London Marathon is the largest fundraising occasion on the planet.
As somebody taking care of charity fundraising, this might sound intimidating…particularly in case you’re a small staff. However the fundraising potential for charities of all sizes on this occasion is extraordinary.
We caught up with Charlotte Brennan from the Prostate Most cancers Analysis’s small occasions staff on our latest webinar hosted by Fundraising In all places. In 2023, the charity smashed its £188,000 goal for London Marathon 2023, elevating £250,000 with a number of key methods any charity can use!
Maintain studying for loads of helpful suggestions, our London Marathon 2024 fundraising timeline, and the subsequent steps your charity ought to take for the most effective fundraising doable.
Leap to a piece:
LONDON MARATHON FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
High suggestions from Prostate Most cancers Analysis
Prostate Most cancers Analysis (PCR) smashed their preliminary goal of £180,000, occurring to boost a whopping £250k in London Marathon 2023, with a mean raised of £2,930 per participant!
How did they get there?
Whereas everybody has their very own staff, time, and finances constraints, each charity can adapt the following tips for their very own group.
Right here’s how they did it.
Recruit passionate folks
Getting the precise folks on board within the first place is usually a game-changer to your fundraising. Charlotte’s recommendation: recruit people who find themselves passionate.
The staff made telephone calls to the strongest candidates to get to know their fundraising plans and connection to the trigger.
“You need folks to be as engaged as doable all through the journey. You’re going to get rather more out of somebody who’s dedicated to fundraising [over simply giving a donation to meet the target amount].”
Charlotte Brennan, Prostate Most cancers Analysis
Optimise your onboarding
When you’ve chosen your runners, you need to make their welcome particular! PCR gave their new fundraising staff a number of particular presents to rejoice upon becoming a member of:
- A personalised operating high
- Coaching guides and an invitation to an in-person Coaching Day occasion
- A PCR Cheer Squad current on occasion day
- A post-race celebration
- Ongoing fundraising help
Boost your stewardship
We discuss so much about this, however what’s it? It merely means taking care of your runners all the way in which to race day… and past!
“The very first thing we did was arrange our JustGiving Marketing campaign Web page and share the fundraising hyperlink with runners, to allow them to get their fundraising pages began as quickly as doable.”
Charlotte Brennan, Prostate Most cancers Analysis
Utilizing a Marketing campaign Web page permits all of your London Marathon fundraising to enter one web page, offering a collective purpose and wholesome competitors.
Working backwards from the occasion, PCR targeted on their key touchpoints: common contact by e-mail, telephone, in addition to a Fb and Strava group.
“Check alternative ways of speaking. If one thing doesn’t work, change it. For those who’re struggling to get somebody on the telephone, ship them a textual content message.”
Charlotte Brennan, Prostate Most cancers Analysis
Use incentives for fundraising motivation
On JustGiving, London Marathon pages created earlier than Christmas go on to boost a mean of 24% extra!
Prostate Most cancers Analysis used this stat to facilitate a contest to get folks fundraising early. It doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution – it may be so simple as gifting away your current charity merchandise!
Line up a coaching day
Simply after Christmas, PCR held a particular coaching day in central London to maintain motivation excessive throughout what’s sometimes a sluggish interval.
The coaching day included a session from a private coach, talks from the PCR staff, and a particular fundraising workshop. This boosted their group’s morale and allowed runners to satisfy one another and develop into extra built-in within the charity’s group.
Assist all of your runners
Poll runners vs charity runners: what’s the distinction?
Poll runners are individuals who have already got a spot within the marathon, then would possibly select to fundraise for a charity. Charity runners are these recruited by the charity and who will then use the charity’s personal locations within the occasion, which the charity’s acquired from London Marathon occasion immediately.
However the important thing takeaway right here? They’re each simply as essential!
At each alternative, take all of your fundraisers on the identical journey and provides them the identical help.
Attempt advertising segmentation
PCR used a well-proven advertising technique to raised converse to their totally different fundraisers: segmentation.
“We segmented our fundraisers into Excessive-Medium-Low fundraisers after Christmas and tailor-made their communications from there.”
Charlotte Brennan, Prostate Most cancers Analysis
Utilizing advertising segmentation, the charity might higher tailor their communications. For instance, they might encourage fundraisers who hadn’t reached their purpose but to maintain going.
Present up on occasion day
Cheer, cheer, cheer!
PCR made positive their supporters had a giant crowd as they ran the London Marathon, in addition to a particular after-party at a close-by venue to rejoice their runners.
For those who’re not capable of get your cheer squad collectively on occasion day, no worries. Our JustGiving staff cheer squad shall be there to help your runners and make as a lot noise as doable to spur them on over that end line!
Say thanks!
PCR recommends sending handwritten thank-you letters to these individuals who went above and past: your fundraisers. Outdoors of simply displaying your appreciation, you may share whole fundraising outcomes, and detailed details about how their contribution will make a distinction.
NEXT STEPS FOR YOUR CHARITY
Begin fundraising in London Marathon 2024
Begin your journey to London Marathon 2024 fundraising success with these key actions.
1. Create your Marketing campaign Web page
This acts as your London Marathon occasion touchdown web page. Right here you may convey all of your fundraisers and donors collectively in a single central hub!
When you’ve created your web page, ensure that it’s linked to the official Occasion ID 8149436. Study extra about how you can make an incredible London Marathon Marketing campaign Web page.
2. Share your Marketing campaign Web page hyperlink
Once you share your marketing campaign’s Fundraising Web page Hyperlink, any fundraiser who begins fundraising from this hyperlink will robotically be linked to your London Marathon Marketing campaign Web page and can contribute to your collective purpose!
TIP
Share your hyperlink by going to Campaigns > View current Campaigns > Extra > Share fundraising hyperlink |
3. Fill your locations
Use our tailored Charity Place Finder to search out runners to your London Marathon fundraising! You merely checklist your open locations you have already got, and we’ll work to advertise them with and excited runners.
4. Evaluate your comms
When fundraisers signal as much as JustGiving, they’ll get our personalised and high-performing emails that give them the boldness to ask for donations and updates on their progress as they go.
Test your messaging towards the timeline under to be sure you’re encouraging the most effective behaviours on the proper time, paying attention to while you’re encouraging web page creation, web page activartion, or web page worth:
NEW FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES
How we’re serving to you increase extra in London Marathon 2024
In 2023, London Marathon fundraisers used JustGiving to boost greater than £39 million for two,500 charities. We’re seeking to develop this much more in 2024, since you and your fundraisers deserve the most effective!
Along with optimising our checkout course of, stewardship, and charity help, we’re launching three new initiatives for a enjoyable and profitable London Marathon in 2024:
Charity Place Finder
Our tailored platform for connecting passionate fundraisers with charities they need to help.
High of the Coaching Tracks
A model new music based mostly JustGiving competitors with the prospect for fundraisers to win £500 donations.
£1,000 donation bonuses
An opportunity at £1,000 donation boosts for fundraisers who create pages between 23 Oct 2023 – 30 Nov 2023.
READY TO GO?
For those who haven’t already, watch the total stream for much more of Charlotte’s suggestions for London Marathon success. Able to go? Learn to create a Marketing campaign Web page and get extra info on our London Marathon information web page.
HUGE because of Charlotte and Prostate Most cancers Analysis for sharing their expertise, and methods. We hope this helps you attain your objectives in subsequent yr’s occasion!