Fundraising Tips

Can Too Fundraising Tips

1. Start Early
Get the bulk of your fundraising underway before the serious training begins. Before the halfway mark of your training calendar, you will need to recommit to your Can Too Swim Team. You recommit to continue training to reach your goal. You also need to have raised 50% of your fundraising target and you recommit to raising the remaining 50%.  So the earlier you begin fundraising, the easier it will be. Your fundraising account closes 31 days after the program ends. At that time we will deduct your credit card for any outstanding money owed. We would only do this after an email and or a phone conversation with you. We commit to give you the best training program we can and you commit to your fundraising goal.

2. Educate yourself about Cure Cancer Australia
Educate yourself about Cure Cancer Australia and the work that it does. Be a champion for Cure Cancer Australia. The more people know about the Foundation the more money they will be prepared to give. Tell them that we have a goal to raise the money for at least one new research project. All the researchers are qualified doctors with post-graduate degrees. These are committed people who really need committed support.

3. Have Fun
Think about ways to make your fundraising effective and enjoyable.

4. Ask Ask Ask!!! Tell Tell Tell!!!
People will not know what you are doing if you don’t tell them. The more people you ask to sponsor you, the more money you will raise. It's that simple! You can contact people in person, by post, email, telephone, through your internal newsletter or through your local press or radio.

Here is a list of people to get you going:
Family and friends
Colleagues
Work contacts
Previous employees
Neighbours
Owner or staff at your local café, pub, shop, bank, school, pharmacy, business.

5. Get the money up front if possible.
Tell your sponsors about your deadline. Encourage them to donate immediately. Make it easy for them. Tell them they can donate online, by cheque, credit card or cash. Remind them that all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Encourage online sponsorship. It is by far the easiest way for you and for them. Have a sponsor form with you, ready to fill out if they want to donate cash or by cheque.

6. When writing your letter/email be creative.
•    When inviting people to donate, it often helps to specify an amount of money.
•    Suggest people give $5 for every week that you are training.
•    Suggest they give you twice your age
•    Suggest they give you $20 per kilometre

7. Use Can Too’s MY PAGE.
This is an exciting interactive email tool available for you to use. Instructions are available in this booklet. It will really help you with your fundraising as it is  fun for you and for your sponsors.

8. Use My Space or Face Book
Use My Space or Face Book to tell all your friends how amazing you are and what Can Too is all about. It is also a great way to invite them to a fundraising event that you are thinking about doing.

9. Thank Donors again before the event.
Inform them of your progress. If they have not sent in their money, drop them a line and let them know how your training is progressing. Let them know how far you are running now!! Thank all the donors after the event as well. Send them a note about how it all went. Remind them of the importance of their contribution. Personalise it as much as possible.

10. Take Photos of your training and the event.
 They will be great memories for you and you can send them to your sponsors.

11. Use the assistance and support of your Mentor.
You will be allocated a mentor who is available to support you, assist with ideas and help you get started if you need it.

12. Aim High!!!
Think big. Have a personal goal to exceed your fundraising minimum, perhaps even to double it. Remember the sky is the limit.