FUNDRAISING 101
YOUR GUIDE TO raising funds and helping CANADIANS WITH ARTHRITIS
FUNDRAISING 101
contents
1. Why We Want You to Walk to Fight Arthritis
2. You’re Making a Difference for Canadians Living with Arthritis!
3. How to Get Started
4. Top 10 Tips for Fundraising Success
5. Fundraising Success Stories
6. Promote Your Fundraising
7. Fundraising is Fun!
8. Fundraising Tools
9. Contact Your Local Support Staff Member
Welcome to FUNDRAISING 101! Thank you for joining us as we
fight arthritis and IMPROVE LIVES across Canada.
IN This guide you’ll find useful tips and tools to help ensure
your recruitment efforts are successful and fun!
FUNDRAISING 101
Why we want you to walk to fight arthritis
Today, one in six Canadians lives with
the pain of arthritis and within a
generation, there will be a new
diagnosis of osteoarthritis in Canada
every 60 seconds.
The Arthritis Society exists to support
the more than 4.6 million Canadians
living with arthritis. Through the Walk to
Fight Arthritis, we can set lives in
motion and help people living with this
devastating disease.
We’re walking to build awareness, raise
funds, and transform lives. Through
your efforts and support, we can
achieve our vision: living well while
creating a future without arthritis.
Join the movement!
Walking is one of the best ways for people with arthritis
to keep moving. Movement enables joints to receive oxygen
and nutrients, and is essential for maintaining joint
health.
1
FUNDRAISING 101
You’re making a difference for Canadians
living with arthritis!
When you walk to fight arthritis, the
money you raise supports:
Meet Ethan. Ethan is five years old. He
was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic
arthritis in June 2012. when Ethan
grows up, he wants to be a doctor and
find a cure for arthritis. Until then,
he’s committed himself to raising
$100,000 in support of arthritis
research and programs
•
Research that is helping create a
future without arthritis.
•
Programs, education and services
that help people manage their
arthritis.
•
Advocacy and awareness-building
work that give a voice to the
millions of Canadians with arthritis
and their loved ones.
Your fundraising efforts, and the efforts
of your friends, family, colleagues, can
help the tens of thousands of Canadians
in your community as they strive each
and every day to conquer their pain.
Thank you for making a difference!
Did you know that more than 24,000 children and youths in
Canada live with arthritis?
Through the walk to fight arthritis, you can raise money
that will Help these kids be kids.
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FUNDRAISING 101
How to get started
1.
Join the movement! Register at walktofightarthritis.ca if you haven’t already
done so.
2.
Set a fundraising goal on your personal fundraising page. Check out our
Fundraising Tools at for tips and tricks to make your personal page pop!
3.
Recruit supporters! Invite friends, family, colleagues, neighbours – even your
hairdresser – to join your fundraising team or make a gift. Click here for
more recruitment tips!
4.
Start asking. Find many simple innovative ways to ask for support in-person,
online, or through other channels at walktofightarthritis.ca.
5.
Promote our cause. Tell everyone you know about the Walk, and show them
through your own example how easy it is to help transform the lives of people
with arthritis!
6.
When donations start to come in, thank your supporters! You can find more
ideas of how you can thank people in our tools section on our website.
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
3
FUNDRAISING 101
TOP 10 TIPS FOR FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
1.
Have fun! If you’re having a great time fundraising for the Walk to Fight
Arthritis, so will others. The more fun you’re having, the more likely people
will support you!
2.
Tell people why. Let people know why you’re fundraising for The Arthritis
Society. If you have a personal reason you’re happy sharing, tell your story.
Do you or one of your family members have arthritis? Are you inspired by
someone you know with arthritis? Do you want to help find a cure for this
disease? Remember to let people know how their support will make a
difference in the lives of people with arthritis.
3.
Always ask. A typical reason for giving is because someone was asked – so
always remember to ask!
4.
FUNDRAISE ONLINE. Nowadays, fundraising online is the easiest and most
efficient way for you to get your community involved with our cause. Not sure
how to use our online system? Feel free to ask us for help! Visit our website
or our contact information!
5.
USE OUR FUNDRAISING TOOLS. Fundraisers who use fundraising tools are six times
more successful at achieving their goals than fundraisers who don’t!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
4.1
FUNDRAISING 101
TOP TEN TIPS FOR FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
6.
Make a list of all the people you know and ask them to make a donation. We’ve
included an easy exercise in our Fundraising Tools to help you build your list
of potential supporters!
7.
Create your own fundraising initiative. Get creative and host your own
fundraising event or activity that will involve your entire community! Some
ideas include bake sales, barbeques and team challenges. Check out our
Fundraising Tools for an event check list.
8.
Keep a printed version of the donation form WITH YOU So people can always donate.
Find this form in our Fundraising Tools.
9.
Share rewards. There is an amazing range of incentives, prizes, and programs
to entice people to give to the Walk to Fight Arthritis, from tax receipts to our
Top Fundraiser Program! Learn more about these opportunities to reward
your supporters in our Fundraising Tools!
10. Show your support. Making a donation yourself can inspire your friends and
family to give!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
4.2
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS STORIES
Here are some inspirational examples of how you can raise money for the Walk!
•
Tracy’s daughter Amanda has arthritis. Amanda’s entire family got involved
and put on a yard sale to raise money for the Walk: “We created a bulletin
board that we displayed at our yard sale indicating it was a fundraising sale
with all proceeds going to the Walk. The bulletin board also featured a Walk
poster and an article about Amanda from our local newspaper. We also
plastered Walk posters all over the sale, and wore our Walk to Fight Arthritis
t-shirts. As people arrived, we explained that we were raising money for our
daughter’s Walk team and that this was a charity which was very important to
us. Amanda was great at explaining this! We accepted all cash offered - even
a quarter contributes to the Walk, and the more knickknacks we sold, the
less we had to move back into the house!” ~ Tracy
•
Last year in London, Ontario, Renee, the Walk to Fight Arthritis Committee
Chair organized a pool night: “We hosted a Pool Tournament Night. It was a
night out for all my friends and co-workers. I also called the local radio
station about the event and they promoted it on the air. The cost was $20 per
person to have a great time – and they did! We sold raffle tickets and had 25
raffle items including a 32" screen TV. If you ask everyone, it really works!
Every penny counts and changes lives.” ~ Renee
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
5
FUNDRAISING 101
Promote YOUR FUNDRAISING
•
Contact your local newspaper or radio station to promote your story, the
Walk to Fight Arthritis, or your fundraising event. You can find press releases
about the Walk here on our website.
•
Use your social media network! Share with your Twitter followers and use our
Facebook application to let your friends on Facebook know that you’re
fundraising to fight arthritis! Find out more about fundraising with Facebook
in our Social Media toolkit.
•
Think about your workplace, social groups, and connections. Ask yourself
whether you can speak at your next get-together or meeting about raising
support for the Walk to Fight Arthritis.
•
Get in touch with your local community centre, café, or restaurant. Ask them
if you can put a Walk poster up in their location, or if you can include your
fundraising event in the community bulletin. Contact your local Walk support
staff if you would like to receive Walk posters!
•
If a journalist asks you about any health statistics or for information about
arthritis or The Arthritis Society, please refer them to your local Walk support
staff. We’re happy to help!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
6
FUNDRAISING 101
Fundraising is fun!
Put the FUN in fundraising! Here are some ideas to involve your community and
raise support for the Walk to Fight Arthritis:
•
Bring together a group of people and put on a garage sale, a book sale, a
mom-to-mom sale, or a trunk sale, with proceeds from the sale going to the
Walk!
•
Host a fundraising event for the general public! You can host a golf
tournament, a dance-a-thon, a pool tournament, a curling competition, a
dinner party, or a car wash!
•
Make something! You can bake cookies, create bracelets, or cook hot dogs,
and sell your wares with proceeds from the sale going to the Walk!
•
Have a beard you would never dream of parting with? Luscious locks you
could take down to a buzz? Shave it and collect donations for the Walk to
Fight Arthritis!
•
Do you get tons of birthday gifts each year? This year, instead of physical
gifts, ask your friends and loved ones to donate to the Walk!
Click here to download a fundraising event check list to help you plan your fun
fundraising activity!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
7
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING TOOLs: YOUR ONLINE FUNDRAISING PAGE
When you register online to participate in the Walk through our Participant
Centre, you will be provided with a public personal fundraising to help solicit
donation. Here are some tips and tricks to personalize your page:
•
Add a photo. People like giving to people, and seeing your image or the image
of a loved one will inspire more giving.
•
Add a video. The moving image can be even more inspirational, and
encourage your viewers to support our cause.
•
Tell your story. Share with friends and family why you are committed to the
Walk to Fight Arthritis.
•
Set your public fundraising goal. Your goal can be challenging yet realistic.
For example, you may invite 45 friends to donate $25 each; if you think 30 of
your friends will donate, make your goal $750. Having a target will motivate
both you and your team, and make it more likely for you to achieve your aim!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
8.1
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING TOOL: ASKING FOR SUPPORT
We’ve gathered many simple, innovative methods and strategies to ask for
support:
•
Calendar: begin by setting up your personal fundraising page. Next month,
you can remind your friends and family that you’re participating in the Walk
to Fight Arthritis, and ask them for their support. Next month, ask your
colleagues and professional networks. Later, ask your broader circle of
contacts and everyone you know on Facebook. Then repeat this cycle one
month later, and send out a final request the week before Walk day.
Remember, the number one reason people give is because they were asked!
•
Corporate Matching: ask your employer if they have a corporate matching
program in place, where companies match dollars raised by employees for
charitable causes. Request information from Human Resources about how
your Walk fundraising can be matched. Click here to download a corporate
matching form from our website.
•
Teamwork: ask any groups you are a member of – whether a book club, a
workplace, a cooking class, a daycare, an association, or a running room –
to help you meet your fundraising goal. Give this group a specific challenge,
or story, or incentive for inspiration, and update them as you get closer and
closer to your target!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
8.2
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING TOOL: ASKING FOR SUPPORT
We’ve gathered many simple, innovative methods and strategies to ask for
support in-person, online, or through other channels:
•
Mobile application: Download the Walk to Fight Arthritis Mobile App to
fundraise on the go!
•
Facebook application: Use Friendship Powered Fundraising to help you
fundraise on Facebook! Create your own Facebook fundraising page, track
your progress and collect donations. Click here to download our Social
Media Toolkit.
•
Twitter posts: Ask for support through regular Twitter updates. Here’s a few
tweets to get you started:
o I need five friends to join my Walk team by Friday! Register today at
www.walktofightarthritis.ca!
o Help me reach my $500 fundraising goal this weekend! Please donate
today to support <who you are Walking for> living with arthritis (link
to your personal page)
o Join me at the Walk to Fight Arthritis on Sunday, June 8! Register at
www.walktofightarthritis.ca!
o If you have arthritis, help me help you! Support me and the Walk to
Fight Arthritis on Sunday June 8. Visit www.walktofightarthritis.ca!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
8.2
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING TOOL: WHO YOU CAN ASK FOR SUPPORT
Most people are surprised at just how many people they know and the resources
they have! The best way to evaluate your contacts and connections is to make a
“To Ask List”. Use the ideas below to create your list:
Who: Is on our holiday card list? Do I write cheques to? Is in the medical
profession? Owes me a favour? Do I work with? Does my partner work with? Have I
done business with? Writes us letters? Plays sports with us? Is a school alumni? Is
our favourite restaurant server? Goes to my health club? Is a member of my PTA?
Who is our: Mail carrier? Dentist? Doctor? Lawyer? Minister? Insurance agent?
Delivery person? Child’s teacher? Realtor? Massage therapist? Personal trainer?
Painter? Mover? School instructor? Banker? Babysitter? Pharmacist?
Veterinarian? Dry cleaner? Optometrist? Photographer? Hair stylist? Repair
person? Friend? Neighbour? Travel agent? Accountant? Gardener?
Who sold us our: Computer? Appliances? Bicycles? Boat? Car? Office supplies?
Relatives: Parents; siblings; in-laws; nieces and nephews; cousins; aunts and
uncles; grandparents; grand children; step children; step siblings.
Who ELSE CAN YOU THINK OF?
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
8.3
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING Tool: Top fundraiser program
Become a Walk to Fight Arthritis Top Fundraiser!
Are you ready to make your move and go the extra mile in your efforts to create a
world without arthritis? Top Fundraisers are committed to achieving extraordinary
fundraising results for The Arthritis Society’s Walk to Fight Arthritis. Through your
fundraising efforts, you are "setting the pace" in helping the 4.6 million Canadians
who are living with arthritis.
To become a Top Fundraiser, participants must reach an individual fundraising
goal of $750.
Becoming a Top Fundraiser is your opportunity to take your passion for fighting
arthritis to the next level. As a Top Fundraiser you can expect to receive special
benefits thanking you for going above and beyond in your fundraising efforts,
which may include:
• Acknowledgement on the day of the Walk
• Recognition and appreciation on the Walk website
• Invitations to a special recognition event
• The honour and pride of knowing you are helping the 4.6 million Canadians
live well with arthritis
Click here for tips to get you started, and to share your Top Fundraiser story and
inspire others, today!
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
8.5
FUNDRAISING 101
FUNDRAISING Tool: SAYING THANK YOU
Here are some easy ways to thank fundraising team members and donors for
their support:
INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION

Write them an individual thank-you email. You can send the template we’ve
provided you in the Participant Centre or personalize the message.

Send your supporters a personalized hand-written letter.

Call your top supporters and thank them personally for their support.
GROUP RECOGNITION

Send out a group email highlighting your fundraising team’s
accomplishments and the amount they helped raise.

Organize a get-together with your fundraising team members and
acknowledge their individual contributions in front of the group.

Give your fundraising team a treat to thank them for their efforts, like
cupcakes or cookies.
Do you have any questions or ideas about FUNDRAISING for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
8.6
FUNDRAISING 101
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL walk SUPPORT STAFF
ALBERTA
• CALGARY – SHERIDAN HOLT – [email protected]
• EDMONTON – CORA-LEE MARTIN –
[email protected]
BRITISH COLUMBIA
• KELOWNA – ASHLEY KROENING – [email protected]
• PRINCE GEORGE – ASHLEY KROENING –
[email protected]
• VANCOUVER – ASHLEY KROENING –
[email protected]
• VICTORIA – ASHLEY KROENING – [email protected]
MANITOBA
• WINNIPEG – GENNY SACCO-BAK – [email protected]
NEW BRUNSWICK
• FREDERICTON – MARCO GOMEZ –
[email protected]
NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
• PARADISE – MELANIE MCMILLAN –
[email protected]
NOVA SCOTIA
• HALIFAX – NICOLE BARRON– [email protected]
Do you have any questions or IDEAS about fundraising for
the walk to fight arthritis?
Awesome! Contact us at [email protected] or call
855.825.9255 and we would be happy to HELP!
9
FUNDRAISING 101
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL walk SUPPORT STAFF
ONTARIO
• BELLEVILLE – JASON HUSSAK – [email protected]
• BURLINGTON – HEATHER PICKLES –
[email protected]
• COLLINGWOOD – DAVE MOSSMAN
[email protected]
• KITCHENER – JENNIFER MURRAY –
[email protected]
• LONDON – DAN KNIGHT – [email protected]
• MISSISSAUGA – DAVE MOSSMAN –
[email protected]
• OTTAWA – JASON HUSSAK – [email protected]
• PETERBOROUGH – KAREN THOMSON–
[email protected]
• THUNDER BAY – LINDA URRY – [email protected]
• TORONTO – JACKIE FOX– [email protected]
• WINDSOR – DAN KNIGHT – [email protected]
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
• CHARLOTTETOWN – SARAH DREW –
[email protected]
QUEBEC
• MONTREAL – BENOIT DUHAMEL – [email protected]
• QUEBEC CITY – MANON CLOUTIER – [email protected]
SASKATCHEWAN
• REGINA – HEATHER MACKENZIE – [email protected]
10