The Ride for Roswell is a very special event that we are proud to take part in here at West Herr.
One of the most important parts of the event, is the money raised to help those in need.
Our Vice President, Bill Loecher, took a few minutes to share his expertise on fundraising with a goal of making it easier for you and in turn, making you more successful!
1) Personalize your donation page – This might seem like a given, but you wouldn't believe how many people leave a blank profile picture or leave a blank bio. Make you change your display picture to you, or a loved one. Also change the description to something that communicates why you ride. Everyone has a story or a special meaning behind the ride, make sure you share yours.
2) Set a lofty goal – Don't be afraid of trying to raise more. You should always shoot for a higher total. People are more likely to donate more if they see that you’re further from your goal. If you’ve raised $10 out of a $200 goal, someone is likely to donate less when visiting your site than they are if they see you’ve only raised $10 out of $1,000. Also don't worry about "failing." No one knows if you don’t hit your goal. Go for a goal that you don’t think you’re going to hit because by doing that you’ll raise more money. If you do hit your goal, go in and raise it. Once you’ve reached/past your goal, people are less likely to donate so keep it going.
3) Get people to your site – Now that your donation page is personalized and you have a strong goal, you have to actually get people there to donate. You want to get as many people there as you can of course. Most people start with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, phone contacts and social media. That being said, the most important people you can talk to, are the ones who you actually write checks to. Your accountant, barber, lawyer, landscaper, snow plow guy, etc are great people to ask. These are the people you have a better chance of securing a donation from. Next time you get a bill from them, put a little letter in there mentioning you're participating in the ride. You'll be surprised just how many will donate.
4) How to ask for a donation – How you ask for the donation doesn't really matter. Whether it's a traditional letter, an email, a text message, a phone call, or social media post, no one format works better than the rest. The most difficult part isn't where you ask, but how you ask for money. One thing to keep in mind if that people tend to wait until the end of a window to donate and then they often forget. Too many times you'll hear, “I wish you would have reminded me!” It's good to plan out your asks and using a countdown to assist you. Start by just telling people you’re participating from day one and naturally some will donate. 60 days before the ride is when it’s time to get active and actually request a donation. Next up, wait until there are 30 days left and tell them you have 30 days to raise the remainder of your goal. With 10 days left, try the same thing - "I only have 10 days left to raise $500!" It's important to keep in mind that if your goal isn’t high enough this doesn’t work as well.
5) Don't Forget to Thank People – Can’t express enough how important this is. Make sure to add a really nice thank you page for after someone donates. Also try to reach out personally within 24 hours if possible. Timeliness matters. If you don't thank them quickly enough, they might not know if you got the donation, or worse if you care. Similar to your sit, make sure to personalize it. Try shooting a quick 10-second video thanking someone by name. Make it heartfelt. Chances are if you take the time to do this, they’ll donate again next year. Also, try thanking everyone you asked, even those who didn’t donate. It's a gentle reminder for next year in case they forgot, or maybe will make them consider donating in the future because of how kind you were regardless.
Doing all those things should quickly and easily increase donations. If each person can get even $10 more in donations, the results will be enormous. $10 x 8,000 riders = $80,000 more for the ride!
Don't forget about our "Refer a Friend Challenge!" For every new rider you refer using your unique referral link, you receive $20 toward your fundraising goal, up to $100 (5 riders total). Every new rider you refer will also receive $10 off registration. Talk about a win/win!
We hope this post was helpful and gave you some further insight into how you can raise more in the future.
Good luck!