Fundraising tips

No matter how you choose to fundraise, you won’t be alone. We’re on hand for tips and advice on how to make your fundraiser a big success. We’ve put some top tips together to help with your planning and make it as special as possible.

Planning your event

• Set a date. Check your calendar to avoid any clashes, such as an important sporting event, and make sure you’ve given yourself enough time to organise everything.
• Make a checklist and use this as a guide to know exactly what needs to be done.
  
• Ask your friends for help in the build-up or on the day and if you can, divide responsibilities between friends and family.
  
  

Raising money

Set a fundraising target. This gives you a goal to work towards and will motivate your friends and family to help you reach it. If you surpass your initial target, you can also increase your goal as you go along!

• Fundraise online. Set up an online fundraising page on Just Giving to make it really easy for your supporters to donate online. Don’t forget to personalise your page with a photo and your reason for supporting us before spreading the word by sharing it with friends, family and colleagues.
  
  Not online? You can use a sponsorship form instead. Simply try to collect the cash and send it to us after your event. For more information about all the different ways you can promote your fundraiser, click here.

• Team work, makes the dream work. There’s nothing like getting together with friends, family and colleagues to support the same cause. By forming a team, you will also be able to raise more money faster and the team atmosphere will help foster friendly competition and motivation.

• Share on social media. Share your story on social media with friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to support you by sharing your fundraising page and activities on their own social media. Make sure to share your reason for supporting us and update your supporters on how you’re getting on.
  
  Your fellow Bowel Cancer UK supporters also love to see event photos, watch videos and hear how you’re getting on – so don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using @bowelcanceruk
• Contact your local press. You can also reach further afield by getting in touch with your local press, for more information, please get in touch with our press team at press@bowelcanceruk.org.uk who will be able to help.
• Fundraise the traditional way. While emails are quick and effective, there is something special about letting everyone know about your fundraiser by writing handwritten cards. The time and effort you put into them, is bound to have good results and will be a great prompt for your supporters to donate to you. Why not continue with this trend and send a thank you card to all your supporters at the end of your fundraising!

• Ask local businesses for support. Check with local businesses if they would be interested in supporting you, weather it is through sponsorship, donating a prize or a gift for your fundraiser or simply having a collection tin out in their store. Contact us and we can provide you with an official letter you can use.

• Extra boost: Matched funding and Gift Aid. Many companies have matched giving schemes for employees who are fundraising for charity so it’s worth checking this with your employer if that’s something they offer. If not, ask if you can email your colleagues about your event or post something on your staff intranet.
  
  Gift Aid is great as it means we can claim 25p on every £1 donation at no extra cost to you or your supporters. Online pages enable your supporters to automatically Gift Aid their donation or people can simply tick the Gift Aid box on your paper sponsorship form.