Six Fundraising Tips from Empire State Ride Veterans
Fundraising can seem intimidating, but don’t let it scare you away from the adventure of a lifetime. Just like riding a bike, fundraising is a skill that you can learn – and who better to learn from than experienced Empire State Riders?
We asked five ESR veterans to share with us their advice for new riders who are kickstarting their fundraising. Here’s what they had to say:
“Start early! Don’t over think it. Use the people who you know are most supportive of you to spread the word to their circles. Don’t get discouraged. If you lose motivation, seek out the Empire State Ride team for strength and focus.”
“Eighty-five to 90 percent of my fundraising was through Facebook. Let people know you are riding 500+ miles to help end cancer and they will want to support you! Use photos of you out training for the ride, or images, videos, and links about the ride provided by ESR and include a direct link to your ESR fundraising page. Also, be sure to continue posting during the actual ride – I raised about $2,000 on Facebook the week of ESR 2016. Also, I created an email group for friends/colleagues not on Facebook, and did one business-like informational post on LinkedIn.”
“Take a few minutes to read through Roswell Park’s website. The more you know about what Roswell Park has done to help find a cure and what new groundbreaking trials they are working on, the easier it is to talk confidently about your passion to help find a cure and ask for a donation.”
“Be confident. When people ask you what you have been up to, tell them you are training for the Empire State Ride! Let everyone you talk know you are riding your bike across New York state to raise critical funds for cancer research. The people you talk are going to be amazed at your dedication and strength and will be more than happy to give you a donation.”
“Start now. Ask everyone, every dollar helps. When we hear that cancers touches everyone, it really does. People love to support an excellent cause and are truly impressed by our commitment (‘you ride a bike how far?’).”
“FUNdraising should be FUN. I purchased blank white jerseys for all my donors to sign and leave a message. On the fourth day, another rider and I wore the jersey leaving Utica and it was an awesome reminder of everyone who had supported us.”
Click here for more fundraising resources, including the ESR Fundraising 101 Guide, featuring dozens effective tips and tools.
The Empire State Ride team is here to help you meet your fundraising goal! Contact us at empirestateride@roswellpark.org anytime if you have questions, need advice or would like any additional resources.
