Miles for the Wild Hike-a-thon Fundraising Tips

Here are some great tips to help make your Miles for the Wild Hike-a-thon fundraising effort a WILD success! 

1) GET THE BALL ROLLING

Nobody likes to be first. That’s why it’s always a good idea to get your fundraising off to a good start by making the first contribution. This will make others more likely to get involved.

2) ADD YOUR “WHY” TO THE EMAIL

We’ve put together a sample email to send to potential sponsors. The most important thing to add to this message is why you are fundraising. Let your family and friends know why this matters to you, that’s what they care about most!

3) START WITH YOUR CLOSE CONTACTS

It’s always best to start by emailing your close contacts because they are the most likely to donate. Try sending some quick personal messages to your inner circle to build up some momentum. Then use the email template you customized to reach all of your other contacts.

4) NEXT, POST ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Once you’ve sent your first batch of emails out, it’s time to turn to social media. One of the best strategies to use on both Facebook and Twitter is tagging and thanking people that have already donated while you are asking for new donations. This spreads your message further and lets the people you are asking know that people are already getting behind you. To tag someone on Facebook, select the “Tag someone” icon. To tag someone on Twitter, type in the @ symbol with their username (ex. “@username”).

5) RE-ENGAGE WITH EMAIL

Don’t hesitate to send a few follow up emails. Emails are easy to overlook and people often open them up quickly and then forget to go back to them. Use email to keep people up to date with your progress as you hit different milestones (50% raised, 75% raised, etc.), and ask supporters to help you hit the next milestone.

6) CONTINUE THANKING AND UPDATING SOCIAL MEDIA

As more of your network gets behind you, keep thanking them on social media and make sure you continue to share your progress towards your goal. Fundraising often takes a little creativity and persistence, but it’s vitally important to our mission and you can do it. Know that your effort will make a big difference!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!