Five Steps to Successful Fundraising

FARE’s Food Allergy Heroes Walk began as a grassroots movement and has since grown into a thriving national program to support food allergy research, education, advocacy, and awareness. Our walk program is the critical vehicle for FARE to create impact through peer-to-peer fundraising in communities across the country. It is also an incredible opportunity for all families and individuals affected by food allergies to connect with each other, unite in a safe space, and celebrate their potential as changemakers for better outcomes for their children and loved ones.

Fundraising may seem challenging, but FARE offers easy and effective resources and tips to help you communicate your involvement in and fundraising on behalf of the Food Allergy Heroes Walk. Here are five steps to kick off your fundraising:

1. Set up and use your online fundraising page.

When you register for the Food Allergy Heroes Walk, a personal online fundraising page will be automatically set up for you. Follow the steps to personalize both your personal page and team page with a picture and your story about why you’re walking and who you’re walking for, then explore the various social media and email sharing tools we’ve provided.

Jump start your fundraising and set an example by making a personal donation. When you self-donate, it’s much easier to ask family and friends to do the same. If your peers see that you are devoted to the cause, they are more likely to support you. You’ll reach your fundraising goal in no time! Your online Participant Center has all the tools you need to be a successful fundraiser.

2. Email everyone you know and let them know why you walk.

Import your email contacts into your online Participant Center, then send a message requesting that individuals donate and join your team! FARE has provided templates you can customize and use to get started. You may also wish to add the link for your walker fundraising page to your email signature to ensure that everyone you write is reminded that you are walking and looking for support. Donations can come from people you might not expect – especially because so many families are touched by food allergies. Use our “Who do you know?” tool in our online resource center to help you expand your network.  The bigger your mailing list, the more potential donors! Every dollar makes a difference.

When you request support from friends, family and coworkers, provide information about the impact FARE is making across the country, and let them know FARE has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. We encourage you to include a link to FARE’s Impact page, where your supporters can get a better sense of where their donations go.

3. Check on matching gifts.

As donations begin to come in, be sure to follow-up every donation with a note of thanks that also asks the donor if they work for a company with a matching gifts program. Because many corporations will match employee gifts to nonprofit organizations, this is an easy way for your contacts to increase the impact of their donations to your fundraising effort. To help employers process these matching gifts, be sure to provide FARE’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) (i.e. Federal Tax Identification Number), which is 13-3905508.

4. Share on social media.

Facebook, Twitter, and other online communities allow you to reach out to friends and family you don’t see every day. The BoundlessFundraising Facebook app, available in your online Participant Center, has many tools to make fundraising on Facebook incredibly easy – and you can also recruit walkers, thank donors, schedule posts, and share your progress to your fundraising goal. You can download and use the BoundlessFundraising Facebook app to your phone, tablet or laptop. Be certain to include the link to your personal walker fundraising page so individuals can immediately join your team or donate.

5. Host a fundraiser.

From car washes, movie parties and concerts to formal luncheons and galas, there are many ways to raise funds for your team and the walk. What is an activity you enjoy that you might tweak and turn into a fundraiser? The possibilities are endless! Display Food Allergy Heroes Walk signs at your event and walk promotional materials to make sure people know that proceeds from your community event will support your fundraising efforts for the Food Allergy Heroes Walk. Remember, every individual who registers to walk and raises $100 or more in the Food Allergy Heroes Walk earns a free, one-of-a-kind event t-shirt.