Sound the Alarm: Personal Fundraising Toolkit

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1 Sound the Alarm: Personal Fundraising Toolkit Welcome! Thank you for signing up for personal fundraising in support of Sound the Alarm, a home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event. Sound the Alarm is a national effort lead by volunteers to install 100,000 FREE smoke alarms across more than 100 major cities from April 28 th -May 12 th. All across the country, valuable supporters like you are stepping up to engage their friends and family by creating a personal fundraising page and asking for financial support during the four weeks leading up to the first install date of April 28. Thank you! You are truly helping to save lives. CrowdRise On CrowdRise you can update your own personal fundraising page with photos, videos, and personal stories. You can also track all donations that are received, thank donors, post to Facebook, and update donors on your progress right from your CrowdRise page. This toolkit provides simple ways to start reaching out to your friends and family for help. Haven t Signed up Yet? Join your Local Team! Find Your Local Team 1. Go to or use the link provided to you by your local Red Cross Chapter 2. Select the red Join Us button 3. Type your state abbreviation in the search box and hit SEARCH 4. Select the Team you are joining from the search results and click on JOIN THE TEAM. 1

2 Tips: The best way to search is by state abbreviation with no periods - example: NJ Results will display once you hit the SEARCH button Use a Google Chrome browser for the best experience, some options will not display on Internet Explorer Create an Account After selecting a team, you will be prompted to create a CrowdRise account by entering information or using Facebook. The Facebook option lets you login to your personal Facebook account and uses that and password as your CrowdRise login. You can use this feature or enter information directly into the form without accessing Facebook. The fields required are: first and last name, address, and a password. You can see these fields in the screen shot provided below. 2

3 Tips and Resources for Personal Fundraising As a fundraiser for Sound the Alarm, you have access to tools and resources to help make your fundraising a success; we want to help you save as many lives as possible! In addition to the tips listed below, all fundraisers will receive weekly messages with actions items and tips for that week leading up to the events on April 28 th. Fundraising Tips Personalize your Page. Personalize your page by adding photos and videos, creating a personal fundraising goal and updating the campaign story field. Personalizing your page is the best way to motivate people you know to support your efforts. Activate your Network. Use the tools available on your CrowdRise page to contact your network and ask for donations. Social media, , and phone calls are great ways to engage people you know. Use the tips provided below to guide your strategy. Pro Tip Start Small and Build Ask a few close friends to donate before you invite your broader network to support your efforts. Those few initial gifts will help people feel that they are joining a successful campaign. Set a Goal. Pick a number that you feel is achievable for your personal fundraising goal you can always edit this on your page once you get a feel for the campaign. A suggested goal is $500. Keep in mind that donors like to see your progress and are more motivated to give if the goal is close. Self-Donations. Consider donating to your page to get things started, even if its small it will show you believe in your own efforts! Everyone that raises $50 will receive a Special Edition Sound the Alarm lapel pin, so this s a great way to start reaching that goal. Lapel pin Draft Potential Donor List. Think of people that you can count on for their support friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Segment your Donors. For best results contact your potential donors in the way that is best for them. While sending a group might be the easiest method for you, a personal or phone call to key contacts might be best for them. Lay out your approach and group your contacts by the best form of contact. Start with friends and family, co-workers, and fellow volunteers. 3

4 Ask, then Follow Up. People want to support you, but everyone is busy and forgets. Follow up with your supporters, send updates to help remind them of your efforts and personalize your requests. Turn-it-Around Fundraising. Remember those people that have asked you to buy products they sell, purchase cookies from their kids, support school events and donate to their charitable fundraisers? Now is the time to turn around and ask them to support YOUR efforts! Use Numbers. With so many volunteers helping to install smoke alarms, you can use this action as a way to make your fundraising tangible. $15 can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm, so ask for donations that match up with these numbers, like this: o Please donate $15 to sponsor on smoke alarm! o Can you sponsor two smoke alarms with a $30 donation? Update Often. Don t just send out asks, send out updates on your progress as well. Let your donors know when you ve reach certain milestones, or if there has been an exciting update from the Red Cross. Consider updating the photos on your page as well, finding unique ways to show your progress. Thank Them. Be sure to personally thank your supporters, either by , phone, ecards or in person, they want to know you appreciate them. Be sure to include an update on the campaign s progress. First $500 Here is a quick breakdown of how to easily raise your first $500. Make a self-donation to get things started $25- $25 Ask your significant other for $50 - $75 Ask your closest friend for $25 - $100 Ask three good friends for $25 each - $175 Reach out to three close family members for $30 each - $265 Post a message on Facebook with a link to your page $135 - $400 Reach out to your extended family for support $100 - $500! Pro Tip Make it Tangible Personal fundraising is all about raising money to support the efforts of installing smoke alarms. A great way to highlight this for your donors is to set a goal based on the cost of installing smoke alarms. $15 can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm - use the math below to come up with your goal! $450 = 30 alarms $600 = 40 alarms $750 = 50 alarms $900 = 60 alarms How many alarms can you sponsor? How many lives can you help save? Pro Tip Share the Impact! As you come closer to your goal update your donors with how many smoke alarms you ve helped sponsor along the way! Raised $50? That s 3 smoke alarms! Did someone donate $30? Thank them for helping sponsor 2 smoke alarms! 4

5 Templates Here are some great templates to help get you started with your outreach! Copy and paste the messages into your personal , then add in the information highlighted in red. Remember that is the one of the best ways to reach out for support, so be sure to add your own personal touch and use some of the tips provided earlier such as making a list of potential donors and putting them into groups. Sending group s can be a quick way to get information out, but sending a personal message is a great way to show your supporters that you want them to help you save lives. Donation Request Fundraiser this is a message you would send as a fundraiser for Sound the Alarm to request donations. SUBJECT: Please donate to my fundraiser and help save lives Dear friends and family, I wanted to reach out and ask for your support to help me save lives from home fires. Did you know that the Red Cross responds to a disaster every 8 minutes, most of which are home fires? Did you know that on average, 7 people die each day from a home fire? Sadly, children and the elderly disproportionately lose their lives. Installing working smoke alarms is the best way to prevent home fire disasters it nearly doubles a persons chances of survival! The Red Cross is partnering with fire departments across the country and thousands of volunteers to install FREE smoke alarms in local communities, and to help families make an escape plan in case of a fire. Sound the Alarm is a campaign to reduce the death and injuries caused by home fires. I have joined the Sound the Alarm campaign as a fundraiser to support smoke alarm installations in my local community. I would love it if you joined me in this lifesaving cause. You can help me save lives by donating to my personal fundraising page! Just $15 can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. A gift of any size helps the Red Cross prepare, respond and recover from home fires. Please help me make save lives by donating HERE INSERT LINK TO PERSONAL FUNDRAISING PAGE Thank you so much for your support! INSERT NAME For more information on Sound the Alarm, visit #endhomefires 5

6 Thank You Message - Fundraiser - this is a message you would send as a fundraiser for Sound the Alarm to thank donors after the campaign. Subject: Thank you for your donation Dear friends and family, THANK YOU! With your support, I raised INSERT TOTAL RAISED for the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm campaign! Your generosity provided FREE smoke alarms and fire safety training to families in need. It is through this work that, together, we have helped save lives. To find out more information on how the American Red Cross is saving lives with this initiative visit Thank you so much for your help!! NAME #endhomefires Donation Request Volunteer + Fundraiser this is a message you would send if you are fundraising and also volunteering to help install smoke alarms in your community! Want more information? Check out soundthealarm.org to find install events in your area! SUBJECT: Please Sponsor Me & Help Save Lives Dear friends and family, I wanted to reach out and ask for your support. I have joined the American Red Cross in my local INSERT LOCATION community to help install free smoke alarms on INSERT DATE. This installation event is part of Sound the Alarm, a national home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event taking place across the US in hundreds of cities from April 28 May 13. The Red Cross responds to a disaster every 8 minutes, most of which are home fires. Did you know that on average, 7 people die each day from a home fire? Sadly, children and the elderly disproportionately lose their lives. Installing working smoke alarms is the best way to prevent home fire disasters it nearly doubles a persons chances of survival! I would love it if you supported my efforts to install INSERT NUMBER smoke alarms as part of my local volunteer team. You can sponsor me by donating to my personal fundraising page and helping me reach my goal of INSERT AMOUNT! Just $15 can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. A gift of any size helps the Red Cross prepare, respond and help families recover from home fires. 6

7 Please help me save lives from home fires by donating HERE INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE Thank you so much for your support! NAME For more information on Sound the Alarm, visit #endhomefires Thank You Message Volunteer + Fundraiser Subject: Thank you for your donation Dear friends and family, THANK YOU! With your support, I raised INSERT TOTAL RAISED and installed INSERT NUMBER smoke alarms in INSERT COMMUNITY for the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm campaign! Your generosity provided FREE smoke alarms and fire safety training to families in need, helping to save lives. To find out more information about how the American Red Cross is saving lives with this initiative visit Thank you so much for your help! NAME #endhomefires 7

8 Social Media Templates Here are some sample Facebook and Twitter posts for you to customize and share. The more you let people know about what you are doing and why it s important, the more they will want to support you! The first section of templates is for fundraisers, and the second section is for fundraisers who are also volunteering to help install smoke alarms in their community. Want more information? Check out soundthealarm.org to find install events in your area! Templates for Fundraisers Timing: After you create your page Pls help! I m raising $$ to help #RedCross install smoke alarms. Your donation can help save lives from home fires! INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE #endhomefires I m helping the Red Cross install FREE smoke alarms and provide home fire safety education to families on [insert install date]. I m also committing to raising [$insert goal] to help the Red Cross prepare, respond, and help families recover from fires. Please join me by donating here INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE. A $15 donation can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. #endhomefires Timing: After your first donation Thank for giving to my #Redcross fundraiser INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE. Your donation will help save lives from home fires #endhomefires. Thank for giving to my fundraiser for the Red Cross. I started this fundraiser because share why you decided to help the Red Cross and why this campaign is important to you. If you d like to join my efforts, please consider making a gift here: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE. #endhomefires Timing: 50% to your goal I m halfway to my goal of raising INSERT GOAL to help #RedCross save more lives from home fires. Donate here: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE I m halfway to my goal of raising INSERT GOAL to help #RedCross save more lives from home fires. Will you consider a gift to help me reach my goal? INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE #endhomefires Timing: At the end of your campaign We did it! With your support, I raised INSERT GOAL to help #RedCross install lifesaving smoke alarms! Thank you! Check out the results: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE We did it! With your support, I raised INSERT GOAL to help #RedCross install smoke alarms and save more lives from home fires. Thank you! Check out the results: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE #endhomefires 8

9 Templates for Volunteers + Fundraisers Timing: After you create your page I m volunteering with the #RedCross to install FREE smoke alarms in my local community. I m also raising INSERT GOAL to help in this lifesaving effort. Please join me by donating here INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE #endhomefires I m volunteering with the Red Cross to install FREE smoke alarms in my local community. I ve committed to installing INSERT GOAL smoke alarms and raising INSERT GOAL as part of my team. Please join me by donating here INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE. A $15 donation can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. #endhomefires Timing: After your first donation Thank for giving to my #Redcross fundraiser INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE. Your donation will help save lives from home fires #endhomefires. Thank for giving to my fundraiser for the Red Cross. I started this fundraiser because I am a local volunteer who is helping to install free smoke alarms in my community. If you d like to join my efforts, please make a gift here: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE. A $15 donation can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. #endhomefires Timing: 50% to your goal I m halfway to my goal of raising INSERT GOAL to help #RedCross save more lives from home fires! Donate here: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE I m halfway to my goal of raising INSERT GOAL to help #RedCross save more lives from home fires! Will you consider a gift to help me reach my goal? INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE #endhomefires Timing: At the end of your campaign We did it! With your support, I raised INSERT TOTAL and helped install INSERT TOTAL smoke alarms! Thank you! Check out the results: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE We did it! With your support, I raised INSERT TOTAL and helped install INSERT TOTAL smoke alarms! Together, we helped #RedCross save more lives from home fires. Thank you! Check out the results: INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE #endhomefires Note: you can also post the link to your page directly to Facebook by using the sharing tools on your CrowdRise page 9

10 FAQs Q: Can donors send in checks? A: Yes, while online fundraising is strongly encouraged, check and cash donations can be collected. As a fundraiser, you can either collect check and cash donations and either drop them off or mail them to your local Red Cross Chapter. Additionally, donors can mail donations directly to the local Chapter. Please have the team and team member receiving credit listed on the memo line and allow 2-3 weeks to see these amounts reflected on your personal fundraising page. Q: Do offline donations (checks) count towards the fundraising recognition items? A: Yes, as long as offline amounts have been verified and received in time to meet the provided parameters. Q: Who can I contact for questions? A: Please reach out to the Red Cross personal fundraising Team at sta.p2p@redcross.org Q: How can I get a copy of a donation receipt? A: Contact the Red Cross personal fundraising Team to request a duplicate copy of any donation receipt. We will need to have the name on the card used to process the donation and the address associated with the donation. Q: Can I volunteer to install smoke alarms in my area? A: Of course! If there is an event planned in your area we welcome volunteers. Please go to to find a list of scheduled installation events and details on volunteering. 10