Can the below ‘real life’ fundraisers add to your plans?
You may have created your own innovative fundraiser, the below might give you some inspiration on how to add to your plans.

• Simon got his friends to donate $50 each in celebration of his 50th birthday 
  A donation to your favourite charity for celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries or weddings, is fast becoming a popular option for many reasons. For example, people want less ‘stuff’ in their homes, environmental considerations or they wish to give back to a cause like Hospice because they have a strong personal connection.
• Tom is challenging himself by ‘Everesting’ for Harbour Hospice 
  If you’re an adventurous type ask people to sponsor you to complete a challenge, such as a skydive, climbing Auckland’s 53 volcanoes or completing a stand-up comedy gig!
• Perry gave something up 
  If you have strong willpower why not shave off your beard, go chocolate-free or mobile-free for a month and ask people to sponsor you.
• Chandra hosted an afternoon tea 
  For the social lovers get out the BBQ, host a karaoke night or get the girls over for a clothes swap and ask for a donation as an ‘entry fee’.
• Fiona knitted soft toys 
  Perhaps you’re a budding chef or a bit clever with knitting needles – if so, consider selling your goods and raising money for Harbour Hospice that way.

Once you have your idea in place, the next step is to decide how you’ll collect and account for all the money you raise.

Create an online fundraising page
Cashless options like online fundraising pages are a safe and simple choice. You can set up your own fundraising page quickly and easily on Givealittle or JustGiving.

Once you’ve set up your online fundraising page...

• Set a fundraising target to create momentum and give yourself a goal to focus on. Be ambitious but make it achievable, because you’ll feel great when you exceed it.
• Make the first donation to give others an idea of how much they should give and encourage them to jump on board.

If you receive any donations by cash or bank transfer, they can be manually added to your online total so supporters can see all your efforts.

What if I don’t want to, or cannot, fundraise online?
Click here to find out how you can be safe with money

Ask, invite, share, promote – make a noise!
Tell your story about what Hospice means to you and why you’re fundraising. Invite others to get involved through every channel you can, including messaging Facebook friends, emailing friends and family, and chatting to co-workers in the lunchroom.

Keep your supporters updated
By giving regular updates – including photos, videos, shout-outs and thank yous – you'll keep your family, friends and colleagues engaged with your goal and achievements

Brand yourself
Use the Harbour Hospice logo on your fundraiser promotions to let people know you’re supporting our work. 

Now you’ve set up your online fundraising page (or other way of collecting money), you need to put the word out so that people can support you. Whether you’re holding a physical event or inviting friends to participate virtually, there are ways to go over and above your fundraising activity, exceeding your fundraising goal.

Add a raffle to your event
If you are running a quiz night, tea party, dinner party or similar, you can easily add a raffle to your event. Whether the product (or vouchers!) is impressive or not, people at fundraising events tend to participate in raffles for the sake of a raffle! Make sure that the amount raised through tickets exceeds the value of your raffle prize.

Add a silent auction to your event
Like a raffle, people look for ways to give more – especially if they can get something in return as a bonus! Do you know anyone with a family bach? See if they are happy for you to auction off a night’s stay.

Add elements of fun!
In line with keeping your supporters updated, we recommend using humour to create a more memorable fundraiser. You might let your biggest donor choose a silly haircut or costume that you will wear.

Go beyond sponsorship
If you are running a marathon or completing a challenge event where you gain sponsorship, you can go beyond this by holding an easy fundraising initiative such as a bake sale, selling your unwanted belongings on trade me and so much more. Google is filled with ideas.

You really can’t thank people enough. We recommend you thank every donor individually at least twice - as soon as they donate, then again when you complete your fundraiser. If you reach your target early, that’s another opportunity to thank all those who helped you get there. Make it personal with a phone call, card or email, supplemented with more general thank-you messages via social media or email updates.

Thanking people is more than good manners – donors who feel appreciated are more likely to respect your efforts and spread the word about your cause. Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Never underestimate the power of gratitude.

Now it’s our turn to thank you! We can’t thank you enough for choosing to support Harbour Hospice. Through your efforts you’re making a difference to patients and families in your community.

We can’t wait to hear about your fundraiser! Click here to tell us about your fundraiser

If you didn’t find what you were looking for here, please contact your helpful Harbour Hospice Community Fundraisers at events@harbourhospice.org.nz or phone 09 486 1688.