Whether you’re running a marathon, putting on a coffee morning or a holding a book sale, you can easily meet your fundraising target and get even more support for your event and for Amnesty by making the most of your email and social media contacts, and using the digital platforms out there to help you.
Make the most of your online fundraising page
Whatever you're doing for Amnesty, whether it's a run, cycle, or a sponsored silence, an online fundraising page on JustGiving is one of the easiest ways for your friends, family and colleagues to support you.
It works best if you really personalise your page. Watch the short video below for some tips on how to get started.
Tell your story
Don’t leave the default text up from the fundraising page – tell everyone why you’re doing whatever you're doing! The details you give will persuade everyone to chip in towards your target.
- What scares you about it?
- What’s the biggest challenge?
- Why did you choose to support Amnesty?
- Are your efforts dedicated to anyone in particular?
Add some photos – and even a video
A few photos will help you tell your story. Add some more in the lead up to your event to let your friends and family see behind the scenes as you prepare for the big day.
You can also add a short video to your fundraising page, and with most cameras and smartphones recording reasonably high-quality video, it’s really easy to record a short update with no training – like this example from Charly.
Facebook: share, share and share again
With half of the UK population on Facebook, it’s the perfect space to talk about your event. Facebook’s different tools can all help you make your plans a success.
Make a group or event and get inviting
The groups feature on Facebook can be a great way to talk about your sponsored event and training regularly without boring everyone you know. The people that join will be those most interested in what you’re doing, and your updates to the group should show up on each of their newsfeeds.
Create a group and invite all your friends. You can reuse your photos and introductory text from your fundraising page. Remember to keep posting regular updates on your progress, as well as remind your friends how they can support you (whether it's turn up or donate). Photo updates always go down well!
Facebook events are another great way of advertising your book sale, film screening or any other event. Give as much detail as you can and make sure you answer all the key questions in your information text – what is it, when is it, where is it and how much!
Say thank you
Whenever someone buys tickets to your event or sponsors you through JustGiving, say thanks on their Facebook profile. It’ll make them feel special, and may persuade or remind someone else that they need to do the same.
Keep people updated
Forgetfulness is one of the biggest reasons people don’t sponsor you, or come along to your event. So don’t be shy in using your own status updates! Talk about your training, that your event posters have arrived, or how you feel about the big day tomorrow. Every time you post could remind someone they need to support your fundraising.
As well as sending round an email to tell everyone about your fundraising endeavours, don’t forget to add a quick line about your event to your outgoing email signatures at work and at home. It’s another little reminder that could make all the difference.
Tweet, Instagram, TikTok and more
Almost all of the tips above are applicable to whatever social media sites you use – Twitter, Google plus, Instagram, and so on. So don’t forget them and keep showing your friends, family and colleagues the great work you’re doing to support Amnesty.
And lastly, if you are fundraising for us, please share your JustGiving page, event details and photos with us – you’ll find us on Twitter @AmnestyUK, on Facebook, and on Instagram.