Fundraising Tips

As of this writing, I have raised $1,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) for my participation in The Overnight, an 18-mile walk through the city of Chicago on June 27-28, 2009.  Funds will go for AFSP’s suicide prevention programs, research and survivor support.

If you are registered for The Overnight, or thinking about walking, you can find some great suggestions on fundraising on their website at http://www.theovernight.org.  Here are some additional tips based on my own experience.

• Share your story.  Tell people why this cause is important to you, and be very specific.  This is, to me, the most important piece of advice.
• Send an email to everyone you can that includes your story, including how suicide and/or mood disorders have affected your life, why you want to walk, and why you support the AFSP.
• Send all the emails at once.  If you truly share of yourself, there will be some anxiety surrounding waiting for the replies, and you only want to go through that one time.
• Personalize your DonorDrive page as soon as possible.  The people you contact, even strangers in your community, are much more interested in how this affects you than they are in reading general information.
• In your email and on your DonorDrive page, be specific, personal, and use your own words.
• If possible, discuss why you have hope for the future.  If you’re in a place where it’s too difficult to talk about hope (for example, if you’ve recently lost a loved one to suicide), focus on how you think The Overnight will benefit you or others. Of course, if you are in crisis, please contact Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• Ask for multiple kinds of support in your email and donor page.  As you talk about suicide and mood disorders with others, you may need emotional support.  As you train more frequently for the walk, you may need people to be understanding of your newly limited time.  Let people know that, while you welcome their help in reaching your fundraising goal, they can also support you in other ways.  Then, if someone cannot or chooses not to support you financially, they have other options.
• Go to the AFSP site and learn as much as you can about the programs sponsored by this organization.  People will ask you questions, and if you can give answers that are detailed and accurate, you help support AFSP’s mission.
• Use the resources of the AFSP.  If you haven’t signed up for an Introduction Meeting or Fundraising Workshop, I highly recommend them.  Of course, you can also contact the Coaches directly by email (coaches@theovernight.org) or by phone at 888-TheOvernight  (888-843-6837).
• Let people know what you are doing to train.  Initially, my intent with this website was accountability to donors and prospective donors.  I wanted to show exactly what I was doing for this cause, and that it goes beyond 18 miles in one night.  You don’t have to set up a website, but you might send out an email once in awhile to update people on your training and fundraising.
• Thank your donors as soon as you receive word of their donation.