All of the winners at this year’s JustGiving Awards can proudly call themselves fundraising experts.
With more entries than ever, the calibre was incredibly high and we were blown away by each and every one of the finalists.
Here are some of the top tips that led to their award-winning efforts.
1. Tell your donors how their money is helping like Yogscast, Most Popular Fundraiser
Yogscast raised £60,000 for Oxfam by encouraging people to donate money that would buy goats as Christmas presents for families in developing countries.
They engaged supporters by telling them exactly what their money would go towards and by giving them donation prompts:
£5 buys a leg of goat
£25 buys a whole goat
£50 buys a goat couple (with the potential for love)
Why not get in touch with your charity? Talk to them about the work they do. Ask them what the money you raise is helping with and tell your potential donors. People love to know the impact of their giving, so if you can, tell them exactly how their donation will help. What could a £10 donation provide? What would a £50 donation mean to the charity? How could a £100 donation change lives?
2. Keep things fresh like Lauren Gander, Young Fundraiser of the Year
Lauren has raised £100,000 for numerous charities including children’s charities The Tree of Hope, Dreamflight, Sasbah and The Children’s Trust.
She’s kept up support for her fundraising by taking on a whole host of different challenges. Everything from glider flights to spending the night in a cardboard box – Lauren took it on to raise even more money for the causes she cares about.
Keeping things fresh and taking on new challenges is not only a great way of getting new supporters, but also of getting people to return, donating again, to your new challenge.
There are lots of different things you can do to drum up some new enthusiasm for your fundraising. Take a look at some of our favourite creative fundraising ideas for inspiration.
3. Be original and do something fun like Alison Powell, Most Creative Fundraiser
Alison turned a dare on Facebook to skinny dip into a Guinness World Record and £25,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. She wowed our judges with her simple, creative idea that quickly caught the attention of her fellow fundraisers.
Originality and fun go a long way when you’re fundraising. As Alison herself says, “Think of something that makes you smile. You know those ‘wouldn’t it be funny if…?’ types of ideas? Run with them.”
4. Get your local community involved like Simon Adams, Fundraiser of the Year
In October 2009 Simon was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given two years to live. He set about making those two years count, planning to raise £1m for Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) to find a cure and help other sufferers.
Simon inspired and organised his local community to help him reach his goal. Hundreds ran for him in the Plymouth half marathon and the school children of Plymouth ran for him the day before. A three-team rugby weekend, a ball, fundraising dinners and auctions were staged by friends around the country.
When he died in October 2011, Simon had already raised £334,000, a significant part of the MNDA’s annual £12m fundraising target. Simon had such a huge impact, encouraging so many others to fundraise towards his goal that the MNDA fundraising director now speaks of the “Simon Adams Effect”.
5. Get your company involved like Barton Willmore, Workplace fundraiser of the Year
To mark the company’s 75th anniversary, staff at Barton Willmore created their own challenge to raise £25,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and The Royal Marden Hospital. The event, named the “Barton Wheelmore” saw over 80 members of staff, friends and clients take part in a cycle relay which connected their 10 UK offices.
Setting up a team page meant that everyone taking part could link their fundraising page to the team. With the average team raising 33% more than the average fundraising page, it really goes to show that there’s strength in numbers.
A team page gives you the opportunity to show how much you’ve all raised together, who’s taking part and the different charities you’re all supporting. Plus, a team page lets you list people in order of most raised – and there is nothing like a bit of healthy competition to boost your fundraising.
If your company really wants to showcase the amazing things you’re doing for charity, there’s also Company Fundraising, a branded company fundraising profile.
Tags: award-winning, Fundraising Tips, JustGiving Awards, JustGiving Awards 2012, winners