There are many ways in which to raise sponsorship; Here is our essential Guide!

Fundraising Online

Raising funds has never been easier with online tools such as www.Justgiving.com or www.Virginmoneygiving.com.

By setting up your own sponsorship page online you can rally the support of your friends and family all over the world by the power of emailing them your page (just like a sponsorship form but online!).

It is simple, personal and fun way to raise sponsorship, taking all of the administration out of raising money for us. (We recommend you use Virgin Money Giving because they do not charge an administration fee on all transactions)    

Reasons to fundraise online

1. It is simple and easy to set up and use  
2. Your friends, family and colleagues can donate securely, quickly and easily with a credit/ debit card.  
3. Each site allows you to be more personal – you can include a photo, personal message and update your page with fundraising progress, training schedule and event updates. Remember to explain what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and encourage sponsors to leave messages.of support and encouragement, that way they often feel part of your fundraising.  
4. The money is transferred directly into our bank account so we can start to make use of it straight away.  
5. We can apply for Gift Aid (reclaim tax) on all donations/ sponsors received by UK taxpayers, e.g. £10 donation would become a £12.28 donation – this is such a simple but effective way to help us raise even more money.

 Once you have set up your personalised sponsorship page follow these tips to make it work even harder for you.

1. Personalise your message. The best fundraising pages tell a really good story. Let people know why you're involved in the Gold Challenge and raising money for Arthur Rank Hospice and they're much more likely to take the time to donate. Explain why Arthur Rank Hospice deserves their support and what type of services their donations will go towards providing for people affected by cancer and other life limiting illness.
2. Add photos and video. A personal photo makes your page much more engaging, or even better add your own Flickr photos. It gives you lots of scope to be funny, imaginative and compelling and gives your supporters a good reason to send your page on to their friends. (Please seek permission from anyone else who may be in the photograph with you).
3. Tell everyone about your page.Before you email your entire address book, ask your closest friends and family to donate first. An empty page can be a bit intimidating, so having a couple of donations on the page should encourage other sponsors. People tend to match the amounts already listed on the page, so if they’re generous ones, all the better!
4. Publicise your page.Send a link to your page to everyone you know. You can also share your page on Facebook, your blogs and website. Ask your company if they’ll link to your page from their website or intranet. Put up posters in your gym, college, church or school too.
5. Put a link in your email signature.Add your page's web address, or one of the 'sponsor me' links, to your email signature. That way, every email you send raises awareness of your fundraising and attracts more donations.
6. Keep your page up-to-date. Post regular updates on your progress and upload new photos. It gives people a reason to come back to your page and encourages them to donate again or to send your page on to their friends. You can also add the total you have raised offline through other fundraising activity to your page so that everyone can see your running total. To do this log into your account and click on ‘Do some basic editing’
7. Send a follow-up email. Be persistent. It takes more than one round of emails to reach your target. You know what it's like - people mean to donate, but sometimes they don't quite get round to it on the first request. Remember to thank the people who've already supported you, and to ask them to send your page to their contacts. 
8. Personalise your thank-you.You can edit the thank-you email that is automatically sent to your supporters when they make a donation. Log in to your JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving account. Why not use it to encourage people to send your page on to friends who might be interested in sponsoring you.

If you get stuck or come across any problems when trying to set up an online fundraising page please don’t hesitate to contact the Fundraising Team on 01223 723115

Choose your Sport   Set your Goal  Raise vital Funds