Fundraise

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Gifts Transforms Lives

Do your friends and family know how many people Shelters of Saratoga helps each year? Make your fundraiser a success by sharing the real numbers behind our work.

In 2020 we:

  • Provided shelter to 325 individuals
  • Served more than 170,000 meals and snacks
  • Distributed supplies to 525 people temporarily lodged in motels or living on the streets

Setting Up Your Fundraiser

No matter what channel you choose to reach your network in support of Shelters of Saratoga, you can utilize this guide to help you get started! 

  • Consider a fundraiser for a birthday, anniversary, or other life events: – Ask wedding guests to donate instead of gifts.
  • Run/walk/ride your mini-marathon
  • Simply just explain why you are passionate about helping others and ask people to help you make a big difference!
  • Set a Goal: Pick a number that you feel is achievable for your personal fundraising goal – you can always edit this on your page once you get a feel for the campaign. Keep in mind that donors like to see your progress and are more motivated to give if the goal is close.
  • Make it Personal: Update your fundraising page with personal touches: Tell your story on why this effort is important to you. 

Self-Donations: Consider making a donation to your page to get things started, even if it’s small it will show you believe in your efforts!

Start Your Fundraising Page

Activating Your Network

  • Draft Potential Donor List. Think of people that you can count on for their support – friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.
  • Segment your Donors. For best results, contact your potential donors in the way that is best for them. While sending a group email might be the easiest method for you, a personal letter or phone call to key contacts might be best for them. Layout your approach and group your contacts by the best form of contact. Start with friends and family, co-workers, and fellow volunteers.
  • Email. Email drives more donations than social media. If possible, try emailing in small batches, such as 10, instead of larger batches. Making everyone feel slightly less anonymous will lead to more engagement
  • Social Media. Use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram to update your supporters about your fundraising campaign but don’t solely rely on it. Remember to engage supporters in other ways
  • Start Small and Build. Recruit a few close supporters to donate before you let your network know about your efforts. Having a few donations to start can make people feel like they are part of an already successful campaign.
  • Ask, Ask, Ask. People want to support you, but everyone is busy and forgets. Follow up with your supporters, send updates to help remind them of your efforts and personalize your requests.

    Keep Up The Momentum

    Try out some of these tactics to keep your supporters motivated and your fundraising strong!

    • Update Often. Don’t just send out asks, send out updates on your progress as well. Let your donors know when you’ve reached certain milestones. 
    • Check your Progress. Check your fundraising page statistics regularly to understand what’s working
    • Use Deadlines. Work towards specific dates and milestones to create some urgency and rally support; donors can be more inclined to give if they know there’s an approaching deadline.

    Thank Them. Be sure to personally thank your supporters, either by email, phone, or in-person; they want to know you appreciate them! Be sure to include an update on the campaign’s progress.

    Sample Message Template

    LAUNCH your campaign with this message:
    I’m helping support the efforts of Shelters of Saratoga to provide people with food and housing security by raising ${GOAL AMOUNT}! Please join me by donating here {LINK TO YOU FUNDRAISING PAGE}. 

    UPDATE your supporters with this message:
    I’m close to reaching my goal of raising ${GOAL AMOUNT} to help Shelters of Saratoga provide food and housing security to those in need! Will you consider a gift to sponsor me and help me reach my goal? {LINK TO FUNDRAISING PAGE}

    THANK a donor with this message:
    Thank you {@nameofdonor} for donating to support me and this important cause! Together we are making a difference to those in need.

    ASK for more support with this message:
    My fundraiser is ending soon– can you help me finish strong and reach my goal? Please sponsor me and donate to: {LINK TO FUNDRAISING PAGE}.

    CELEBRATE your successful campaign with this message:
    We did it! With your support, I raised {$TOTAL} and contributed towards helping those who need it most. Together, we helped Shelters of Saratoga deliver its mission of providing food and housing security to those in need.