Congratulations on joining the RUN FOR AUTISM team and thank you for choosing to run for the cause! Here at OAR we’ve compiled and laid out fundraising tips and tricks to help you every step of the way during your fundraising process and provide ideas to make raising money simple, personal, and fun.
The easiest and fastest way to reach your RUN FOR AUTISM fundraising goal is by personalizing your easy to use, online fundraising page. The most successful fundraising campaigns are ones where RUN team members have shared pictures and stories on their donation pages. When people see you get excited about your goals, they will be excited to donate.
WHY RUN FOR AUTISM?
1 in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. By joining the RUN FOR AUTISM team, you’re supporting OAR’s mission to fund research and resources that help people with autism and their families today.
Here are some of the ways that OAR uses the funds raised by the RUN FOR AUTISM team:
If you are having any issues feel free to contact the RUN FOR AUTISM staff. We want you to focus on training and fundraising for your big race not having to deal with any tech issues that might arise! Contact your RUN coordinator or email if need any help.
Similar to your training, it’s easier to reach your goal if you start early, plan ahead, and track your progress. As the race day approaches, we want you focused on celebrating your accomplishments, not worrying about a looming deadline. With a fundraising game plan you can keep that pesky procrastination bug at bay and easily reach your fundraising goal well before race day!
You should have set a fundraising goal while personalizing your fundraising page but if you didn’t now is the time! Challenge yourself and don’t be afraid of being ambitious. Your race may have a minimum but your goal can be much higher! Having a solid game plan can help you reach any goal you set.
Breaking your overall fundraising goal into mini ‘bite size’ goals can help make fundraising seem less daunting and help you to reach your goal sooner! Is your overall goal $1000 and you have 10 weeks until race day? Set mini goals of raising $100 a week.
A mini weekly or monthly goal is an easy target to track and can be promoted to help encourage donations from your network.
Hosting a fundraising event can be one of the fastest ways to fundraise, a great way to raise awareness for OAR, and a fun ways to bring your friends and family out in support of you. Figure out one or two of your least busy weeks (not the week of your longest training run!) and plan on hosting a fundraising event. There are a ton of different event idea out there from Bake Sales and Restaurant Fundraisers to Corn Hole Tournaments and Spin-a-thons.
The RUN staff is currently putting together a list of hundreds of event ideas. If you are having a hard time brainstorming ideas, keep a lookout for that list in an upcoming team email.
Anybody and everybody you know could help you reach your fundraising goals, but only if you ask! Think of the people you know in all your different social circles- family, school, business, gym, religious, etc. Oftentimes these people will be some of your biggest supporters and with encouragement could reach out to their networks on your behalf! Making a list of these contacts is the easiest way to insure nobody is left out and keep track of who you have reached out to.
There are many different ways to reach out to your contacts; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, phone, in person, mailing, etc. It is important to plan out your communication strategy so that you are reaching out to all of your contacts at least once but aren’t overloading your friends and family with multiple donation requests in a short period of time.
Each RUN FOR AUTISM team member’s communication strategy is going to look different depending on their network and preferred method of communication. We recommend starting your fundraising with an email and social media blast announcing your fundraising efforts then planning 1-2 social media posts per week and 1-2 emails per month promoting your fundraiser.
On your list of contacts, keep track of who has donated to your campaign, the amount, and the date they donated. Take those friends and family members off your fundraising email list and make sure to send them a personalized thank you note.
So, you have your fundraising page looking amazing and have a winning game plan all drawn out? Great! Now it is time to start letting people know about your commitment to race in support of autism research.
For some people, the ‘first ask’ can be nerve racking but it doesn’t have to be! Here are a few reasons to calm your nerves:
Now that those nerves are out of your system lets talk about how to best make that first ask.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great tools to use during your fundraising journey. Announcing your fundraising efforts on social media is an easy and causal way to reach your broad network of friends, family, and contacts. Here are are a few examples of posts you could use to announce your fundraising:
“Oops, I did it again! I am running the Marine Corps Marathon this October on the #RUNFORAUTISM team in support of Organization for Autism Reseach. My goal is to raise $2000 for autism research! Please help me reach this goal and donate today: (insert fundraising link)”
“In two months I will be crossing the finish line of the @Chimarathon! I am making my miles meaningful by raising money for autism research. Click the link in my bio to me reach my goal of $3000!”
“Running the #BerlinMarathon with @RUN_for_AUTISM help me raise $3000 for #AutismResearch! Donate now: (insert fundraising link)” Use Google URL Shortener for a shorter fundraising link
“I just signed up to run my first half marathon with @RUN FOR AUTISM in honor of my son John, who is on the spectrum. Help me reach my goal of raising $1000 for autism research: (insert fundraising link)”
Emailing is a great way to reach out individually and announce your fundraising in a more direct and personal way. Make it easier on yourself by creating a basic draft of the email body with your personal story of why you decided to #RUNFORAUTISM. Include your fundraising link and only personalize the greeting and closing of each email. Here is an example of an email you might send out:
I am really excited to announce that I will be racing IRONMAN Wisconsin this September to raise money for Organization for Autism Research. This is my first full IRONMAN, which is why I wanted to RUN FOR AUTISM in honor of my sister, Mary, who is on the spectrum. My goal is to raise $1406 for autism research, that’s $10 per mile I’ll be racing over this September!
Organization for Autism Research is a 4 star nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by autism by supporting research that produces meaningful and practical results. They also provide free, evidence-based resources and information to families, educators, self-advocates, and professionals geared towards making day to day life easy for those affected by autism. My family took advantage of free resources like A Guide for Transition to Adulthood and Guidelines for College Success when my sister was graduating high school.
I would be extremely grateful if helped me reach my goal and donated to my fundraising efforts. All donations are tax deductible and go towards a great cause! Here is the link to my online fundraising campaign: (insert fundraising link)
Every bit makes a difference, no matter how big or small.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Stacy”
In person announcements are a great way to gauge the potential for donations with acquaintances that you might not feel comfortable sending an email to, such as business contacts, neighbors, or doctors. By bringing up your race training and fundraising in a casual conversation you can see how interested people are in donating to your fundraising campaign. You may be surprised by the number of people you might not have expected that are eager to help you reach your goal and donate to a worth while cause. Here are some examples of how you might bring up the fundraising in casual conversation:
“What are you doing this weekend?
I have a 14 mile training run scheduled this weekend. After that I’ll probable relax and re-hydrate.
14 miles? In this heat?!
Yeah. I’m training for the New York City Marathon this November. I’m running to raise money for autism research. My goal is to raise $5000 in honor of my nephew Ben.
Wow that’s amazing!
If you would like to donated I can email you the link to my fundraising campaign. “
Many of our most successful RUN FOR AUTISM team members have used matching gifts to boost their fundraising. In a Matching Gift program, employers match contributions made by employees. Therefore if any of your donors’ employers offer Matching Gift programs their donation can often be matched dollar for dollar, doubling your fundraising power.
Here’s how you, your family, friends, and coworkers can take advantage of charitable matching gift programs:
If you do not see your company, you can contact the Human Resources department to see if it offers a matching gift program. The database may not be totally up-to-date or offer a complete list of smaller companies.
Request donation guidelines and a list of eligible charities if the company does offer a matching gift program.
Donate and fill out the appropriate forms to ensure that the donation is matched.
Tell us about your matching gift, and pass along the donor and company names so that we can look out for your donation. We will typically get a notification from the company but feel free to reach out as well. Once we confirm the matching donation, we will credit those funds to your donation page.
Share the news and be sure to highlight any donors when you give your fundraising updates. Don’t forget to include companies that provide matching gifts; they’re donors, too!
Tips to Maximize Matching Gifts Contributions:
Example of Matching Gift Email:
“Dear James,
Thank you so much for the very generous donation of $150 to my RUN FOR AUTISM Berlin Marathon fundraising campaign. I am running in honor of my sister’s son Kevin so your donation to Organization for Autism Research means a lot to me.
Did you know that your employer, Neiman Marcus, has a matching gifts program? They will match your donation two:one if you complete the form below and send me a confirmation! . That’s all you have to do to turn your donation from $150 to $450! Here is the information:
Company: Neiman Marcus Group, Inc.
Contact: Kevin Hurst
E-mail: Kevin_Hurst@neimanmarcus.com
Matching Gift Form URL: https://www.nmgbenefits.com/
Minimum amount matched: $25.00
Maximum amount matched: $2,000.00
Gift ratio: 2:1
Thanks again for your donation. I hope you will take a minute to submit the matching gift request and forward the confirmation to me so that I can get closer to achieving my fundraising goal of $3,000!”
Most successful fundraising campaigns are, in part, the result of continued communication with your network of possible donors. Sending out emails to your friends, family, coworkers, etc. with donation requests, reminders and updates is a great way to reach and surpass your goals. Here are some tips and samples of possible emails:
Hosting a social events to raise money is an oldie but goodie! A successful event can be a fun and easy to raise a large chunk of your fundraising goal AND raise awareness for Organization for Autism Research at the same time. Your event does not have to be elaborate, just well planned. Below are a few tips and examples to get you started planning your very own event.
There are hundreds of different events you could host to raise money for autism research. When choosing an event start by thinking about what kind of an event your friends and family might want to attend. Narrow it down by the amount of upfront investment of time and money you are willing to put in. Then select the event you are the most excited about!
Here are a handful of events you could organize:
Get the word out far and wide! Create an event on Facebook, email your friends and family, and talk it up at work. The more people who you invite the more money you will raise to go towards your fundraising efforts. In any emails or social media posts about the event include your fundraising page URL letting people know even if they cannot make the event they can still donate.
Start planning your event as soon as possible! If your event requires any supplies such as food, drinks, or prizes contact local businesses for donations of gift cards or products. Don’t take on more than you can handle! Be realistic with the amount of planning and event logistics you want to take on so that you are not overwhelmed as the event approaches.
Most importantly, have fun!
Feel like your fundraising efforts are starting out a little slower than you had hoped? Try this plan for for raising $1,000 in just one week.
Put the FUN in fundraising and get your donors more personally involved by offering fun donation incentives or hosting fundraising competitions.
Host a fundraising competition between your friends and family with the grand prize being, running the race (or a long training run) in a costume of the winners choosing. Motivate your donors to team up to raise money on your behalf and compete against each other to win the honor of making you run as Lady Gaga, a bunch of grapes, Where’s Waldo, whatever they can come up with.
Traveling for your race? Let your donors plan your trip for you! Promote that every donor of $75 or more will get to pick a spot for you to visit and get a personalized photo from that spot while you are being a tourist before or after the race. When you are visiting all the recommended spots, take a quick picture with a token to personalize it for the donor; a sign with their name, picture of them, funny pose, etc.
Liven up your fundraising by giving your friends and family the opportunity to pick the playlist that will accompany you during the race (or a long training run). Challenge your friends to pick the worst songs they can think of, for a donation of $10 per song. Create a list or Spotify playlist of all the songs to keep your donors up-to-date with the status of the horribleness of the playlist. Later you can post a recap of how horrible it was to run to certain songs. Just hope that your friends don’t stumble upon this song!
Long time RUN FOR AUTISM runner, Heather Horner promotes that she will carry the name of all her donors on race day by writing the names her RUN FOR AUTISM singlet. Do the same or tell your donors that if they donate as least $50 to you during a particular time frame (ex. The last month leading up to the race), you will run with their names or that of their loved one with autism with you on race day by writing the names on your singlet or your arms/legs.
Can you bake amazing treats? Do you paint or knit or woodwork? Good at yard work, taxes, baby sitting, or meal prep? Sell your skills for donations!
If you are crafty or a good baker, make a special small item or treat that all of your donors over $25 will receive. Have a skill like yard work or baby sitting? Offer up your skill to all donors who donate over $50 to your RUN FOR AUTISM fundraising campaign. Go bigger by making a one of a kind piece of art, cater a private dinner for two, or offer a photography session to friends and family who donate top dollar!
A great way to spread the word about your fundraising efforts and raise awareness for autism research is to contact your local news stations and newspapers. Local journalists are always on the lookout for stories that highlight the good deeds and inspirational stories of community members. That’s you!
To help with getting started, for the RUN FOR AUTISM press release template. Use the press release template to tell your story and show why your story should be featured. Make sure to include the following information:
Contact the media about two-three weeks before your event. Newspaper and TV websites usually have good contact information for the news editors. Write an email or send your press release directly to the editor. The best time to contact them is in the morning. If you don’t hear back, try to contact them again a week before the race. The media often does not plan coverage until closer to an event.
At this point in your training, your friends and family are probably just as excited as you are about your upcoming race. Here are some ways to remind your supporters of all the hard work you’ve put in over the past few months and all the excitement to come:
We would love to hear all about your fun, creative, or out of the box fundraising success stories! Fill out the form below they might even be added to our Fundraising Toolkit to help fellow RUN FOR AUTISM teammates in their fundraising efforts.
One of the most effective and popular ways our RUN FOR AUTISM team members have raised money in the past is by hosting a fundraising event but with social distancing in place, hosting a traditional fundraising event isn’t possible. We have brainstormed five fun events that you can host virtually
Just because the local paint and sip store is closed doesn’t mean that you can’t still create a masterpiece while raising money for Organization for Autism Research. Organizing a virtual paint and sip night with your friends will take a bit of planning but is sure to make a fun night!
Find a time that works for your friends and have them all donate to your fundraising page to buy a ticket to your event. Before the event you will need to make sure all participants have the needed supplies. here are two painting kits we found on Google that can be mailed right to everyone’s front door Kit One & Kit Two or your local craft store might be offering curb-side pickups. Decide on if you (or your artsy friend) are going to lead the painting class, if there is local instructor you can hire, or find a video tutorial to follow along to (Check out these painting videos: Painting One & Painting Two)
Schedule a video call using Zoom Meeting or a similar platform and send out the class link to everyone that donated. Prepare yourself a glass of liquid courage, put your brushes to the canvas, and have a fun night with your friends! Make sure to post photos of your art and share them with us on social media using the #RUNFORAUTISM.
Are you a yoga instructor, personal trainer or do you have ideas for an awesome boot camp class? If not, do you know a fitness instructor that would like to lead virtual class? Pick a time, workout equipment that most people have and grab your friends to host an online fitness class of your choice. Have each participant donate to your fundraising page as if they were paying for an actual fitness class and then give them a great workout! If you decide to use a local fitness instructor offer to split the class profit with them. Try using Zoom Meeting to organize your class. Send out the class link to everyone that donated. Make sure they know the start time and everything needed for the class (yoga mat, small weights, etc.). You might just become your friend’s new favorite fitness instructor!
Host an online auction! Local businesses and sports teams are usually ready and willing to give out gift cards, swag and other giveaways for nonprofit fundraising. Start asking for prizes and set up an online auction once you’ve secured them using BiddingOwl.com. You control when your auction starts/stops and the pricing of each item. Once your auction is set up, send out the link and let the bidding begin! The Bidding Owl software is free to use but they do take 5% of your highest bid for website upkeep. Sign up here to start your auction!
Just like the NBC game show, you can challenge your friends to fun games using household items. Players will compete in various tasks using items found around the house. Players who complete the task in under a minute move on to the next round. They’re fun, simple to play, inexpensive, and typically hilarious! How to set up a game – Link together with your friends via Zoom or FaceTime. Designate someone to be the host of the game to keep score and select the new games. Select your game and have fun!
Here are a few examples of games to get you started
Check out this website with more info about Minute to Win It info and more than 200 games for kids and adults!
You can turn this fun activity into a fundraising opportunity by having people donate to be a part of the game. Set any goal/price that you would like.
Have you heard about the Virtual Karaoke Nights strangers are hosting on Zoom? Plan one for your friends and turn it into a fundraiser!
Use this Google Doc as an outline of how to host your own virtual karaoke night. Promote it to all your friends, family, coworkers, running buddies and include a link to your fundraising page. Have everybody donate to participate in the event or have them donate to your page during the event. If you record the event (with permission from your friends) you can post it on social media and ask for everyone to ‘vote’ for their favorite performance by donating and adding their vote to the donation comment box.
RUN FOR AUTISM will be adding a new Fundraising Tip for fundraising during social distancing every Friday. Check back for more tips and tricks to help you reach your fundraising goals.
Using Social Media
Using Social Media
Social media is one of the biggest and best tools for fundraising. More than 58% of adults in the United States check Facebook every single day. So sharing your fundraising campaign and appearing on your contact’s News Feed is an extremely beneficial way to encourage people to support your fundraising efforts. Below are a few examples of how to utilize your social media accounts to further your fundraising.
Power of a Picture
Our apologizes for being cheesy but… a picture is worth a thousand words. Using pictures on your social media posts is the best way to draw attention to your fundraising posts. On Facebook, posts with photos have 120% more engagement than the average post.
Training Photos Examples
Selfie Before Long Run
“I am heading out for my longest training run yet, 16 miles! I am nervous because I have never ran this far before but know every mile is for autism research. Help me push through this long run by donating $16 dollars to my #RUNFORAUTISM fundraising campaign. Let’s see how many donations I can get before finishing 16 miles! (insert fundraising link)”
Recovery Day Photo
“While training for an IRONMAN rest days are as important as my long bike rides or runs. They also allow me to work on my #RUNFORAUTISM fundraising. Today I am emailing my favorite local businesses asking for gift card donations I can use as a ‘Thank You’ to my largest donors. Want one? Click the link in my bio and donate today!”
Photo From Training Run
“Beautiful day to run 14 miles and to raise money for #AutismResearch! Donate now: (insert fundraising link)” Use Google URL Shortener for a shorter fundraising link
Motivation Photos
Photo of RUN FOR AUTISM Gear
“Katie and I spent the weekend decorating my #RUNFORAUTISM race singlet for Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon next month! I am running in her honor and for other children on the autism spectrum. Help me reach my goal of raising $1000 for @OrganizationforAutismResearch ->(insert fundraising link)”
Photo From Past Race
“After finishing my 5th half marathon in March I decided it was time to take the leap and #RUNFORAUTISM in a full marathon. I will be crossing the @NYCmarathon finish line this October having ran my first full marathon and raised over $3000 for #autismresearch! Help me meet that goal by clicking the link in my bio and donating today!”
Photo With Autism Connecting
“When those long miles start to hurt I think of Doug & keep running. Donate to my #RUNFORAUTISM campaign to fund #AutismResearch (insert fundraising link)” Use Google URL Shortener for a shorter fundraising link
Social Media Toolkit
Feel free to use any of the following images as tools to help boost your RUN FOR AUTISM fundraising efforts and promote Organization for Autism Research’s resources and programs. Remember to us the hashtag #RUNFORAUTISM in all your posts and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
Social Media Toolkit