So a big event is coming up that you really want to attend, maybe it's in another state or another country, and your bank account can't quite handle getting there and staying there.
Y'know, like The First Annual Living LFS Family Camp happening October 10-13, 2019 at Camp Mak-A-Dream in Gold Creek, Montana.Yeah, that big event! You want to learn how to deal with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and to connect with other mutants, but your wallet has a little of this going on:
Andi Last from Living LFS here with some obvious and not-so-obvious ways to raise money to get you to an event - or to make it a little less expensive to attend:
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- Crowdfunding: without a doubt, crowdfunding websites are the most common way to raise money online for any good cause these days. GoFundMe and YouCaring are both websites that allow you to create a profile, tell your story and collect donations. Neither site charges a fee to use their platform. Both sites collect a 2.9% + $ .30 per transaction for third party credit card processing through Paypal or the like. (Tip: got a bunch of friends, family, coworkers or community members who all want to donate? Ask them to pool their cash donations in advance to make a single donation, rather than several little ones, so you pay fewer fees.)
- Be specific about the cost: Find out in advance exactly how much it will cost you to fly to to the event, and to stay there for the length of the event. Set that total amount as your fundraising goal. For example, for me to fly from San Diego to Toronto for the 2018 LFS Symposium cost $342 USD. For me to stay at the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto for the 5 nights of that conference cost $515 USD. If I had wanted to fundraise to attend, my goal would have been to raise $857. It would only take 43 people donating $20 each to get me to the conference! Giving this kind of info on your fundraising page makes your goal easily attainable and fun for your donors to track.
- Be specific about the benefits: Speak straight from the heart. Use your fundraising page to explain to your donors exactly what will happen at the event, why you want to be there, what you will learn, who you will meet, why you want to meet those people, and any other ways your life will change for the better, thanks to your donors!
- Put out the call on social media: Now that you've set up your fundraising page with the who, what, why, when, how and where, blast it out there! Post it to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, Tumblr and any other social accounts you may have. Include relevant hashtags like #fundraising #donate #causes #crowdfunding #cancer #hereditarycancer #geneticcancer #raredisease and of course #lifraumeni and #livinglfs just to get you started. Search to find other relevant hashtags that are being used for the event - and even create one of your own for your fundraiser. Ask your social network to help spread the word with a like or comment, or a share, retweet or regram of your posts.
- Ask for donations instead of gifts: Check out this list of holidays and observances, choose an appropriate one (like Employee Appreciation Day?) or a silly one (hey, Groundhog Day!) and ask for donations to your fundraising campaign instead of gifts. Don't forget your birthday or anniversary!
- Ask for frequent flyer miles, airline vouchers, buddy passes and credit card rewards: It might not be necessary for your friends, family, coworkers or community to donate money: frequent travelers or airline employees may be able to help you out at little to no cost to them by transferring airline miles or providing buddy passes or airline vouchers. You might even offer to pay any associated taxes or fees. Got friends who are heavy users of credit card rewards programs? Ask if any of their available rewards might be useful to your cause.
- Make a flyer: There are plenty of opportunities to raise funds in real life, rather than online. When you have the chance, tell people about LFS and about the event - but make it easy by making and printing flyers, brochures or leaflets. All those benefits of attending the event that you listed on your crowdfunding page? Put 'em in your flyer. Keep copies in your car, ask if you can leave a stack in local shops, take them with you to events. And of course, be sure to include the URL to your fundraising page in your flyer!
- Sell what you love: Love to cook? Hold a dinner party and request a per plate donation to go towards your travel fund. Photographer? Sell prints of your photos to raise money for your trip. Artist? Sell your work, whether originals, prints, or merchandise, with the profits going towards your fundraiser. Don't forget to tell your potential buyers about the good cause they'll be supporting - have those flyers handy.
- Sell what you don't love: Here's your opportunity to clean out the closet, attic, basement, garage, shed or storage unit and sell anything of value that has been doing nothing but taking up space for too long. My rule: if it's worth $50 or more, it goes on eBay. If it's more in the $20-$50 range, it goes on Craigslist (bonus: no selling fees!) Anything less than $20 goes in a garage sale or yard sale. Ask your neighbors, family and friends if they want to contribute their unused stuff to your sale and donate the proceeds to your trip as well. Set a date for the sale, advertise it widely on Craigslist, local classifieds groups on Facebook, NextDoor, and of course, signs around the neighborhood, and get selling. Get closer to your fundraising goal and cut down on clutter at the same time! Win-win! Again, have a stack of flyers on hand to give out to your shoppers.
- Ye Olde Bake Sale and/or Lemonade Stand: Why are lemonade or baked goods so popular for fundraisers? Because rare is the person that can resist sweet treats. These sales are great for raising money quickly. Hold your bake sale and/or lemonade stand along with your garage sale, and maximize your fundraising opportunities with a "captive audience!" Again, remind your buyers that all proceeds are going to a very good cause.
- Share, share, share: At many such events, you don't have to go it alone. For example, for the 2018 LFS conference in Toronto, community members shared hotel rooms, and local mutants offered space in their homes to travelers and rides from the airport to the event. Visit the private LFS Support Group on Facebook to learn about sharing options that might be available for an upcoming event, or to post your own request to share with someone.
- Crowdfunding: without a doubt, crowdfunding websites are the most common way to raise money online for any good cause these days. GoFundMe and YouCaring are both websites that allow you to create a profile, tell your story and collect donations. Neither site charges a fee to use their platform. Both sites collect a 2.9% + $ .30 per transaction for third party credit card processing through Paypal or the like. (Tip: got a bunch of friends, family, coworkers or community members who all want to donate? Ask them to pool their cash donations in advance to make a single donation, rather than several little ones, so you pay fewer fees.)
Got any other successful fundraising methods you've used to raise money for a good cause? Share them in the comments! If you're fundraising to get to an event, be sure to let us know that in the comments too. We hope to see you at the next LFS event!