How to Organize a Fundraising Walkathon: Month 2

Here's the second month of a 4 month plan for organizing a fundraising walkathon.  The first month of planning can be found here: http://blueskycollaborative.typepad.com/blog/2008/04/how-to-organize.html.

This month focuses on selling - selling registrations using your online fundraising walkathon software, selling sponsorships, and acquiring in-kind donations.  There are a lot of follow-up calls and emails that need to be made this month.  Ideally, this part of your walkathon planning will be headed by the best salespeople on your comittee.

1. Begin Online Registrations:  The best way to initiate this is with an email blast to your membership database.  This can be done with and email newsletter service.  We like Campaign Monitor (www.cmpaginmonitor.com).  The registration form should have all the basics including contact info, emergency contact info and payment information if necessary.  We suggest making particpation free while requiring some type of fundraising minimum by the participants.  It's better to require a $100 fundraising minimum, for example, than to just get a $25 registration fee.  Here is a link to a sample registration form: http://www.dearbornmuttstrut.com/dms/register/register.asp.  Offer your users an opportunity to donwload a hard copy registration form and register offline.  They can complete the registration form and fax it if they don't want to do it online.
2. Follow-up phone calls to those who received invitations:  Assuming that you have people's phone numbers, it may be necesary to follow-up an email blast with a phone call urging people to register.  This should be done a week after the first email.  You may be able to secure a few more participants with just a little work by volunteers.
3. Follow-up phone calls to solicited sponsors:  Get your best sales people and call the sponsors that you've solicited already.  Sell the results not just the sponsorships.  For example, explain the imapct that their sponsorhip money will have on your cause and also the benefits for the sponsors
4. Follow-up phone calls to in-kind donors:  People are busy.  Many want to help but they never get around to it.  You'd be surprised at how many people will respond to your phone call by saying that they were going to donate but never got around to it.  Follow-up phone calls will get you the items you need, like food and entertainment that will make your event a success.  At a minimum, try to get the contact information of the decision maker at potential in-kind donors.
5. Announce incentive prizes for top raisers:  You may want to include incentive prize information in the original email invitation.  For example, we've worked with an organization that gave away a high-end bike to the top fundraiser in a fundraising bike ride.  Even if you only motivate a dozen people to raise more money, this strategy can yield thousands more in revenue for your event. 

Month 3 is coming soon...

Comments

[Sanjeev_Sachdev]

The language of the Fund Raising should be very subtle, but convincing about the cause for which the funds are being sought. Do try to add a personal touch to the letters.