March is officially in like a lamb; hopefully the lion has better things to do this time around. To date 28 walkers have signed up for Challenge Walk MS and four individuals have signed on as Crew Members, with a total raised of just over $9,000. This is a great start.
Fundraising is never easy, especially in such difficult economic times. We thought we would share a few strategies we have used in the past to meet the Challenge Walk MS goal.
- We send out an e-mail to past and potential donors that provides an update on Jen’s status, a recap of the Challenge Walk and a summary of our fund-raising efforts from the previous year. We also let them know what our goal is for the current year. In short, this is sort of like an official notification – or warning – to let them know we will be shaking them down (a/k/a pestering them incessantly) until they give.
- For the last three years we have hosted a fundraiser which takes the form of a vendor/craft fair. The inaugural fair was held in our home with 11 vendors; it was a tight squeeze. Last year we held it at the local middle school and had 64 vendors, a bake sale and food booth. The vendors pay a fee to attend the fair and must donate an item to a raffle. We also solicit merchants from near and far to donate items to a silent auction. Last year’s big draws were a Play Station 3 and Guitar Hero video game. We are considering hiring some security this year, because the bidding got a little intense at the end. Of course 100% of the proceeds go to the MS Society.
- We created our own website to provide updates on our fund raising efforts: www.egantocurems.webs.com. Jen also actively posts updates on the vendor/craft show’s Facebook page.
This strategy has worked for us, but we know there are many other creative fundraising solutions. One idea we have (but have not implemented) is to host a movie night with our friends, wherein we supply the snacks, beverages and movie, and the attendees pay premium movie ticket prices (say $20 per family). This seems like it would kill two birds with one stone: you raise money and enjoy time with friends.
That is all for now. We will check back in a month with more ideas on recruiting members and training for the walk.
Training for this walk is very important not only for stamina but to toughen up your feet so blisters won't knock you out of the walk. Plus - get a GOOD pair, better yet 2 pair of RUNNING shoes. They're lighter & dry faster than walking shoes. We're sooo glad we got this advice in 2008.
ReplyDeleteLori