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This page is here to provide resources and ideas to TNT alumni to get a jump start on your Pay it Forward Pledge. FAQs for TNT Alum I want to start raising money. Got any ideas? Sure! The best fundraisers don’t have to be the most exotic or complex to arrange. Think about what you like to do and have fun with it. You could….
I have the best idea for a fundraising event. Can I create a website for on-line giving? Yes! Through True North Treks and FirstGiving, you can create your own FREE webpage to tell your story, promote your event, keep track of donations, include your own photos and videos, and more! Feeling competitive? Challenge other alums to a fundraising competition and check out each other’s progress through their webpages. Even if you are NOT tech savvy, FirsGiving makes it really easy to create your page. Our staff is also available for questions at any time to make it an easy and painless process. All donations made on your site are secure as well. And, the webpage will already be connected to True North Treks, so you don’t have to worry about handling money, sending live checks, etc. FirstGiving takes care of all online donations and sends the money directly to TNT.
My trek experience was awesome. How do I spread the word about True North Treks? Word of mouth from alumni is an awesome way to promote TNT. We will gladly send you brochures, fliers, and up-to-date information about TNT which you can bring to your doctor/ hospital/ social worker so other patients can learn about True North Treks. There may be a Survivorship Program at your treatment facility and they are always looking for more survivor resources. Check out events put on by your local Gilda’s Club, the Young Survival Coalition, I’m Too Young For This, the Leukemia/ Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Susan G. Komen, or so many others, and be a representative for True North Treks! Anything else? Your stories are personal, powerful, and unique. We would love to have a video clip of you talking about your story as a cancer survivor and your experience with True North Treks. Many computers have built-in cameras which will take video. Nothing we write compares to first-hand accounts by participants. Be bold and share your experience with others. We will send you a list of questions if you want guidance on what to say, or just go for it. Grassroots Fundraising Strategies The organization that TNT uses for its donation service, FirstGiving, has just completed a comprehensive study of our FirstGiving donors from 2007 through 2010. The detailed analysis includes insights and trending about who gives to online fundraisers, the timing of donations throughout the year, which types of nonprofits receive the most donations, how much money FirstGivers raise for different types of events, and the demographics of FirstGiving donors. Here are seven key insights from our donor study that you can use today: 1. Emphasize online donations in your fundraising strategy. Online donations grew tremendously from 2007 – 2010, including year over year, despite the poor economy. Donations to online events grew 130% from 2007 to 2010, and 27% in 2010 alone. Direct online donations grew 175% from 2008 – 2010, and grew 59% in 2010 alone. 2. Encourage supporters to create their own fundraisers. Grassroots fundraisers receive higher donations, on average, than other types of fundraisers. A person who creates his or her own fundraising event (such as “I’m swimming between two lighthouses to raise money for a marine conservation nonprofit) is considered a grassroots fundraiser. Grassroots fundraisers receive $15 more per donation than fundraisers participating in events created by nonprofit organizations. 3. Encourage donation amounts of $25, $50, and $100. 94% of all donations (both direct and to event fundraisers) are in increments of $100 or less. Furthermore, donations of $25, $50, and $100 are the most popular donations of $100 or less. 55% of all donations made from 2007 – 2010 are either $25, $50, or $100. Furthermore, 99.72% of all donations are under $1,000. 4. Hold a fundraiser the last week of the year. December donations are highest, to event fundraisers and through direct donations. Furthermore, the highest donations come in the last six days of the calendar year. While the average donation to a fundraiser is $51.38 from 2007 – 2010, the average donation made to a fundraiser the last six days in December is $92.49, a difference of $41.11! 5. Turn donors who make donations to personal fundraising pages into repeat donors. 97.4% of all donors are unique donors, which means that they have only donated once through FirstGiving. However, donors who donate two to five times through FirstGiving donate, on average, $16 more per donation than the unique donors. 6. Encourage supporters to raise funds in honor of life cycle events. Donations to wedding, anniversary, and christening events are amongst the highest of all types of events. The average donation to a wedding is $89.95, a christening is $73.40 and for an anniversary is $72.97. 7. Remind fundraisers to ask their friends to donate over the weekend. Weekend donors give, on average about $54.50. Weekday donors give, on average, $50. You can view the slide deck on their FirstGiving Insights page, or listen to the recorded webinar here.
Reading Materials for Specific Topics 2. Give Donors Hope for Change |
