FUNDRAISING TIP: START A BLOG
By sharing your journey as you train for your race, you’ll make people feel like they are on the journey with you, and they’ll be inspired to give.
As a runner training for a marathon whether you’re a first timer, veteran, or somewhere in between you are experiencing something unique and challenging that the people in your life probably DO very much want to read about. So why not share it with them by blogging?
If you show you care, others will care too. Sharing your journey, not just your destination, will help your friends, family, co-workers and anyone else you ask to support you feel like they’re on the journey with you making their donation that much more meaningful.
Chris, whose son William has Duchenne, ran the Boston Marathon to raise funds for PPMD and used his blog to document his journey:
“I want people to know what I’m doing and why,” said Chris. ”If I’m asking people to give up hard earned dollars, I want them to see I’m working just as hard to meet the challenges I set before myself on my son’s behalf. I also want the blog to serve as a frequent reminder of why I’m dedicating my runs to our sons and, therefore, to have the reader consider giving. Duchenne is a constant in my family’s life so if I can get others to think about it more often and support us, that’s a success.”
Evonn, who ran the Disneyland Half Marathon for his son Milo, added a blog to his fundraising page:
“I wanted to inspire people to get involved, and tell them about the importance of finding a cure for Duchenne,” Evonn said. “So far the word of mouth sharing from my friend and family has really worked we’ve even received donations from perfect strangers.”
To add a blog to your personal fundraising page, follow these simple steps:
- Once logged into your Participant Center, click Manage at the top right.
- Choose Story from the list of headings and then Updates.
- Enter in your post to this section and click Save.
- When you view your personal page, you should now see the blog underneath your story.
Never blogged before? Here are some tips as you get started:
- Be yourself. You’re doing this to share your experience, and you want to sound authentic to the people who will be reading it your friends and family!
- Keep it short and sweet. While everyone wants to share your experience, no one wants to read long, rambling posts that go on forever. In this case, less is more!
- Use images. Pictures speak a thousand words, as they say, and that includes pictures in blogs. Using an image in every post isn’t necessary, but attaching a visual once in a while will bring your posts to life.
- Include a call to action. You’re blogging because ultimately, you want people to donate, right? Then don’t forget to ask them! Include the link to your fundraising page in every post.