Fundraising Tips
Thank you for choosing to fundraise to support Hanover's work with Victoria's homeless. Your support will make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
If you've never fundraised before or even if you are a regular fundraiser, we're here to help. Below you'll find some hints and tips for effective fundraising.
If there is anything we can do to support your fundraising efforts, please don't hesitate to ring Community Relations at Hanover on 1800 720 660 or email supporters@hanover.org.au
Fundraising Hints and Tips
1. Have a goal
Having a fundraising target to work towards is a great motivator both personally and for friends, family and colleagues who want to support you and your fundraising.
So communicate your goal to those around you and let them know how you are tracking towards achieving it.
2. Your personalised fundraising page
Collecting donations online is a quick and easy way for people to support your fundraising efforts and a great way for you to keep track of the donations you have raised so far.
3. Tips to ensure online fundraising success
Personalise your page – upload photos of yourself, set your fundraising goal, write a personal message and make the page your own.
Sponsor yourself - lead by example and make a personal donation to the event online. This will encourage your supporters and set the bar for donations to follow, so the bigger the better!
Communicate via your web page - share updates about your training for the event, your fundraising efforts, events or activities and milestones in achieving your goals with supporters and friends. This is a great way to keep your friends family and colleagues interested and make them feel a part of your endeavour.
Remember to share your page with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
4. Plan your fundraising
Having a plan is the best way to achieve your goal. Above and beyond donations from friends and family you might like to arrange fundraising activities or events to help you reach your target.
For example, if you have a target of $2,000 you could plan to:
- Raise $1,000 from donations from friends, family and colleagues (50 people at an average gift of $20) – perhaps ask them to sponsor you per kilometer that you ride
- Raise $500 from a raffle (100 tickets @ $5 per ticket)
- Raise $250 from having a morning tea at your work place ($10 donation from 25 people)
- Raise $250 from having a garage sale or auctioning unwanted items on eBay
There are hundreds of fundraising events and activities that you might like to run including trivia nights, film nights, auctions and dinners. If we can assist you in any way please ring Community Relations at Hanover on 1800 720 660 or email supporters@hanover.org.au
Please note if you require individual receipts for cash donations please contact Event Directors, Right Angle Events on 9416 4609 to make arrangements.
5. Put the word out
The best way to generate fundraising dollars is to ask!
So let your friends, family and colleagues know via email, phone calls, text messages or social networking sites that you are participating in Hanover ConnectEast Ride for Home and ask them to support this worthy cause; you may be surprised by the positive response.
6. Ask your workplace to match your efforts
Many workplaces like to support the fundraising efforts of employees by making dollar for dollar contributions to fundraising appeals. Why not ask your employer or manager if they will support your Hanover ConnectEast Ride for Home efforts.
We are able to issue your organisation a tax deductible receipt for all contributions and will send a personalised thank you letter from Hanover CEO Tony Keenan to let them know their contribution is appreciated.
If you would like to discuss a workplace contribution in further detail, please ring Community Relations at Hanover on 1800 720 660 or email supporters@hanover.org.au.
7. Thank you
When anyone makes a donation to you, an email will be sent to you to let you know so that you can thank them personally. We will also send a receipt and thank you email to your friend.
Fundraising Ideas
Here are some great fundraising ideas you may like to try:
- Share your personal fundraising page with your friends, family and colleagues through Facebook and Twitter. You can do this by using the icons featured on your personal fundraising page.
- Refresh your fundraising page with new photos or videos. You could also update your blog and share why you are passionate about raising funds to help Hanover break the cycle of homelessness in Victoria.
- Include a link to your personal fundraising page on your personal or work e-mail address signature.
- Ask your sporting or social club to share your story in their newsletter or bulletin to help you raise the funds you need to help Hanover break the cycle of homelessness
- Encourage colleagues, friends and family to get involved with your training by making a donation to join you in your commute to work, joining a spin class or jumping on an exercise bike at the gym.
- Email your friends, family and colleagues and update them about your progress via your personal fundraising page letting them know how you are going in achieving your fundraising goal. For example: today we have raised $450 dollars - $50 more and we will have provided children from a family in need with the school supplies they need to continue their education next year. Go Team!
- Ask a local business or friend to donate a prize to be raffled at your work place, social or sporting club to help support your fundraising efforts.
- Host a dinner party for friends and ask people to donate what they think they would pay for the meal at a restaurant.
- Host a garage sale and donate the proceeds through your personal fundraising page to support your efforts.
- Ask colleagues, family and friends to sponsor you by the number of kilometres you ride on the day – $1 for every kilometre is a $15, $35 or $75 donation, depending on which ride you have entered.
- Personalize your fundraising efforts. Offer an incentive for people to support you in The Ride. For example, 'When I reach $1,000 I will shout the office pizza for lunch'.
- Love a bit of attention? Why not encourage people to sponsor you to ride in costume. Name your price. What will it take to get you into something silly for a few laughs and a great cause? $1,000, $2,000, $5,000 - more?
- E-mail your personal contacts who have not yet sponsored you in the ride and encourage them to support your efforts and donate.
Fundraising in the workplace
- Let your workplace know you are participating - it will be a great story for your staff newsletter and will help get your colleagues behind you - your organisation may also sponsor you!
- Are meetings always starting late in your office? Why not introduce a penalty for the week. For every late meeting start a donation is made to support your fundraising efforts.
- Offer incentives for people to support you – i.e. for every $500 raised by the team at work I will do a 3:30pm coffee run for a week.
- Fun in the office - organise an ugly tie or scarf day or a crazy hair day for a few laughs and a simple fundraiser.
- Host a morning or afternoon tea at your workplace and invite a Hanover representative to attend and talk about homelessness. If a speaker isn't your style, we also have some interesting fact sheets on the website that you can download and share.
- Inter-Department sports match - organise a netball, indoor cricket or soccer match between departments and see which team comes out on top.
- Arrange a team building exercise or an after work activity such as bowling, a trivia night or a movie night, negotiate a group rate with the venue and then include a donation in the price for people to attend. Donate the proceeds via your fundraising page to help you achieve your fundraising goal.
- Traditional Sausage Sizzle - organise a BBQ and ask colleagues to buy their lunch with proceeds going towards supporting your efforts to improve the lives of Victoria's homeless.
- Ask colleagues to bring in pictures of them on or with their first bike and pin them on a board in the staff or lunch room. Staff can make a donation to participate and/ or guess who's who.
- Organise a casual day and donate the proceeds via your fundraising page - everyone loves a casual Friday.
- Are your meetings interrupted by mobile phones ringing? Is there a serial offender in your office? Why not introduce a penalty for the week. For every interrupted meeting a donation is made to support your fundraising efforts.
- Ask colleagues to donate $5- $10 to attend a morning or afternoon tea. Share some interesting facts about Hanover and homelessness.
- Lollies in a Jar - an oldie but a goodie - pop some lollies in a jar and ask colleagues to make a donation to guess how many lollies are in there and donate the proceeds via your fundraising page - closest guess wins the lollies!
If you have any fundraising ideas or tips to share please please ring Community Relations at Hanover on 1800 720 660 or email supporters@hanover.org.au.
Thank you for fundraising to help Hanover break the cycle of homelessness.