Not everybody knows about the issues facing people with disabilities or the work that United Response does.  The more people understand how their money can make a difference, the more generous they are likely to be.  Think about local media coverage to spread the word further – contact Sarah Bartlett in United Response’s Press Team (sarah.bartlett@unitedresponse.org.uk) for help and advice.  Finally, remember to thank all of your supporters after the event!

6. Fundraising and the law

For many fundraising activities, there are some simple legal requirements to be aware of, such as the need to include the charity number (265249) on any promotional materials and the rules governing raffles and lotteries.  Contact the Fundraising Team for advice before you start – it’s much easier to set things up correctly than trying to put them right later!

We still have some places left for the 2012 London Marathon, so get in there quickly and apply if you want to be involved:

• London Marathon webpage 

Useful websites:

• KnowHow NonProfit
• Ideas Fundraising
• Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII)
• Institute of Fundraising

Martyn Weeds, fundraising manager.