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Fundraising
Guide
Contents:
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
HOW TO BEGIN FUNDRAISING
FUNDRAISING QUICK START GUIDE
LETTER WRITING
ONLINE FUNDRAISING
HOW TO FOLLOW-UP
MATCHING GIFTS
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP
FUNDRAISERS
THANKING YOUR DONORS
APPENDIX A. SAMPLE FUNDRAISING LETTERS
APPENDIX B. FACEBOOK FUNDRAISING
APPENDIX C. MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
Welcome to the Take Steps program! We are so excited to have you on the team to help us raise money in support of the
mission of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). The commitment you have taken on is one that will
help many people now and in the future who battle inflammatory bowl disease (IBD).
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, tax ID 13-6193105.
Mission: To cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.
Your Dollars at Work
The American Institute of Philanthropy gave the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation one of only 6 "A" ratings (out of 44
charities) in its most recent watchdog report. The Foundation also consistently meets the standards established by the
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.
Expense Breakdown
80% Research, Education, Support Services
9%
Fundraising
11%
Administrative
DID YOU KNOW:
• Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system.
• Approximately 1.4 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
• Most people develop these diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.
• More than 80 cents of every dollar goes directly toward research, education, and support services.
Research
Since its inception, CCFA has funded more than 1,100 grants. We invest our dollars wisely, funding the highest-quality
IBD research anywhere in the world and implementing a peer-review process to ensure that only the most promising and
relevant grant applications are funded.
In 2007, nearly $16 million was invested—over two and a half times the amount spent just two years ago and our largest
investment in medical research to date. Your gift goes a long way—for example, a gift of $250 sends a child to Camp
Oasis for one day or can buy 25 test tubes for a lab.
Research Highlights:
• CCFA has provided more than $127 million for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis research.
• Over 1,100 research grants have been funded by CCFA.
• CCFA receives more than 250 research grant applications per year and funds more than 200 new and
continuing projects annually.
HOW TO BEGIN FUNDRAISING
Set up Your Webpage
Follow the directions for webpage setup emailed to you by active.com.
Make Your List of 100
Try to make a list of at least 100 people to contact. If you don’t have addresses handy, don’t get bogged down, just write
as many names as you can think of. When you think you just can’t come up with another name STOP and give your brain
a rest. Sleep on it and take the list out the next day. Do this for a couple of days.
DO: Ask your parents for the names and addresses of relatives and people who knew you as a child.
DO: Send your letter to everyone on your holiday card list.
DO: Look through your checkbook or bank statements to identify the people and places where you regularly spend money or have spent a large
sum of money in the past.
FUNDRAISING QUICK START GUIDE
_ Attend at least one fundraising clinic or meeting with your TS Manager
_ Build your fundraising strategy
_ Set up your website
_ Send out your emails
_ Write & mail your fundraising letter
_ Plan a fundraising event
LETTER WRITING
Elements of a successful letter:
• Introduction
• Information about CCFA & where the money goes
• Your reason for supporting CCFA & who you are doing this to honor
• “The Ask” or request for a donation
• How to donate (your website address)
• Where to send donations (self addressed return envelope)
• Closing
Write a Rough Draft
Using the sample letters provided (Appendix A), write a rough draft letter. Again, don’t get bogged down, it
doesn’t have to be perfect. Your Take Steps staff person is here to help. If you’d like, send a copy of your letter
via email, we’d be happy to proof read it. Two sets of eyes are better than one!
Return Envelope
We recommend including a self-addressed return envelope. Although it is not essential, we have found that
participants usually get a better response when they do this. (Some participants might choose to stamp the
return envelope for the donor). If cost is an issue, determine who would most likely donate online and do not include a
return envelope (or stamp) in their letter.
Contact Jo about support printing and mailing your letters!
ONLINE FUNDRAISING
Online donations are convenient and effective method to fundraise. People generally donate more when donating online.
Check out these statistics…
•
•
Participants who use online fundraising raise an average of 46% more than participants who do not use their sites.
The average online donation is $100.
How do I set up my online fundraising page?
Visit your Participant Center.
See the handouts for support.
Personalize your webpage
1. Add a photo of yourself (or your honoree), you can touch up or resize photos at
http://photoshop.com/express.
2. Post your fundraising letter on your website.
3. If you need help, call Jo!
Fundraising Emails
Email is a simple and quick way of directing your contacts to your online fundraising website. It can also be used
to send reminder or follow-up emails, as well as updates on your progress. Send emails via your Participant Center by
clicking on “Send Emails”. You can also upload your contacts from any source (outlook, yahoo, excel, etc.)
Email or Letters?
Ideally, use a layering approach by sending both email and letters. Some people you know will respond better to
a hardcopy letter stuck to their fridge as a reminder to make a donation. Others prefer the ease of clicking on a
link in an email and quickly entering in their donation online. Many people need more than one request to
donate, so it’s okay to send your invitation via both email and letter.
HOW TO FOLLOW-UP
Follow-up is just as important as the initial letter and your online fundraising website. People get busy and forget. Don’t
let them forget about this amazing thing that you are doing to help fight IBD!
Send a reminder. Keep a list of those who send in donations. Send a reminder to those what have not yet donated.
Include training updates in your reminder, and let them know that fundraising is going well, but you still have a bit farther
to go. Sometimes, reminder letters are more successful than original letters for bringing in the money.
Send Updates. It is always important to send updates on your progress and your goals to your entire list, those who have
responded to previous communication AND those who have not.
Send a “thank you” card. “Thanks” is a powerful word. It is nice to receive a note acknowledging the importance of a
donation, no matter how small the amount. Staying in communication develops a rapport that will have many added
benefits, from closer bonds of friendship to continued support for another season of Take Steps.
Put your HEART into your follow up. Tell them why you are doing this. Make it personal; explain why this cause, this
experience, and this commitment are important to you. Someone might donate to you because they know you and want to
support your reasons for doing this.
Update your website with new pictures, and fundraising achievements.
Use a “Signature” on your outgoing emails, and a special outgoing voicemail or answering machine message to
constantly and passively remind people about your endeavor.
SOCIAL MEDIA!!! USE THE FACEBOOK BADGE!!!
Update your social media networks with information about your fundraising efforts e.g. Facebook, MySpace & Twitter.
(See Appendix B)
Don’t take it personally! Many participants tell us they are surprised at who contributes and who does not. It is
important for you to be prepared to accept whatever they say. If they choose not to contribute, thank them for taking the
time to consider it. It’s impossible to know why people choose to contribute or choose not to contribute. Do not take it
personally, just continue to ASK EVERYONE.
THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY PEOPLE DO NOT CONTRIBUTE: THEY WEREN’T ASKED.
MATCHING GIFTS
Many corporations and businesses will match funds raised or donated by their employees. Talk with your human resources
personnel to find out your employer’s policy. Most companies require the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America to
complete a form to verify that the donation was received at the chapter. The matching gift paperwork should be mailed or
faxed to your CCFA office along with proof of the donation (copy of the check or online confirmation). Once CCFA
receives the matching gift paperwork we will complete our portion and communicate with the company to receive the
company match.
For a list of known matching gift companies please see Appendix C.
What Your Donors Need To Do
• Ask your potential donors to inquire if their employer matches donations to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of
America, and if there is a minimum donation. Individually approach people you know who work for companies
who you know have matching gift programs.
• If they have such a program, the donor obtains the matching gift form from their company usually from their
Human Resources Department.
• The donor makes a donation to you, either online or via check/cash/credit card.
• The donor fills out their company’s matching gift form.
• The donor gives you the form and the donation.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP
How to inquire within the company
• Find out what department would handle your inquiry (HR, Community Relations, CEO, etc). The larger the
company, the more digging required.
• Research your company’s giving history & focus. This will ensure your proposal is in line with the corporation’s
needs.
How to affect change at your company
• Set-up a meeting with the decision-maker.
• Bring an honoree or Take Steps Staff Member with you to speak about the cause.
How you can ensure your proposal speaks to those needs
• Show how your participation is positively affecting the company.
• Show how the companies participation will positively affect the company (i.e. cause-related marketing or
employee philanthropy)
• Ask your Take Steps Manager for detailed information on sponsorship benefits.
FUNDRAISERS
Fundraisers are planned special events with the intent of raising money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of
America. Fundraisers are an excellent way to raise money and a way to bring out the FUN in fundraising!
Here is a list of ideas to help you brainstorm:
bake sale
car wash
garage sale
snack bar at work
silent auction
pancake breakfast
pub crawl
bowling tournament
karaoke night
scrap book party
wine & cheese party
dinner party
bachelor & bachelorette auction
art auction
grocery store collections
ice cream party
hot dog stand
Oscars party
candy sales
Valentine carnation sale
golf tournament
March Madness tournament
bingo night
Monday night football party
hot cocoa sale
Super Bowl party
craft show
Volleyball tournament
holiday bizarre
Key elements of a fundraiser:
• Start planning early.
• Promotion: Planning is half the battle; you have to get people in the door to make this a successful fundraiser.
Use email invites to spread the word quickly. Make posters for the venue and also post them at neighboring
venues. Tell each guest to bring a friend or two.
• Do something you enjoy. Only host a dinner party if you enjoy cooking! Only organize a volleyball tournament if
you love playing volleyball!
• Promote your event: Get the word out to everyone! Use bracelets or stamps at the door so you know who has
paid at the door. Ask the venue to provide discounted products to everyone with that stamp/bracelet.
• Include a silent auction to increase donations at your event.
THANKING YOUR DONORS
CCFA will send official donation acknowledgements to donors. However, as your donations start coming in, it’s
important for you to thank your donors personally by writing a note, sending an email and/or thanking them in person.
Appendix A. Sample Fundraising Letter
SAMPLE LETTER 1
Dear Friends and Family,
When I was in middle school my mom was always sick. She was in and out of the doctor’s office and the
hospital. She was on a lot of medication and she always seemed to be in pain. She also always had to go to the
bathroom every time we went anywhere. I remember being embarrassed of her because I didn’t understand
what was happening. Later in life she had a large portion of her intestines removed. She is now able to manage
her disease with medication and diet.
My mother and my grandmother both have/had colitis. On June 13 I will pariticpate in a walk to find a cure for
IBD because I do not want colitis and I don’t want my children to go through what they went through. I walk
because it wasn’t fair that my mom’s little girl was embarrassed by her or that she had to miss a day of my life
because of her colitis.
Please consider sponsoring me and if you can joining me in my mission to raise $5000 by joining my team and
fundraising yourself I would greatly appreciate it. Together we will find a cure!
One in every 200 people suffer daily with digestive diseases. For those who live with these chronic diseases, life
is a roller coaster of active and remitting disease. However, the opportunity to make life more manageable for
patients who live day to day with intense pain, the threat of long term hospital stays and multiple surgeries has
never been greater.
I am asking you to help by supporting my fundraising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will
make a difference in the lives of the 1.4 million patients suffering with digestive disease! You can make your
donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. If you would prefer, you can also
send your tax-deductible contribution to the address listed below.
Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight. I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my
progress.
Sincerely,
Stephanie
www.myURL.com [insert webpage].
Appendix B. Facebook Fundraising
Maximize your fundraising for CCFA’s Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis using Facebook.
ADD YOUR TAKE STEPS FUNDRAISING BADGE!!!
• This can be found on the front page of your participant center. It will show everyone that you are
participating and keep all your friends updated on your progress towards your goal!
Change your status update often – even multiple times a day.
• Try the weekends and weeknights when people are more likely on Facebook.
Talk about your goals.
• “Our team is $250 short of my goal to find a cure for digestive diseases. I need 25 people to give $10!”
Share pages on Facebook
• Share pages on Facebook. You can copy and paste links to your Facebook page to share them.
Make your status updates creative!
• “I’ll send an autographed photo of myself (or cookies, mix-tapes, etc.) to the next 10 people who donate
$10 or more to help me fight digestive diseases.”
• “Thanks to John Doe, my donor-of-the-day, for putting me closer to my goal! Who will be tomorrow’s
highlighted donor?”
Be specific.
• “I need at least 50 friends to donate in the next 2 days.”
• “I want to reach my goal by May 1, the anniversary of my diagnosis with ulcerative colitis.”
• “Look at the Take Steps badge on the bottom left of my profile page. Click on it and take 3 minutes to
donate. It’s secure and every amount helps!”
Tell a story.
• “I’m walking this year because my aunt …”
• “I just got an email from someone who told me she donated to my efforts because she ….”
• “I want my mom to celebrate birthdays until she’s 100 so …”
• You can also tell a story by tagging you or your friends’ photos and notes, to connect your friends, and
grow your network.
Be bold.
• “I don’t want Crohn’s disease to affect another year of anyone’s life.”
• “I’m taking steps for Crohn’s & Colitis because I don’t want my children to ever get this disease.”
Send Facebook Messages if people aren’t responding to your emails.
• You can send messages individually or to groups of up to 10 people at the same time on Facebook.
• Direct friends to the Take Steps badge on the bottom left of your profile page and to click on “support
me” or “join me.”
Appendix E. Matching Gift Companies
3M Corporation
A T & T Corporation
Abbott Laboratories
Aetna, Inc.
AGL Resources Inc.
Akzo Nobel Inc.
Alcoa, Inc.
Altria Group, Inc.
American Express Company
Amica Companies
Anheuser-Busch Companies
AOL Time Warner
Automatic Data Processing
(ADP)
AXA Financial
Bank of America Corporation
Black & Decker
BP
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Corp.
Capital Group Companies, Inc.
Caterpillar, Inc.
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.
Chevron Corporation
Chubb & Son, Inc.
CIGNA Corporation
Circuit City Stores, Inc.
Citgo Mid-Atlantic
Clariant Corporation
Coca Cola Company, Inc.
ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Cooper Industries, Ltd.
Corning Incorporated
Countrywide Financial
Corporation
Dell Corporation
Delta Airlines
Dominion Virginia Power
Dow Corning Corporation
Eaton Corporation
Eli Lilly and Company
Embarq Corporation
ExxonMobil Corporation
Fidelity Investments
Gannett Co., Inc.
GAP Inc.
GEICO Corporation
General Electric Corporation
General Mills Corporation
General Motors Corporation
GlaxoSmithKline
Google
H. J. Heinz Company
Hartford Steam Boiler
Inspection Ins.
Hershey Company, The
Hewlett-Packard Company
(HP)
Home Depot
Honeywell
Household International
International Business
Machines (IBM)
International Paper Co.
J. P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Janus Capital Group, Inc.
John Hancock Financial
Services.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson Controls Inc.
Kemper Insurance
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
LandAmerica Financial Group
Lexis Nexis
Lincoln Financial Group
Lubrizol Corporation
Macy's Inc.
McDonald's Corporation
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Mellon Bank (Maryland)
Merck & Co.
Merrill Lynch & Company, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Monsanto Company
Motorola Inc.
National Starch & Chemical
Company
Nationwide Mutual Insurance
Nelnet, Inc.
New York Times Company
Newport News Shipbuilding
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Novartis Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Organon, Inc.
PepsiCo Inc.
Pfizer Corporation
Pitney Bowes, Inc.
Procter & Gamble, Inc.
PPG Industries
Prudential Financial
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Readers Digest Association
Sandoz, Inc.
Sanofi-Aventis
Scitor Corporation
Sprint Nextel Corporation
Square D
Starbucks Corporation
SunTrust Bank (Mid-Atlantic)
SUPERVALU Inc.
Symantec Corporation
Teledyne Technologies Inc.
TI Texas Instruments, Inc.
Travelers Companies (The)
Unilever United States, Inc.
Union Pacific Corporation
United Parcel Service (UPS)
United Technologies Corp.
Unitrin, Inc.
USB Investment Bank & Global
Asset
Vanguard Group, Inc.
Verizon Communications, Inc.
Houghton Mifflin Company
Virginia Natural Gas
Wachovia Corporation
Xerox Corporation
Yahoo1
Many universities and schools also match
donations.
Not all companies with matching gift programs
are listed. Please check with your human
resource department.
Matching gift programs of the companies listed
are subject to change.