So you’re running a marathon for charity. Nice one. You are making the world a better place for lots of people.
But your friends aren’t any of those people. In fact, for your friends, you’re kinda making the world a worse place, as you post about it, talk about it over drinks and generally chug (mug people for charity) your way to your fundraising goal.
But there is another way. Here are five ways you can hit your fundraising targets without basically just asking your friends to pay you in.
1. Make Them Pretty Things
If you’re an artist, musician or poet, instead of just asking for money, why not produce some work and sell it off to your mates? You can then use the proceeds to meet your fundraising target!
2. Sell Them Your Time
Maybe you are an ugly, uncreative ogre, but you can develop great websites. Why not give your pal Jane’s Welsh-themed online gift emporium a revamp in return for a contribution to your marathon fund?
3. Have a Kickstarter-Style Reward Scheme
Another great option to incentivise donations is to give people more things the more they donate. £5? You’ll do the run in a mask of their face! £20? You’ll surprise them with a gift in the next seven days. £100? You’ll walk into their work pretending to be a stranger and demand to see the manager to tell them your friend gave you excellent service last week.
4. Make a (Very) Short Video Explaining Why You’re Running
People hate reading boring stuff. They also hate long videos. They also hate being confronted. From these principles, we can distil some truths about how to ask people for money for your charity:
- Ask them on social media – then it won’t be awkies if they don’t wanna
- Make a video – a spoken voice is more evocative, anyway
- Make it short – we don’t have all day!
5. Pick a Charity That Means Something to You, Not Just One with a Low Fundraising Target
If your pals know you have a connection to a cause like cancer, the NSPCC, etc. then they’ll know they have to donate. If you just choose a rando charity because it still has places left, then you suck.
Now you know, get out there and start training!
