raise $1000 for charity

How I did it: I've raised money for charity many times before but I've never really asked to be sponsored for anything before - in this case a running event - it's always seemed like too much to ask and I've always felt embarrassed at the prospect of doing so.

In July I signed up to the Can Too training program and as part of that, you commit to raising $800. So I didn't have much choice and decided that I should just do it. It took me a month to get my thoughts together as to what I wanted to say, and then I drafted an email and sent it to around 250 people that I knew...

...and over the coming months I managed to raise more than $1200 with hardly any effort at all. People were so generous, and I was most touched by big donations from those I barely knew. I was lucky in that I didn't actually have to 'do' anything - except run that is!

Lessons & tips: Put a bit of thought into your email, about what you want to say, and tell them how much it would mean to you. Don't be afraid to approach people you don't know that well - in fact, a lot of people I knew well didn't bother to sponsor me at all or gave me very little, whereas a lot of random acquaintances generously handed out the $50 notes without a second thought. I also found that specifying suggested donations - $20 or $50 - was helpful too.

Resources: Visit Can Too if you are interested in raising money for cancer and getting a big bang for your buck too by running or swimming. They were very helpful in providing tips on how to raise money.

Oct 17, 2008, 05:44PM PDT | 0 comments