How do I fundraise?
Congratulations! You've signed up to
Walk to Green Line over 3 days along
the border between Israel and Palestine. This is no small feat! You've also
pledged to raise a Minimum Sponsorship Amount of $2500 or 2000€
to support the work of IPCRI - the
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and information.
In some ways, the most powerful educational impact of the Walk is the Walk
itself - being in Israel and Palestine and seeing the situation from a new
perspective. We could ask you to pay a registration fee, cover the Walk's costs,
and call it a day. But we don't, because fundraising is central to the Walk's
broader impact. The Walk's proceeds work far and wide to create the kind of
world we want to live in.
Fundraising is easier and more rewarding than you might think. We hope and
intend that these materials will get you excited about raising money to make a
difference and give you the confidence that you'll be able to meet-and
exceed-your fundraising goals!
| Getting Started | top |
It is no surprise that some walkers are intimidated by the notion of raising $2500 or 2000€ . Not to worry, we are here to help you become an expert fundraiser. Now that you have a sense of how the money you raise helps IPCRI in its peace work, you’re better equipped to ask friends, family members and colleagues to sponsor you. Use the following pages to help you with the fundraising process.
Get Excited
Your commitment to doing the Walk is itself significant. Never underestimate
the magnitude of this endeavor. People admire and respect those who challenge
themselves for a worthy cause. Be enthusiastic about the Walk and share your
enthusiasm with others. Your excitement will encourage sponsors to support you
and to be generous with their donations.
Set your Target
The minimum sponsorship for each walker is $2500 or 2000€
and $1,250 or 1000€ for Israeli and Palestinian
citizens living in Israel or Palestine). However, we encourage you to aim even
higher. The higher your fundraising target, the more generous your supporters
will be. When you are close to meeting your first target, consider setting a
higher one.
Customize Your Website
After you register, we will create for you your own webpage.
We set up some default pictures and text, but you should provide us
with information to personalize
it with your own picture, and tell your own story about why you
are doing the Walk and what you hope to accomplish.
| Who should I ask? | top |
Make a list of EVERYONE you know and have
ever known. Israeli-Palestinian peace is a hot topic right now. Most people
are supportive of peace in the Middle East. Consider including:
Family and Friends
The people closest to you are the most likely to support your efforts. Be sure
to include aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends. Don’t forget about your
old college friends, sorority sisters, youth group connections and old camp
friends.
Your Employer
Many employers are eager to encourage their employees to participate in
charitable events. In fact, many corporations offer matching funds for the
donations you receive from colleagues at work, or even your total donations.
Contact your human resources director to see how they can help you.
Colleagues at Work, School, etc
The workplace is a great venue for fundraising. If you work in a large
organization you have plenty of options. Get permission from your employer and
spread the word to all the departments in your workplace.
Your Synagogue, Mosque or Church
This is a fruitful place to fundraise. Ask your rabbi, synagogue
President, Priest, Community Chairman, Imam and different clubs where you can most
successfully fundraise within the synagogue. Many Churches and Synagogues have
a ” Discretionary Fund” for the use of the Imam, Priest or the Rabbi. Ask your
Imam, Rabbi or Priest to sponsor you. Be sure to utilize your mosque, church and synagogue
directory for names of people you can contact.
Clubs, Committees, Alumni Groups and Associations
Bring information with you when you go to sports, recreation clubs or
other volunteer work. People admire those who fundraise, especially since you
have to Walk across a country for it!
Business Contacts and Suppliers
If you are in business, you can approach colleagues, clients, suppliers
and even competitors to sponsor you. People of all backgrounds care about
building bridges in the Middle East and creating a sustainable world for all.
Go through this list and highlight the names of the people whom you believe are potential major donors. A major donor is one who might be able to make a donation of $1000 and over. These are the people for whom a pledge letter and/or phone call is not necessarily appropriate. Take them to lunch or dinner and explain to them why the Walk to Green Line means so much to you. Tell them about the Walk and why you are doing something so challenging. Be serious, enthusiastic and sincere.
| Composing your Fundraising Letter | top |
You can download the sample fundraising letters here in microsoft word format.
You can send a letter by mail or email-or both. The content of your letter will basically be the same but there are a few things to keep in mind: If you’re sending a letter enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for people to send you a check. If you’re sending an email, use the web page link, and include the link to sponsor page so donors can get there easily. We recommend including pictures of yourself in all of your letters and emails as they are very powerful tools.
Your fundraising letter is, above all, a letter from you to people you know and care about. The most important thing to keep in mind when writing your fundraising letter is your recipient. Who is going to be reading this? What would they like to read? There is no single magic fundraising letter but there are a lot of ways that you can make your letter great to help you raise more money.
Read all the tips below to get prepared. Write your base letter (or start from one of our sample letters on pp. 14-15), then read the tips again. Did you forget anything? Can you make it better?
1) Be Personal.
Your letter should be personal and specific to you. Tell your potential funders
what the Walk is all about, and tell them why you’re so excited to do
it.
Don’t write “dear friends” or “dear all” – write “hi Debbie”
Attach a picture if appropriate and possible.
Make clear that some thought has gone into who will receive your letter. Add at
least one personal line (“I’m going to be in town…”).
2) Tailor the length.
In general, shorter is better; but sometimes there’s someone who you feel wants
more info. Include more information about the Ride for your friends who are
interested in cycling. Tell them more about IPCRI if you think they would be
interested in peace causes in Israel/Palestine.
3) Be specific.
Give simple and specific instructions about how they can sponsor you. Include
the link to your personal page that we will open for you.
In case they decide to mail a check, include your home address.
Include your fundraising goal, and make it ambitious. Put it in bold! The more
you ask for, the more people give.
Share what your personal financial commitment will be. People are often
inspired to see your personal financial commitment and might even be willing to
match it. “In addition to training, I am pledging $500 towards my fundraising
goal.”
Ask for a specific amount and aim high. Say “Please consider a gift of
$180”—they can choose to do so, or choose to give you more/less.
4) Be confident and assertive
Send to everyone you know—especially relatives, even if you haven’t talked to
them in a long time. Expand your circle of giving by including friends of
friends and your children’s or parents’ friends. They’ll be thrilled to hear
from you.
People will be happy to support a cause you think is important. Remember that
you are not asking for money for your morning coffee. You are giving your
friends, family, and colleagues the opportunity be a part of creating solutions
to conflict in the Middle East.
Remind people about your letter when you see them, and talk to them about the
Walk.
A similar event this past year from another NGO received donations from more
than 90 people. When asked the secret of his success, he said, “I sent out an
email asking for money—and I kept on emailing people until they gave!”
If you are running an email campaign, send out two additional emails. Tell the
people on your list about your plans, or thank those (by name) who have already
given —and encourage those who haven’t yet (“Oh, Aunt Martha gave—I should
too!”) Seeing names of others who have given encourages others to give.
Include the Walk to Green Line website
(http://www.walkthegreenline.org) on everything. People can donate to
you directly through this site.
| Sample Letters | top |
We have two examples of a fundraising
letters - one that
is more appropriate for work colleagues or less-close acquaintances and one more
appropriate for closer friends and family.
You can download the sample fundraising letters here in
microsoft word
format.
| Timeline | top |
Some folks will respond immediately, but
after the initial few donations, what happens next? Your fundraising campaign is
actually a series of communications: your initial letter, follow up letters and
updates, and a thank you letter after the Walk. Mark these timeline goals on
your calendar to help you plan your campaign from now until the Walk -- and
beyond!
Today
Send out your first round of emails/letters.
Make a list of 10 people you're going to approach in person, and start with one
a week.
Four weeks later
Send out another round of emails (to everyone). Tell them about your training,
new things you've learned or are getting excited about, and thank those people
by name who have sponsored you (this will encourage others to follow suit).
Check your list of individuals to approach-how's your progress? Keep it up!
Four weeks after that
Send out another email/letter update. How far can you ride now? How close are
you to reaching your goal?
Two weeks before the Walk
Send out a quick reminder email to folks who haven't yet responded.
One week after the Walk
Write a thank you note to your sponsors. Like your fundraising letter, this note
should be personalized. Tell your donors what the Ride was like, your personal
highlights, how you felt, what you learned, etc. The sooner you write this after
the Walk, the easier it will be-all your stories and emotions will be fresh.
Include photos, if you have them.
Go to it! Fill out your participants form:
CLICK HERE TO Download the participant form
| Using the Walk the Green Line Web Site | top |
After you register, we will create for you your own webpage.
We set up some default pictures and text, but you should provide us
with information to personalize
it with your own picture, and tell your own story about why you
are doing the Walk and what you hope to accomplish. Set up your personal web page information
and send it to us - and then start your campaign. The earlier you start, the
easier and more relaxed you'll be.
We'd love to hear how it's going-call us at 972-2-676-9460 or email
gershon@ipcri.org
We thank you in advance for all your hard work. The funds you raise make a
huge difference.
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