We encourage you to set a goal of $10,000 or higher. As Marathon Day approaches, a high goal helps motivate your supporters to work harder to make yours a success story!

To get an idea of how you can achieve this goal, consider the following:

• The size of your network and who exactly your potential supporters are
• The different categories in your network: friends, family, coworkers et al.
• How you will be able to contact this network: phone, email, social media, event etc.
• Estimate how much you might receive from each contact, category and/or outreach method

2. IDENTIFY YOUR SUPPORTERS

The first step to successful fundraising is identifying your potential supporters. Here is an initial list of groups we encourage you to contact for support:

• Friends and family
• Employer/ co-workers/ clients – both current and former
• MGH Employees only– please review the documents below
  • No Solicitation and No Distribution Policy
  • Soliciting Directing and Stewarding Charitable Contributions to MGH
• Volunteers from other organizations you are affiliated with
• Members of your religious group
• School acquaintances – alumni from your high school, university, and folks from your kids’ schools
• Neighbors and local community
• Social Groups – Book Clubs, Mom groups, etc.

Track your donor outreach by downloading the new Donor Tracking Spreadsheet! 

SUCCESS TIP: Only 1-3% of the people you reach out to will donate, so it’s important that you tap into your entire network!

3. PLAN A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 

Getting the word out and continuing to communicate throughout your campaign is critical. You will make initial contact, then, as the weeks pass, you will be sending reminders, updates and thank you notes. Your fundraising campaign as an ongoing dialogue. You should communicate with your network at least once or twice a week. Make sure to remind them that they are part of an important mission: to save lives, to advance research and/or to heal the community at large.

Set yourself up for success by preparing as many materials as you can at the beginning of your campaign. Here are some sample content assets you will need:

• Email blasts and follow-ups
• Letters to sponsors, donors, and local media
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media posts
• Flyers and other promotional collateral
• Impact sheets
  • Emergency Response
  • Pediatric Cancer
  • Home Base

SUCCESS TIP: Fundraising should be a multi-pronged approach. Text your best friend the link to your fundraising page. Call your grandmother. Visit your neighbor. Tailor your communications strategies to your audience.

4. ORGANIZE AN EVENT

Raise money for a great cause—and have a great time doing it. Your event can be whatever you want it to be. Silent auctions, fitness challenges, a paint night — the options are endless.

An event is an effective way to fundraise and utilize your social network. In the past, team members have raised anywhere from $500-$5,000 during an event. These events often lead to people receiving more than one donation from the same person. Use your imagination and above all, don’t be afraid to ask!

• Ask businesses to donate products to support your fundraiser. Many places will be happy to help when they know you are running for such an important cause as MGH. Consider businesses that are personally connected to your cause.
• Ask for a suggested donation for entry/participation, ($20-$50 average). Consider offering an entry prize to entice donations from other patrons not specifically attending your fundraiser.
• Have a raffle or silent auction. Ask for items or gift cards for your auction or raffle from local businesses or vendors you know – think about restaurants or stores you frequent or know the owners. Be creative and think big! However, with so many people on the team, we do not encourage cold asks to random businesses. This could be confusing to business owners to get multiple requests from Mass General.
• Some ideas of different types of events include virtual concert benefit, game night, Poker tournament, Zoom dinner/wine/brunch tastings, talent show, or fitness app challenges.

SUCCESS TIP: When choosing an event date, be sure to consider other events happening on your date. If your event is outdoors, have an alternate plan in case of inclement weather.

5.  YOUR CAMPAIGN. YOUR CAUSE.

Your GivenGain page is your central fundraising platform. Here, you share your story, collect and track donations, and build a fundraising pool.

Best Practices for E-mail Campaigns:

• Always include a link to your fundraising page!
• Personal emails will generate more donations than blasts.
• Asking for a specific amount can help eliminate the fear associated with trying to determine an appropriate donation.
• Including your fundraising deadline will create a sense of urgency.
• Keep your email succinct.
• Reference something specific about the individual you are writing to, and then go into your details.
• Consider using marathon-specific amounts to boost your dollars such as $26.2, $127.
• People forget and procrastinate! Make sure to send reminders which you can do by providing training and/or fundraising updates.
• No donation is too small!

6. THANK YOUR DONORS

You can never say thank you too much! In fundraising, it’s just as important to thank your donors as it is to ask for a donation.

• By showing how grateful you are, your donors will feel more invested in the cause and will be more likely to donate to your future endeavors.
• A thank you should be immediate after their initial donation. Then, after Marathon Day you will thank them again when sharing your final report.
• Thank your donors via social media – this might prompt others to donate!
• Consider creating a thank you card with a photo from the race or your training.
  • Send an official MGH Team certificate of appreciation or create your very own #Run4MGH Thank You cards!

7. SOCIAL MEDIA

With social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, you can easily tap into your network as well as the extended Mass General network.

Here are some sample topics for social media posts:

• Announcing your fundraising effort and why you’ve decided to fundraise for Mass General
• Updates on the progress of your campaign or event: e.g. “We’re halfway to our goal! Good work!”
• Event information, reminders & facts about your personal fundraiser
• Share your own story and connection to the cause
• Profiles of core supporters: Who are your top donors and how can you tap into their networks as well?
• Thank your supporters on social media– people like to be recognized for their donations. Plus, when other people in your social network see who is already helping out, they’ll feel motivated to get involved, too!
• Use the Mass General handle @massgeneral and the team hashtags #run4mgh #JohnHancock

Facebook

• Creating an event on Facebook is a simple way to connect with supporters from your entire network. Be sure to include all relevant information such as your personalized fundraising link, your contact information, the special event details, and the ticket prices (if applicable).
• Status updates with photos and videos are a great way to engage your audience. Example: a post-training run update
• Tag the Mass General Marathon Team in your Facebook posts and the team hashtags #run4mgh #JohnHancock
• Update your letting others know you are on the 2023 Marathon team
• Post a graphic to update your network on your progress. Example: “I’m halfway to my goal”.

Twitter

• Twitter works well for quick, brief updates on the progress and needs of your fundraiser. It is also a great way to recognize donors.
• Include the link to your fundraising page in your Twitter bio.
• Engage with Mass General using the handle @massgeneral and the team hashtags #run4mgh #JohnHancock

Instagram

• Instagram is a visual experience! Photos in conjunction with a caption make a post that creates a more personal connection with your cause.
• Include the link to your fundraising page in your Instagram bio.
• Instagram stories are a quick way to get your network’s attention. Consider one day of the week to post on your story about why you #run4mgh
• Engage your network in a fundraising Bingo board. This is a fun and interactive way to thank donors. Update the Bingo board with their Instagram handle after they make their donation.
• Ask for donations with an Instagram poll. Once responses are received, you will have a donor pool to send your page link to.
• Engage with Mass General using the handle @massgeneral or @runformgh and the team hashtags #run4mgh #JohnHancock

LinkedIn

• Tap into your LinkedIn network to reach current and former colleagues.
• Update your cover photo

SUCCESS TIP:  Be sure to encourage the people you contact to share your posts— even if they don’t choose to contribute to your cause, someone in their network might.