GirlUp.org GirlUp.org GIRL UP FUNDRAISING GUIDE An important way to support girls around the world – girls who are just like you! – is to raise funds for United Nations (UN) programs for girls in developing countries to reach their full potential. Fundraising for a cause you believe in can seem a bit overwhelming at first. Where do you start? Who should you talk to? What should you say? Well don’t worry! Your family, friends and community want to support you – all you need to do is ask. Use the ideas and resources in this guide, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful Girl Up fundraiser! WHAT IS FUNDRAISING? Fundraising is more than giving a donation, or even asking for one – it’s about mobilizing the people around you to CARE about the issues that matter to you most and then TAKE ACTION by supporting your efforts! A big part of effective fundraising is reaching out to your family and friends and really getting them involved as a part of your journey. Tell them about Girl Up! Explain why you are doing this, what inspired you, what a difference it makes and why this means so much to you. Often people will feel motivated to support a cause when they know a little bit about it, so take the time to talk to them and explain why this is important. Use it as an opportunity to share your story! WHERE DOES THE MONEY I RAISE GO? Funds raised for Girl Up go to UN programs that support the needs of adolescent girls in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Liberia and Malawi. These programs ensure that girls are educated, healthy, safe, counted and positioned to be the next generation of leaders. HOW DO I GET STARTED? First, follow the SEVEN easy steps in this toolkit to start fundraising like a pro. Complete the exercises marked with the pencil icon as you go through the guide. GirlUp.o rg Checks can be sent to: P.O. Box 96820, Washington DC 20090-6820 S P E T S 7 ful v s s e c c u S Fo r g n i s i a r d n Fu Step 1 p1 Set a goal Step 2 p1 Choose an act iv ity Step 3 p4 Identify your network Step 7 p13 Follow up v Step 4 p5 Make a plan 9 Step 6 p ing S t a r t as k v v Step 5 p8 Create a GirlRaiser page At the end of the guide, you’ll also find additional resources to help make your fundraising a success, including: • A list of fundraising ideas • A sample fundraising letter • A sample phone script • A checklist to track your progress • An exercise to evaluate your success Most importantly, remember that your efforts are making a difference for girls around the world. Are you ready? Read on to kick-start your fundraising. And don’t forget to have FUN! 1 Set a Goal. Write Your Fundraising Goal: A fundraising goal is an important tool to help your supporters rally around your cause. Your family and friends want you to succeed! A goal will help keep you focused as you begin putting your fundraising plan in action. Decide how much money you want to raise and write it down. REMEMBER – it doesn’t matter how much money you raise. Your efforts, big or small, will make a difference in the life of a girl like you in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Liberia or Malawi. But, be ambitious – you’ll be surprised at how easy it is! 2 Choose an Activity. Now that you’ve set a goal you need to think about how you are going to reach (or exceed!) that goal. The idea of raising money can be overwhelming – don’t let it be! There are a number of strategies you can choose from to get started. Read through our suggestions below, and put a check next to the activities you like: ___ Fundraise “just because” All you need is a compelling reason for people to donate. Share a story or facts that you have learned from Girl Up and ask people to help you reach your fundraising goal by a specific date. • Email campaign: Use our sample email (or create your own) to send to your friends and family. This works for snail mail too! • Coin jar: Put an empty jar out in your school or home. Ask people to help you fill the jar with loose change, and see how long it takes to reach the top! (The jar can be big or small. Think of how much you can raise just by filling an empty water cooler!) • Set a date: No matter what your method, give yourself an end date and share it with your supporters. It creates a sense of urgency and gives you an opportunity to remind people to give! >1< GirlUp.org ___ Fundraise for an occasion It’s easy to ask for donations for a special occasion, such as your birthday, graduation or bat mitzvah. The holidays are another great time to ask people to give. • Birthday: On your birthday invitation, ask your family and friends to give a donation to Girl Up instead of gifts (and tell them HOW to do it!). • Holiday Cards: Create homemade Valentine’s or other holiday cards and sell them for $5 donations. On the cards you can include information about the UN programs Girl Up supports. ___ Fundraise by offering something in return It can be super easy to raise funds for Girl Up if you provide an incentive for people to donate. Think creatively about what would be most appropriate for your community. • Dress down day: Ask your school principal if you can have a dress down day at school. Pick the theme (like pajama day!), set a date, and collect $5 donations the week before. • Bake sale: Everyone loves to buy a yummy treat for a good cause. Ask a group of friends to help, and sell the goodies during lunch, after school, or during a sporting event. ___ Fundraise by asking for pledges People want to support you when you go the distance. Ask your friends and family to pledge money for every mile, lap or hour you conquer! Use pledge sheets to secure commitments and collect donations after the event. • Run/walk: Sign up for a local race and ask people to give a “High Five” for every mile you run. Wear a Girl Up shirt in the race to raise awareness. • Swim meet: Have your swim team collect pledges per lap and then swim as many laps as possible! You can give participants t-shirts as prizes. ___ Fundraise by joining another event Why not work with an event that’s already happening? First, identify local events that already bring large numbers of people together, and then think of ways that you can get involved. • Sports game: Host a raffle during a volleyball match (ask a local business to donate the prize). Or hold a free-throw contest during half-time of your school’s basketball game. • School dance: Ask for $5 of every ticket sale to be donated to Girl Up. >2< GirlUp.org It is important to do what you ENJOY. Are you an artist? Do an art auction! Are you competitive and like to play sports? Host a 3-on-3-basketball tournament! Look through more ideas at the end of this guide, and brainstorm what activity you want to do by writing your favorite ideas below. Just make the fundraiser your own and have some FUN and the donations will follow! WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS? >3< GirlUp.org The next page will help you narrow your ideas down. 3 Identify Your Network. Before you start asking for donations, no matter which plan you choose, think about all the people who can help you reach your fundraising goal. This doesn’t have to be just people who can donate – it may be businesses that can provide items for your fundraising activities, or friends that can help spread the word and plan an event. Get creative as you make your list. Think beyond the family and friends that you see every day. Consider people like your troop leader, coach, doctor, dentist and teachers. Many people want to give to a great cause… all you need to do is ask! In the space below, write down your list of potential donors or supporters. Come back to this list and add more people as you think of them throughout the day. Ask your family and friends to help you brainstorm. They may come up with people you hadn’t even thought about! Who’s in your network? Tip: Think outside the box. Ask your local coffee shop barista, dry cleaner, sporting goods or clothing store. >4< GirlUp.org 4 Make a Plan. After you’ve decided on an activity (if you want, you can do more than one), you need to create a thought-out plan that fits your fundraising method. Making a fundraising plan is similar to making a plan for a school project that you need to complete. To maximize your success, think about things like: • • • • Resources (what you have and what you need) Your timeline Tasks and deadlines Who can help you I HAVE, I NEED Create a list of things you have and what you need as a first step in making your fundraising plan. Use the space below to write a list – as long as possible – of the things you have and those things you think you may need. “I have” are resources that are already in your fundraising toolbox, such as friends that are willing to support you or materials that you already own. “I need” are things that you need to get and do in order to be successful. You might need supplies for making flyers or a space to hold your event. >5< GirlUp.org I NEED I HAVE Write your “I have” and “I need” lists here: YOUR TIMELINE Now it’s time to create a to-do list and assign people to help with your tasks. You want to start thinking at least a month in advance. Make sure everything on your “I Need” list is included in the timeline below. What are you going to do ? Who is going to help? 1 GET READY (One month or more before taking action): 2 GET EVEN MORE READY (Two - Three weeks before): >6< GirlUp.org What are you going to do ? Who is going to help? 3 GET SET (Week leading up): 4 ? >7< GirlUp.org G0! (The day of action): Before you dive in, ask yourself: Can all of this be done in the time that I think it takes? Do I need more money than I have to make this happen? If the answer to either question is “no,” or “I am not sure,” talk to a few people in your network. You might need to reach out to others and ask them for money or to help you out. 5 Create a GirlRaiser Page. A GirlRaiser is an online tool for you to rally your supporters around your fundraising goal. You can make a web page on GirlUp.org that’s all your own, with minimal effort! Add a photo, share your story, and invite people to donate online. Best of all, watch your thermometer rise as you come closer and closer to your goal with each donation! Go to www.GirlUp.org/GirlRaiser, and follow these step-by- step instructions for setting up and using your personal fundraising page or team page: Remember – when you create a TEAM, you’ll have both a team page AND a personal page. Supporters can donate on either of these pages. es to at appli utton th b of e e th id k s nd Clic right-ha e st th o n M o . ed yo u get start to e g k c a li p c the ant to u will w likely, yo a Team.” “Create As you re gister you r team, yo will need u to choose a team name and a d d yo u r team fundraisin g goal. , tinct URL with a dis it e n iz a m c Custo s a g e yo u nd a mes hy photos, a se and w t the cau u o b a e re sha ds. Mak ising fun you are ra ative, ok inform lo e g a p r yo u to use! a n d ea s y e v ti c ra att After you complete the registration, click on the link “Access your Participant Center.” This is your personal GirlRaiser page. Fill in yo ur conta ct inform and cho ation ose a us e rn ame and password that you ’ll remem You’ll ne ber. ed this to lo g back in your part to icipant c enter (so it down!) write . >8< GirlUp.org GIRLRAISER BEST PRACTICES You will notice a lot of useful tools on your GirlRaiser homepage that will help maximize your efforts and track all your fundraising efforts – from your emails to your events! Explore these tools and options, and be creative with them: • Import email addresses for everyone in your network under the “Email” tab in your Participant Center. Just click on “Contacts” on the right-hand side. • Under the “Email” tab, you can also easily communicate with your contacts to encourage them to visit your page. Use this tool to publicize your goal, your plans of meeting that goal (read the next step for more information on crafting your email!) and send donation reminders to your supporters. • Ask people to support you by donating OR by joining your team! When they join your team, they will create their own GirlRaiser page and fundraise on behalf of your team. • Add cash or check donations to your GirlRaiser total. Under the “Progress” tab, go to “enter gift” on the right-hand side to fill out the donation amount and check “pay later” under the payment type. On this tab, you can also change your fundraising goal. 6 Start Asking. Are you ready to raise some money? It’s almost time to start making your fundraising asks. But first, you must know your cause. It’s very important to educate yourself on the issues facing girls around the world as you begin your outreach. YOU want to know where the money you raise goes, and so will your donors. Be sure you are able to share information on what Girl Up is and where funds go by visiting www.GirlUp.org/learn. OK, so now you are ready to put your plan into action. Use your family, friends and social networks to start reaching for your goal. Asking people for donations can be done individually or you can reach out to a large audience at once. Read through all the ideas below and pick what works best for you. >9< GirlUp.org FIVE STEPS FOR MAKING A SUCCESSFUL “ASK” Whether you are making an “ask” (a request for help, money, donation of goods, information…) in person, on the phone, or in writing, these five key steps will help: 1. Introduce yourself. Say your name, age or grade, and if you are representing a class, a club… 2. Describe Girl Up and your project in 2-3 sentences. Tell why Girl Up matters to you and what you are doing to help the cause. This is often called an “elevator pitch” – as if you only have a few minutes together on an elevator before someone gets off on her floor. 3. Make the “Ask” clear. Tell the person exactly what you are asking of him or her such as materials, space or money (tell how much you need and what for). 4. Make the “Ask” memorable to this specific person. Tell the person why you think she or he should help - why this special person is being asked, how will this make a difference. 5. State your deadline and show appreciation. Let this person know when you would like an answer and how you will reach back out (phone? e-mail? in person?) - thank the person for considering your request. ! Remember! People are busy. Make the “Ask” short—something you can ask in the time it takes to ride an elevator to the 20th floor! CRAFT A FUNDRAISING EMAIL Emails are the fastest and most effective way of asking for donations. The best part of using emails to ask for donations is that you can send them from your GirlRaiser participant center and direct people to your personal GirlRaiser page with the click of a link. This ensures that you can keep track of all your fundraising progress! Use the sample email in your GirlRaiser participant center to get started – but be sure to personalize it and tell your own story! In your email, include your fundraising goal, deadline, and suggested donation amount. You should also ask them to forward your email to their friends – you can expand your own network with a simple click on “Send.” > 10 < GirlUp.org WRITE A FUNDRAISING LETTER For some people, email just won’t work. So send them a letter in the mail! You can edit the sample letter included at the end of this guide to make it your own, or just use it as is. It’s always best to share why this cause is important to YOU – so make it personal! Be sure to include HOW they can make a donation with a check. We recommend having checks sent to you so you can track the donation and mail it in to the United Nations Foundation office. You also need to know who to thank! If you are hosting an event or fundraising activity on a specific day, send the letters out at least four weeks before that day. You can follow up with another letter two weeks later updating everyone on your progress. CALL LOCAL BUSINESSES Get your community involved – local businesses are always looking for a good cause to support (it helps them promote their brand, too!). Businesses that you or your school use are a great place to start. Before you get on the phone, know exactly what you are asking of them (a monetary donation or donated item for your event?) and what you can offer the business in return (an advertisement on your event ticket or program?). You can use the sample phone script at the end of this guide to help lead your conversation. PROMOTE YOUR FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY Try reaching the masses! To achieve exponential growth in your fundraising efforts, you can spread the word to a large number of people with these strategies: • Newspapers – print and online. Add your activity to your local calendar of events, write your own press release, or post a blog. Or ask your local paper to donate ad space. • Other local media sources. Reach out to your local radio or cable television stations. • School or community boards. Advertise your activity on morning announcements, put flyers up on bulletin boards, and write an article for your school paper. • Social media. Post on Facebook or create a Facebook event and invite others to join. Make a new Twitter hash tag and get your fundraiser trending in your local area. Use the sample posts and tweets below to get started. > 11 < GirlUp.org FOR FACEBOOK: Note: Once you “like” Girl Up, you can use Facebook’s tagging feature by inserting the @ sign when you begin to type in our name, so that it links back to our page! Wanna change the world? Start here! Give a High Five to help girls in developing countries go to school and be safe with @GirlUp. I’ve already pitched in $____. See what difference you can make for the cost of a movie ticket! (link) Unreal. Girls in Ethiopia have to drop out of school because of something so simple as not having pencils or books to study. If all of my fb friends gave $5 to help them we could change so many lives! Join me and @GirlUp today (link) There are 600 million girls living in developing countries. You can improve just one of their lives — and make a big difference in our world through @Girl Up (link) Tip: Create your own business cards to pass out when you talk about your fundraiser. Include the link to your GirlRaiser page so people know exactly where to go to donate! First Learn more and do nate on Teen a Adviso nd Girl U Last Nam p Tee e nA 2011-2 dvisor Phon e: 0 12 Cla Emai my be half at ss l: GirlU rs p.org/ [n ame] FOR TWITTER: I’m helping to change the lives of girls around the world. Join me and give a High Five today to make a huge difference in a girl’s life with @GirlUp (link) Did you know that girls make up 75% of the out-of-school youth in the world? Do something about it and join @GirlUp I am uniting w/ the 600 million girls in developing countries to change the world. Join me and @GirlUp today! (link) GirlUp.o rg > 12 < GirlUp.org 7 Follow Up. Persistence is important! Not everyone you reach out to will donate - so don’t be discouraged. Follow up is the most important step in your fundraising. Nervous that you’re bothering people? Don’t be! An effective fundraiser has to be able to ask again and again. Another easy way to follow up is to provide an update on your progress. You can send an email or letter to let your network know: • How much money you have raised so far • That you secured a great donation from a local business • That there is only two weeks left before your event or deadline Your family and friends will be excited to follow your progress, so don’t be afraid share updates. Each email or letter will serve as a reminder that they can still donate to your cause. DON’T FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF “THANK YOU” It’s essential to thank your donors and let them know when you have reached your fundraising goal. Don’t forget to send a thank you email or note to everyone involved in your fundraiser when it’s done. Under the “Progress” tab in your GirlRaiser participate center, you can access information about everyone who has donated to you. Tip: Prizes don’t always have to cost something! Ask local businesses to donate an item or have someone in the community donate their time (For instance, a free car wash or halfhour coaching lesson). > 13 < GirlUp.org g n i s i a r d n u F More I d e as Put a check next to the idea - or ideas - that you think will work best for you, your friends, and your community: ___ Sports tournament. Doesn’t everyone love a little competition? Reserve space in your school gym, register teams for a fee and create a tournament bracket for your favorite sporting event. The winning team gets a prize! ___ Coin war. Challenge each class, club or group to raise the most money by decorating a large jar for their collections. Place the jars in full view - like outside a principal’s office. Hold contests to see who winds up with the most coins - or the least. ___ Bake-off. During your school lunch or afterschool program, have people enter a homemade baked goods competition for $5. Convene a judging panel, choose the winner and enjoy your hard work! ___ Garage sale. Get your family or neighbors together and host a garage sale where all proceeds collected go to Girl Up. (You weren’t going to wear that shirt again anyway!) ___ Dance-a-thon. Get a group of friends or schoolmates together and host a 24-hour party. Collect donations for every hour you dance by asking sponsors for pledges before the event. You can also sell food to people or give away prizes. ___T-shirts. Buy shirts from the Girl Up e-store – or better yet, make your own! – and sell them for a profit. You can sell them at events or host a booth during ___ Car wash. Find an empty parking lot to use, grab a bunch of buckets and fill them with some soap suds! You can advertise your car wash by holding signs by a busy intersection to advertise to cars as they drive by. ___ Silent auction. This is a great way for local businesses and community members to support your cause. They donate goods and services and get a “tax break” for what they donate. Plus, it gives them free advertising. Items (or descriptions of services) are displayed nicely with the value of the item listed next to it. People write down what they are willing to pay and the highest bidder wins the item! ___ Recipe book. Ask for submissions of favorite recipes from your family, friends, and community members. Put them together into a book, advertise your product, and sell them for a profit. The best recipe books usually have a theme, so choose a theme like a dessert or BBQ cookbook. > 14 < GirlUp.org SAMPLE FUDRAISING LETTER Date Addressee Address Town/City Dear (personalize greeting with recipient name), I recently accepted the challenge of uniting for girls through the UN Foundation’s Girl Up campaign. On (insert date of fundraiser), I will be taking up the challenge by (briefly write about fundraiser with details). Did you know that in Ethiopia, nearly 1 in 5 girls is married by the age of 15? I learned about a girl named Sesuagno Mola who was married at age five and had her first child at 14. She never had the chance to go to school. But the Berhane Hewan program, supported by Girl Up, has empowered Sesuagno to take ownership of her life. Berhane Hewan works to delay early marriage and support adolescent girls in Ethiopia with important life and job skills. The (insert name of fundraiser) will raise vital funds for Girl Up programs like Berhane Hewan in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Liberia and Malawi. (Insert name of your fundraiser) will help raise money things for like school supplies and fees, girls-only clubs for teen girls, health education information, and “stop child marriage” campaigns. With (name of your event) we hope to raise (insert total fundraiser goal). I have set a personal fundraising goal of $(insert your goal). I would greatly appreciate your help in transforming the lives of girls in developing countries with a $25 donation – that’s five “High Fives.” Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the life of at least one girl to help her attend school, receive health care, and remain free from violence. I have started my fundraising with a personal donation of $(insert your own amount). Your donation will bring me closer to my goal and help girls like Sesuagno reach her potential. Visit my personal fundraising page at (insert GirlRaiser name) to make an online donation, or mail a check (made payable to the United Nations Foundation, with Girl Up in the memo line) to (include either your own address, or Girl Up PO Box 96820, Washington DC, 200906820). As part of our fundraising, we are also looking for in-kind donations for (name of fundraiser). If you could donate (an item for our auction, provide the food/drinks/decorations or print the tickets and posters for the event), I will (include an acknowledgement of your support on the program, etc). Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. As one of my sponsors, I will personally let you know how we do. If you would like any more information on the UN Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, please visit www.GirlUp.org. Will you join me and unite for girls? Sincerely, (insert your name) > 15 < GirlUp.org SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT FOR A BUSINESS Hello, my name is (your name) from (your town or school name). May I please speak with the owner/manager? If not available: May I please leave a message? Leave a brief message for the person you are trying to reach, asking her/him to return your call. Leave your phone number, and ask for the Name/Title/Email of the person you are trying to reach. If available: Do you have a few minutes to speak with me about Girl Up, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation? If no: When would be a convenient time to call you back? If yes: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I am raising money for Girl Up, a “for girls, by girls” campaign that encourages teen girls here in the U.S. to raise awareness and funds for UN programs that support girls in developing countries. Though Girl Up’s work, girls in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Liberia and Malawi have the chance to go to school, stay healthy and live free from violence. Pause, smile, breathe and continue. Be confident! I am hoping to raise (insert fundraising goal) by (describe your fundraising activity or event). I’m approaching businesses and community leaders for help. Would it be possible for your organization to donate (insert request) for our (fundraising activity or event)? Answer their questions as thoroughly as possible, and direct them to GirlUp.org to learn more. If you don’t know an answer to a question – don’t worry! Just say that you will find out and follow up. If he/she declines: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Can I send you more information on Girl Up for the future? Make sure you get the correct address, and follow up by sending a letter and information on Girl Up (you can download handouts at GirlUp.org). If he/she agrees: Thank you for your support in reaching my goal. I will follow up by (confirm next steps). Tip: If someone declines, ask if they would be able to donate another amount or item. Or you can ask if they know someone else that might be willing to help. Don’t be discouraged if someone says no – you can make the most of your phone call and try to get another lead! > 16 < GirlUp.org FUNDRAISING CHECKLIST Put a check next to each task after it is completed: ___ Write down your fundraising goal. ___ Put your goal up where that you’ll see it regularly (like on your desk or mirror)! ___ Decide what fundraising activities you want to do. ___ Create your list of supporters and potential donors. ___ List out what resources you have and what resources you need. ___ Write out your project plan in a timeline that lists tasks and who’s responsible. ___ Set up your GirlRaiser page with a personalized URL. ___ Add your contacts’ email addresses to your GirlRaiser participant center. ___ Write your fundraising letter and email. ___ Send an email from GirlRaiser to your list of potential donors. ___ Print and mail your fundraising letter. ___ Create business cards that can direct people to your GirlRaiser page. ___ Start a blog (or use Facebook) to update people on your fundraising progress. ___ Send a follow-up email and letter to your list of potential donors. ___ Add any cash or check donations to your GirlRaiser total. ___ Mail any cash or check donations to the United Nations Foundation office. ___ Thank your donors and let them know that you reached your goal. ___ Email Girl Up at info@GirlUp.org to let us know about your fundraising activity! > 17 < GirlUp.org ! E N O D E R ’ U YO s d r a w r e Aft sort of successful Congratulations – you completed a Girl Up fundraising activity! Most likely this isn’t the only time you’ll fundraise for a good cause. It’s always important to evaluate how it went! Pick one degree of success for each row and underneath write what you may do differently for next time. very successful Got the word out about Girl Up: for next time: Raised money for Girl up: for next time: Had fun, learned good stuff, met nice people: for next time: > 18 < GirlUp.org
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