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To help inspire your Multiple System Atrophy fundraising efforts this Holiday season, the MSA Coalition has compiled a list of very practical fundraising tips that make it easy and simple to be successful!

Important Dates to Know:

  • The Crowdrise Holiday Challenge runs from Nov. 28, 2017 – Jan. 3, 2018.
  • November 28, 2017 is #GivingTuesday (The most important giving day of the year!)

Step 1: Set Up Your 2017 Holiday Hope for a Cure Fundraising Page

  1. Sign up or log in to Crowdrise to create your new “2017 Holiday Hope for a Cure” fundraising page on the MSA Coalition Crowdrise team. To set up your fundraising page:
  2. Click on the above link and select the purple button that states “Join The Team & Create Your Own Fundraiser.”
  3. Create a Crowdrise account or sign in to your existing account (if you have donated or raised money on Crowdrise before.)
  4. Click the purple “Join the Team” button in the pop up field.
  5. Go to your email inbox where you will get an email from Crowdrise. Read their three tips and click on the orange “START CROWDRISING” button.
  6. Agree to the terms. You will now be on your own personal MSA Coalition Holiday Hope for a Cure fundraising portal.

Step 2: Personalize Your “Holiday Hope for a Cure” Crowdrise Page

  1. Customize your page. We highly recommend customizing your page. If you don’t edit your page the default is the MSA Coalition’s content from our master Holiday Hope for A Cure page, It is good, but your personal story will have more impact with your network.
  2. Near the top of your Crowdrise portal select “Edit Fundraiser”
  3. Upload pictures that help show your MSA story.
  4. If you have a video that tells your MSA story add a YouTube or Vimeo URL link so people can view your video.
  5. Set a realistic and achievable goal for the amount you want to raise.
    1. For most fundraisers $500 to $1,000 is very reasonable and achievable. Our average fundraiser in past CrowdRise Holiday Challenges raised $1,600 – but, most of our fundraisers have raised under $1,000. Even if you only raise $100 or less your efforts will be appreciated!
  6. Tell your personal MSA story with as much emotion and passion as possible. Upload your own pictures and be sure they appear first when your page is opened. If you include a short video to tell your story this is even better! Not only will your story help you raise money, but it will also spread awareness about Multiple System Atrophy. It shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to get set up.
  7. View your finished fundraising page. On the left side of your portal you will see a navigation option – “View.” Click on the link and you will be taken to your actual page.
    1. Review your finished page. If you spot any typos or want to make changes you can go back to your portal and go to edits. If you are happy with your page, you have one last step before you share it with your contacts….
  8. Be the first person to donate to your own fundraiser. If you don’t donate to your own fundraiser can you really expect your contacts to donate? Donate, even if it’s just $10 and don’t share your fundraiser page until your donation is posted.
  9. Don’t start fundraising until #GivingTuesday
    1. Put a note in your calendar as a reminder for November 28, 2017.
    2. Start your day on November 28 by posting your fundraiser on Facebook and sending your fundraising URL to everybody you know via email.
    3. Send an email reminder 2-3 times during the day on #GivingTuesday.

Step 3: Share! Share! Share! Start Raising Money

At the bottom of your live fundraising page you will see sharing buttons for Facebook and Twitter. There is also a “Share” button where you will find the URL link to your fundraising page.

  1. The three easiest ways to spread the word and ask for donations are:
    1. EMAIL your personal fundraiser page link with a personal note to everyone in your contact list.
    2. SHARE your personal fundraiser link on all of your social media accounts, especially Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
    3. The knock-it-out-of-the-park tactic: Call your best contacts and talk to them about your fundraiser and ask them for a donation. Follow up the call with a personal thank you email that includes the link to your fundraiser.
  2. Be sure to ask everybody you know to contribute and be sure they know the story as to why you are fundraising. Emotion and passion will move your contacts to action.
    1. Family
    2. Friends
    3. Neighbors
    4. Church members
    5. Social groups
    6. Work colleagues
    7. Classmates
    8. And more!
  3. Be Persistent! Ask more than one time, or even two times. Just because your email went unanswered doesn’t mean your friends aren’t interested in helping. The holidays are a busy time of the year and people are swamped with all those emails about holiday deals. Send an email each week making the ask for a donation to help keep your fundraiser top of mind. Post it to your social pages every few days. Your friends will appreciate the reminders.
  4. Don’t fundraise alone. Recruit your family members and closest friends to spread the word about your fundraiser to their contacts.
  5. Host a Holiday fundraiser party. In lieu of hostess gifts or wine ask your guests for a donation to your fundraiser. Remember to include your fundraiser information in the invitation. You can also have a laptop out with your fundraising page open.
  6. 6. Be sure to let everyone know their tax-deductible gift will be matched dollar for dollar until we surpass our matching gift pledges. (The final matching pledge total will be available on the MSA Coalition’s 2017 Holiday Hope for a Cure Crowdrise page.)