Medical fundraising campaigns are one of the most popular types on FundRazr – and one of the most important. When your health and comfort while battling sickness is at stake, you’re going to want to do everything right when it comes to medical fundraising. Don’t worry – we’re here to share our experience with you. Here’s ten tips to have the most successful medical fundraising campaign possible, so you can focus on what really matters: getting better.
10 Tips for A Successful Medical Fundraising Campaign
1. Get Personal
Personalize your campaign to tell your story. It’s not enough to just ask people to donate to your cause – you need to show them why. Make sure your campaign has a simple, clear title, and plenty of text that takes the viewer along on your journey as they read. Don’t just tell them the name of the illness or injury you’re fighting; tell them how you found out, how it’s affecting your life, and where you’re going from here. Your community wants to support you, so make sure they know where you’re at.
2. Use Visuals
Add pictures and video to help people relate. You’ve probably heard this advice before – we know it’s one we’ve mentioned many times. But that’s because it’s one of the most important things you can do to ensure the success of your campaign. Humans are inherently visual creatures, and images have an impact before the viewer’s even decided whether or not to read your story. However, quality matters, too – images should be clear and appealing, free of blurriness, in the best lighting possible.
Try to include as many images of the recipient and their family as you can, preferably looking right at the camera. These are the types of picture content that will help the viewer to establish an emotional connection with your cause.
3. Update Your Audience
Add frequent updates to your story. Make sure you’re sharing progress, milestones and setbacks with your community of donors. They are invested in seeing your success!
4. Plan an Event
Set up a fundraising event. Reach out in your local community to find venues or businesses that relate to your cause – maybe the campaign recipient is a regular customer there, or they work in the same industry as the recipient does. Ask these businesses to donate their space and time by holding the event there, and potentially make a financial or in-kind donations, such as food or party supplies, as well. The event can raise money through ticket or food and drink sales, as well as by a “donation station” where people can donate via smartphone or laptop.
5. Reach Out Directly
Get in touch with organizations. Is the medical fundraising campaign recipient a member of any local groups like a church, school, club, or sports team? Appeal to these groups directly for donations, and ask them to get involved in any fundraising events you may be holding – or hold their own.
6. Don’t Start at $0
Make sure you line up some donations ahead of time. Even if it’s a small amount, seeing that the campaign isn’t starting at zero will inspire trust in potential donors and encourage them to keep its momentum going.
7. Set SMART Goals
Start with a realistic goal. Once this goal is met, or almost met, you can raise it if need me. Base your goal on insurance copays, uncovered bills, transportation, lost wages, and accommodation. Decide which expenses are of the highest priority and base your initial goal on those – all while telling potential donors exactly where the money is going. A attainable goal will inspire donations as people want to help your campaign get closer and closer to its target.
8. Create A Wish List
Consider creating wish list items. Base these items on your actual needs. Medical equipment, groceries, monthly hospital expenses or rent, if you’re unable to work, are all excellent choices. Being able to directly provide you with these basic necessities will help donors feel and visualize their impact.
9. Use Diverse Methods
Appeal for donations on various platforms. Social media platforms like Facebook are powerful tools for this strategy. Share to communities with whom you may have something in common; for example, sharing a medical fundraising campaign for a child to a parenting group. Also, you might consider good old-fashioned email and phone – these more personal appeals can be very effective!
10. Show Your Gratitude
Say ‘Thank You’! Whether electronically or by snail mail, give out a thank you note for each donation. When your medical fundraising campaign is over, considering holding a thank-you event to show your donors your appreciation.
It all comes down to communication – share your story with your community so they’ll get invested and become donors, and then share and connect with your donors every step of the way.
With these tips, you can make sure your medical fundraising campaign is successful – so you can have the best recovery possible and get back on your feet!
About FundRazr
FundRazr is a crowdfunding platform that eliminates the barriers of raising money online and enables nonprofits and charities, no matter how large or small, to easily run innovative fundraising campaigns for their cause.
