Updated May 27, 2014.
Once you’ve decided that you do want an online fundraiser, assembled an inner team to help and picked a site to host your fundraiser, your next step is to put together all the different bits of the pitch.
Most sites ask for a photo, and even if you’re doing your own paypal site, it’s good to include a photo as well. It helps with relatability and also piques the interests of acquaintances or friend of friends of Facebook that might not remember your name but would remember your face.
Pick something where you face shows clearly. Ideally it should be just you in the photo. Crop out any other people if you can do so without the photo looking weird; like if the person has their arm around you. For an online fundraiser, a photo from your phone will work well enough if you take the photo in adequate light.
Next, you’ll need to write the pitch. It may take several drafts to get this to the point where the recipient and the team are all pleased with it. You have to walk a fine line between sharing personal information and maintaining privacy and dignity. Obviously, post only when the recipient is pleased with the copy.
The pitch needs to include:
- The basic medical situation. You don't need great detail but include a diagnosis, what the treatment plan is, and how it has affected the recipient’s daily life
- An explanation of what the money will be used for: medical bills, insurance premiums, costs of living during treatment, costs associated with moving an ailing parent close to an adult child
- A fundraising goal: It helps to break this number down into general categories.For example “We need 600 dollars for six months of insurance premiums until I become eligible for Medicaid and 300 dollars/month for out of pocket medical costs during that time, for a total of 5,400 dollars”
- What you will do with any excess funds raised.
Some sites allow you to associate giving levels with premiums, or gifts for the donor. This is a nice touch and does demonstrate to donors that you appreciate what they’ve done. They are also a convenient for friends who might not have the money to help you: they can donate something they’ve made to your fundraising campaign or offer a service. Your friends don’t even have to be the artsy type! We’ve seen people donate:
- A week of home-made dinners, delivered to a local donor at their home
- Driving lessons
- Tarot card reading
- Car wash/detailing
- Assistance with SEO/marketing
- Alterations for a suit or dress
- Golf lessons
- Swimming lessons
- Housecleaning
- Help setting up and running a garage sale
Basically, almost anything someone is good at and another person would pay to have done is fair game. The most important piece of this; however, is that all the responsibility for coordinating services, packaging items and mailing them, etc goes to someone other than the recipient, the caregiver, or their family. This could even be a service a very detail oriented friend could do as their contribution to the fundraiser.
Finally, think carefully about your launch day. Most websites start recording time (eg “500 dollars raised in 14 days) from the first moment you’ve created your subsite within their site. Since momentum is part of the draw, it’s advantageous to wait until you’re ready to launch before actually creating your site. Pick a weekday, preferably a weekday morning when the largest number of people are online and using social media like facebook and twitter. If there’s a major weather incident or local happening or holiday, postpone the launch.