STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING

Make your own gift

A donation to your own cause in any amount lets people know that you’re committed.

Set up your personal participant center

Your participant center is your tool box. You’ll be able to update your personal fundraising page with your own photos and stories, send a link to your fundraising page to friends and family (we recommend not using the email function as it typically goes to Junk Mail), and track your progress.

Ask!

You’ll be surprised how willing people are to support a cause when asked. If you’re passionate and excited about the YMCA’s cause and the Y’s Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble Fun Run, sharing that with others will inspire them to support you. Use these tools to spread the word, and ask those who have supported you to share with their friends and family as well.

Email: You can utilize one of the templates on the Participant Center to help you get started. Or write your own email and send it to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers.

Social Media: Post about your training for the Y run and help change lives for the better. Use #AVFYturkeytrot

Share your goals: Let people know both your fundraising goal and your physical goals for the race. Storytelling: If you or someone close to you has benefited from the YMCA, be sure to tell the story!

GET CREATIVE

Add an email signature: Promote your Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble Fun Run participation by adding a link to your fundraising page in your email signature.

Ask about matching gifts: Check to see if your employer has a matching gift program, and ask friends and family who donate to check with their employers as well.

The Water Cooler: Get your co-workers involved! If they’re not already participating, they can always support you and the Y’s community programs by donating to your run.

The gift that keeps on giving: Instead of asking friends for gifts on your birthday, ask them to donate to your fundraising for the Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble Fun Run. Talk about good birthday karma.

Donations Great and Small: Every dollar counts. Challenge yourself to get a specific amount of donations in a short time frame and ask friends to help. For example, post on Facebook that you’re trying to get 10 donations in 2 hours.

THANK YOUR DONORS

Send a personalized thank you to everyone who makes a contribution in your name. Your participant page makes it easy to do!

Use social media to spotlight those who have donated to your run. Acknowledging friends and family publicly is a nice way to thank them and a great way to remind others that you’re runner for a cause!