You've started to think about fundraising - congratulations! We hope you find the below strategies and resources useful in your fundraising efforts:
- Your Goal
- Set Up Your Artez Pledge Page
- Fundraising Clinics
- Steps to Fundraising Success
- Sample Letters
- Ideas to Raise Money
- Leverage the Media
Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have any fundraising-related questions or ideas on how we can better support Riders and Crews in their fundraising efforts.
Also, be sure to check out:
Your Goal
Each rider must raise at least $2,500 by June 30, 2013 to participate in the ride. However, we encourage you to shoot for the sky and set your own personal fundraising goal. Last year the average amount raised per rider was almost $3,000, many riders approached the $5,000 mark and 48 riders (the most ever) shot past the $6,000 threshold!
Set Up Your Artez Pledge Page
Artez is the system the Bike Rally uses to track and manage donations. Once you have registered, you should take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with your pledge page. Artez has many tools you can use to secure and manage pledges from your donors. To learn how to set up your pledge page, how to solicit past and new donors and how to promote your pledge page on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, click here:
Setting up and Promoting your Pledge Page (1.11 MB)
Fundraising Clinics
Need a little extra help? Join us at these fundraising clinics to help you prepare for fundraising success:
Please see the calendar for the seminar schedule.
Steps to Fundraising Success
1. Make a list - and check it twice
Family: don't leave anyone out. They should be behind you 100%. Asks should be personal – that's face-to-face (or by phone) first. Follow-up if necessary.
Friends: Same deal. Those closest to you don't want to read about your ride in an e-mail – they want you to ask them. Follow-up with an email or letter. Remember everyone you have sponsored/pledged, bought products from in the past – it's pay-back time!
Coworkers: Hype it up and get a challenge going. Recruit a close colleague at work to help you raise funds in other departments.
Club/Associations/Congregation members: This could be a great source of leads!
Employer: Two words: Matching Gift. Ask your employer if there is a matching gift program at your work. If not, ask if they would consider matching what you raise with the employees of your company – if you don't ask, you'll never know.
Neighbours: go door-to-door, stop and chat on the street, even drop off a hand-written note.
Strangers: map out an area where you live, where people might recognize you.
2. Plan of attack
Aim for $3,500.00 in pledges. It will make $2,500.00 come in that much easier. Break down your goal into manageable chunks.
Scenario 1: 16 Donors
1 x $500
2 x $250
2 x $200
11 x $100
Scenario 2: 32 Donors
2 x $250
10 x $100
20 x $50
Scenario 3: 60 Donors
40 x $50
20 x $25
Now list people beside the amount you feel they should be asked. Remember that if you ask for $10 when they could give $100, you will get $10 and have to work that much harder for your goal.
3. Start with YOU
Go ahead –ask yourself for a gift – you'll be happy with the response. If you can afford to sponsor a lead gift ( $150 - $250 - $500 - $1000 ), it will lead the way for others to follow. Those close to you, if asked effectively, will come through.
4. Build awareness
If this is your first time doing the ride or if you plan on asking people to pledge you who don't know anything about the ride, try to educate them before you make your ask.
For example, whenever you have a chance, talk about how you were out training this past weekend or about how you are preparing for the ride with your Bike Rally Team. Social media such as Facebook is great for building awareness! Instead of just posting a message for all your "Friends" to pledge you, consider building awareness first with mini updates and picture posts. Ultimately, when you do make your ask, it will not seem like it is coming out of the blue and your supporters will be glad to jump on board.
5. Prepare your materials
Have Pledge Forms / Pledge cards, ride information, Toronto People With AIDS Foundation information on hand at all times.
6. Make your asks
Don't procrastinate – go for early wins. Be prepared for some no's. Don't get discouraged. Remember, no reply does not mean "no". Like you, your donors are busy so remind them frequently and don't feel bad about "badgering" donors - you're doing it for a good cause! Sending status updates about your training progress or team updates is a less direct way of reminding potential donors to pledge you when they have time.
7. Thank you, thank you, thank you...
Check your online pledge page and call people who have supported you to thank them right away – don't wait until you get back.
8. BONUS STEP: The re-ask
When you are getting close to your goal, whether it be $2,200 or $10,000, send a message to everyone who has sponsored you. Thank them again and tell them how close you are to succeeding. Ask whether they know anyone who could help you reach your goal. They may refer you to a new contact or they may even pledge you again.
Sample Letters
A personalized letter sent to friends, family and acquaintances is a good first step to take in your pledge campaign.
You'll notice there are different versions, each in Word format to be opened and personalized. The content has been customized for new and returning riders, and crew. You can even customize each letter to different groups of potential donors. You can then copy and paste into an email, or they can be attached to an email.
Your letters should be sent out as soon as possible. People may not immediately respond to your letter so follow up with a phone call.
- Let folks know about your participation and request their support.
- Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Fundraising Letter - New Rider (Word - Ideas to raise money
- Raffle: 50/50 or get prizes from local businesses/office.
- Sport Challenge: Organize a tournament and charge an entrance fee covering your costs + $25 pledge.
- Party: Throw a party and charge an entrance fee.
- Car wash: Wash cars for a donation. $10-20.
- Garage sale: Have people donate items for you to sell.
- Bake sale: This works well at work or any community gathering.
- Fashion show: Have friends model and auction off Bike clothing. You can get bike shops to donate clothes.
- Mailer/newsletter: Create a newsletter you can send and update your mailing list with how you're doing. Reminders are essential.
- Corporate Gift: Match Have your company match your pledges.
- Change Boxes: Create a container to hand out to friends, family, the local store…, to collect spare change.
- Answering Machine: Let everyone know what you doing, by leaving on your answering machine
- Birthday Gift Pledge: A simple way to raise money and save family and friends shopping time
- Spinning Class: Bring a stack of pledge forms to class and have the instructor make an announcement
- Mow-a-thon: Mow the neighbors lawns for pledges
- Baby/Pet/House Sit: Offer your services for pledge money
- Sell Spokes: Offer to attach sponsor’s name to each spoke on your wheels, for $10-20
- Dress Down Day: Ask your company to allow a Friends For Life Bike Rally dress down day for a fee. $2 - 5/person
- Tax refunds: Use March or April to target tax refunds
- Bar Nights: Contact your favorite bar and ask them to help coordinate an awareness night, where you can collect pledges, sell raffle tickets... and show your commitment.
Since these events can be a lot of work, you may wish to team up with other riders and split the money generated with them.
Need extra posters to promote your event? You can print them yourself with this file:
Bike Rally Recruitment Poster (2.4 MB)
Leverage the Media
There are ways you can get the media to promote your event. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to talk about how to properly engage the media.
Please note that, due to liability issues, the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation cannot promote riders' fundraising nights as official Friends For Life Bike Rally events.
Last Updated on Monday, 21 January 2013 17:56
