Raising money can be fun! Sounds crazy, right? Well, not if you know how to do it. I’m about to tell you the magical secret to successful fundraising. Ready? You might want to sit down. The magical secret to fundraising is: you have to ask. If you don’t ask for money, no one is going to give it to you.

The Steps to an Effective Fundraising Campaign

  1. Identify your supporters. Who do you want to ask? Most people ask family, friends, and coworkers. Use the fundraising pyramid (included in this packet) to identify how you’re getting to your fundraising goal.
  2. Make your pitch. Why should people support you? We’ve written a sample letter to help you, but feel free to develop your own letter and reasons why people should support you. You’re embarking on a huge journey in the service of a really important cause, and by supporting you, people are supporting a worthy cause.
  3. Send out your letters! You should do this as soon as possible, to enable people to have enough time to send in their donations.
  4. Follow-up! You should make contact with all of your donors when you send out the letters, to tell them to expect them, and then a week later to see if they received them.
  5. Watch the money roll in! We’ll let you know when donations come in on your behalf.

Fundraising Instructions

Option 1 – Send a fundraising email. If you choose to solicit donations via email, use the text from the sample email. You’ll want to include either a way for people to make contributions to you online (you can have people donate money via paypal) or an address to mail checks.

Option 2 – Send a fundraising letter in the mail. If you choose to send letters, include a STAMPED remit envelope with each letter.

Sample Letter

Dear friends and family,


This summer I will join social justice activists from around the country on the Road to Detroit, a week long journey from Chicago to Detroit for the United States Social Forum. What makes this trip so special?

Well for starters, I will be riding a bicycle the entire way! Each day our group will cycle 30-50 miles and spend our nights camping under the stars or lodging with fellow activists in their communities. The trip will also include stops in communities to talk to other social justice activists about the work they do.

[paragraph about why this ride is important to YOU, what you want to gain from it, how it will challenge you]

In order for me to go on this amazing journey, I am trying to raise ____ by ____ to support myself and other riders who are unable to raise their own funds. I am asking my friends and family to make a donation that will go toward food, lodging, and travel supplies. Your support will mean so much to me, especially when I wake up on that third day of riding and can’t feel my legs! Can you help me with a donation of ___{specific amount}?

You can make contributions to: [wherever you're collecting money to]

All contributions are tax-deductible.[only if you're funneling $ through a non-profit.] To learn more about the trip, visit [website]. Thank you for your support – it means a lot to me!


Sincerely,

[your name]