Fundraising

Fundraising

Fundraising

 

Thank you for signing up for HuskyTHON 2018, which benefits Connecticut Children’s Medical Center through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Each participant makes a difference, and each contribution brings us closer to our goal of one million dollars for HuskyTHON 2018. The date for HuskyTHON 2018 is February 17th-18th, but it’s never too early or too late to start fundraising. We can accept donations through the night of the Dance Marathon. There are so many ways to fundraise for HuskyTHON, and we would love for you to read about all the options out there!

 

10 Fundraising Ideas

 

1. Put just $1 in a jar every single day for 100 days.


2. Shovel snow for a donation.


3. Post an embarrassing photo of yourself on Facebook for everyone that donates to you.


4. Hold a textbook sale for an organization you are a part of.


5. Deposit those cans and bottles at a bottle return, which can be found at your local supermarket.


6. Go canning outside of grocery stores or large shopping areas with friends for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning!


7. Do challenges for a money donation.
EX: jump in the snow in bathing suit, shave your head, wear a funny costume for the day.


8. Instead of buying coffee every day from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, make it yourself and watch your savings pile up!


9. Have you done anything with your tax returns yet?


10. Make connections with corporations and ask for donation matching.

 

If you are interested in learning about more ways to FUNdraise, please contact our Director of Strategic Fundraising.

 

Reach Out

 

Your most vital resources are the ones around you: friends and family. They already know you and it’s a chance to share something important to you. Explain to them what HuskyTHON is and why you choose to participate. Reach out to families you babysit for, high school teachers, former coaches, music instructors, professors, co-workers, local companies, and restaurants in your community. Ask for a donation and see if a company will match the amount! Don’t be afraid to reach out to anyone and everyone. The only way you’ll know if somebody wants to donate to you is if you ask. Even if they don’t wish to donate, they will still become a part of our movement as we raise funds and awareness for the kids at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

 

How to Ask

 

  • Face to face interaction – Just by talking about HuskyTHON, you may find potential donors. Talking to people in person about HuskyTHON will allow them to see how passionate you are about it.
  • Write a letter – Take the time to handwrite a personal letter to someone. Everyone appreciates the effort that goes into it!
  • Send an e-mail – This allows you to reach out to people you might not have as strong of a connection with, but is formal and will give them insight regarding what HuskyTHON is about.
  • Post on social media – Be sure to include a picture of you at HuskyTHON with your tweet/Facebook post; it will grab people’s attention! Your Donor Drive page has a link you can share or tweet in only seconds. Ask your family and friends to SHARE your Facebook and Twitter posts with all of their friends – networking can be huge!

 

Hint: It’s important to understand that different people may want to be contacted in different ways. Try to customize the delivery of your message to the person you are trying to get ahold of.

 

Donor Matching

 

Donor matching can double your fundraising efforts. Many companies and employers have programs in place in which they will match an employee’s charitable donation toward a non-profit. When you ask your family and friends to donate, ask them to see if their employer will make a matching donation to HuskyTHON. All dollars matched on donations will go to your personal fundraising page.

 

Matching gifts work differently depending on where the donor works, so they should contact their employers to find out exactly what they need to do. The employer will provide a form to be filled out and submitted with proof of donation to an official non-profit organization. For any donation made to HuskyTHON, the donor will receive an acknowledgement and receipt to be used as proof of the donation.

 

Donors must make the donation directly to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center or Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as the official non-profits. Any online donation made through the DonorDrive system will automatically receive an electronic receipt via email from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This is the fastest way to obtain proof of the donation. However, cash and checks are also accepted. Be sure to make all checks out to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. If you provide your email address, you will be sent an electronic receipt from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Connecticut Children’s Medical Center will also send you an acknowledgement from the hospital in the mail.

 

As always, be sure to thank your donors for helping to support HuskyTHON.

Remember to…

 

Include a Personal Message

Be sure to showcase your passion for the cause when reaching out for donations. Explain the purpose of HuskyTHON and why we stand for 18 hours every February. Not everyone is familiar with the cause and it is important that if they are going to donate, they know where their money is going. Share with the world how important HuskyTHON is to you. Tell the story that brought you into this organization and what made you continue to participate. The more personal you make your message, the more your passion will get across to others.

 

Bring it Back to the Cause

When reaching out to others for donations, make sure to explain where the money goes and who it will benefit. Whether they choose to donate or not, they should learn about HuskyTHON through your message. Our goal is not only to raise funds for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, but also, to raise awareness.

 

Say Thank You

 

The most important part of our fundraising efforts is saying thank you to our donors. We want to place a focus on stewardship and how much we appreciate them. It is also good to keep donors included on our overall fundraising total. After all, the total amount revealed on February 18th would not be the same without their donation!