Use Your Webpage to Gather Donations Online

Check out these statistics:

  • Participants who use online fundraising raise an average of 46% more than participants who do not use their sites.
  • About 41% of the donations made to Team In Training participants came through online fundraising sites.
  • The average check donation is $25-40 and the average online donation is $80.

Setting up your fundraising page

Once you register, you will receive an email From Team In Training CAL with your Username and Password and web link. Sign in at http://etools.teamintraining.org/signin

  • Set it up right away!
  • Add your personal web address to your email auto-signature.
  • Personalize your online Web page – Make the time, it’s worth it!
  • Go to the Fundraising tab at the top left
  • Click on Personalize Pages to add a photo, create or edit your welcome message, send donation requests, check for new donations and send thank you e-mails, etc.
  • Add a Photo: Choose a compelling photo of someone you are honoring, your honored teammate or yourself training. You can touch up or resize photos at http://photoshop.com/express.
  • Text: Keep the text concise:
    • Why did you join Team In Training?
    • Include the story of your personal honorees or honored teammate.
    • Instill confidence in your donors about where their money is going:
      Add fast facts about Team In Training and LLS. How much money has been raised in the past? How has the work of LLS helped to increase survival rates? What research grants are currently being funded? You can find this information here: Why You Matter! or in depth on the LLS website: Learn more about LLS and 60 years of innovation.
    • Include your collective team fiscal goal, etc.
    • Use the web as a fundraising tool. Many will receive anonymous donations. Include the following phrases:
      - Please forward this to anyone that you know and help spread awareness.
      - No donation is too small.
  • Updates
    • Each week after you train with your team, you can update your progress with text and photos.
    • Update your web page at least once a month. Track your progress with updates. If you hit your goal, raise your minimum and set a challenge goal.
    • Include web address on your letters and fast facts to send with your letters.

Fundraising Via Email

Start fundraising by sending emails directly from your web page! Send your link out to friends, family and colleagues by email, so they can simply click and donate!

  • Click the Compose Email tab.
  • Enter email addresses in the “To” box, separated by commas. (To import an address book from your own personal e-mail account, go to the Address Book tab and click Import Addresses from Outlook/CSV.)
  • Customize the message or create a new message in the “Message” box. If you want to save your custom text for later, send a copy to yourself.
  • Click Send. The message will be sent from your email address. Your recipients will not see the email addresses of others that are listed in the “To” box.
  • Follow up! Regularly send updates to donors, potential donors.
  • Many will receive anonymous donations. Include the following phrases: Please forward this to anyone that you know and help spread awareness.
  • Include the link to your fundraising page in your signature line at work.

AVOID SPAM FOLDERS

  • Many people configure their email in-boxes to forward mass mailings to a “spam” folder. Use the following tips to make sure your email is read:
  • Avoid punctuation in the email subject. This includes periods, exclamation points and dashes.
  • Send the same email to no more than 10 people at a time.
  • Call select people to ask them if they received your email. This also gives you a chance to remind them to donate!
  • Send updates on your progress and your goals to your entire list, those who have responded to previous communication AND those who have not.

Sample emails:
Subject lines – Get people’s attention!

  • Saving Lives…One Mile At A Time
  • Training for a cure…Every Little Bit Helps
  • The Challenge of A Lifetime

Keep your email message simple. Include details on your web page:

Hi friends and family!

Please check out my Web site to see the challenge I am taking on! I am going to run the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon this Fall. Not only that but I have a goal of raising $5000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) while I train hard for my physical challenge! The funds that I raise for LLS are used for blood cancer research and patient aid! — Read my Web site to learn more! The address is: <your website link here>

Remember, all donations are 100 % tax-deductible!