Nov 18, 2022
Personal Fundraising, Weddings and Honeymoons
Crowdfund Your Wedding – A Guide to Fundraising for Your Big Day
Crowdfunding a wedding is becoming an increasingly popular way for couples to...
Read moreWhen a family or friend is in need, it’s natural to want to help. This article will guide you through how to fundraise for your loved one.
Crowdfunding to help a friend or family member is an amazing gesture. Whether they are facing unexpected medical costs, legal costs, have a business that is undergoing hardship, or are in need of money for another personal cause, a fundraising campaign can be life-changing.
Our website has seen many people raise funds on behalf of friends and family, but did you know these causes often raise more money than those started by the individual themselves? Let’s take a look at why that is.
Our years of experience and feedback from fundraisers suggests that when a campaign is created for someone else, it immediately strikes a cord with potential donors. It connects with our deepest sense of humanity and often ignites our compassion, and urge to help others.
Think about it; If a parent has lost a child in a busy area, people they don’t know will automatically start helping or comforting them. They want to help and support the person asking for help, AND they want to help the person who is the subject of concern.
Often when campaigns are raising funds for a loved one, they will begin the campaign without them even knowing – which is understandable. There is no guarantee with crowdfunding, so this eliminates the risk of building false hope. It’s common to start a crowdfunding campaign discreetly, and later let the person you’re trying to help know when the campaign is building momentum or has reached its target.
Please note: if you are not directly associated with the intended recipient of the funds or are aware that they do not wish their issue to become the subject of a fundraising campaign, you should respect their wishes. Don’t go ahead unless you feel sure that they would be happy with your actions.
We suspect that part of the success of campaigns such as these is the excitement around raising money for someone who doesn’t know what’s being done. Imagine their surprise when they realise that the financial burden they thought they had no longer exists – and you were a part of that happening!
We regularly receive emails from people in desperate situations, asking for help or guidance with raising funds to help themselves. However, they are so constricted by their situation that they don’t have the time or energy to focus on managing a fundraising campaign. This can lead to a downward spiral of despair. When we suggest asking someone close to help with the campaign, it’s as if the curtain has been lifted, and they start to realise they don’t HAVE to do it alone.
So how do you go about starting a fundraiser for a family or friend in need? Thankfully, our website makes it quick and easy. Here’s how:
It really is as easy as that!
When you’re raising money for someone other than yourself, potential donors who don’t know you very well might have concerns about where their money is going. For example, they might wonder if the beneficiary will actually receive all of the funds raised.
As your fundraising link can quickly spread out of your immediate network, it’s important to alleviate these concerns so that you can raise as much money as possible. These steps will help you do that:
1. Explain who you are and your relationship to the person you’re raising money for. People who don’t know you well will want to feel confident you are connected to the recipient.
2. Explain when and how the money will be sent to the beneficiary. Providing proof of this with simple things such as receipts, order confirmations, or transaction confirmation notices in the update section of your campaign should satisfy any query.
3. If the person you’re raising money for is aware of the campaign, you can connect their bank account or PayPal account directly to the campaign. This reassures donors that their money is going directly to the person in question.
4. Use the updates feature to keep everyone up to date with the campaign’s progress. Once people donate, they become emotionally invested in the cause. Keeping them updated can help them to feel involved and appreciated.
Start as soon as possible – The sooner you start fundraising for a cause friends and family have just learned about, the more quickly it is likely to be successful. This is due to two very important factors:
Friends and family will simply want to help financially as quickly as possible (obviously).
They are also more likely to share the campaign with their friends and colleagues while the campaign is a focus of attention.
Gather your team – If you have supportive friends or family with skills that can help your campaign grow quickly and successfully, don’t be afraid to ask for help. This may even be more valuable to your cause than a donation from them, particularly if they are great at social media, event planning or contacting local media sources to help with exposure.
Take time to create your campaign – We know what it is like when facing an emergency, you want to get things moving quickly. However, from our experience, campaigns that tell a clear, well thought out appeal and use a good quality photo or photos raise more money. This is for several reasons:
It looks more professional and trusted.
It looks more appealing, meaning donors will stay longer on your page.
It is more likely to be shared (we cannot emphasise enough how important this is).
It is a fact that media outlets such as newspapers and magazines, like well-presented campaigns, so if you have a campaign that you need to reach as wide an audience as possible, think of the long term.
Be considerate – ask permission – We know you want to do something amazing! All of your potential donors want to help, but please, wherever possible gain the permission of the friend or family member (or someone who can speak for them if they are incapacitated). This is not only respectful, but it will help cut any duplicity (they may already be planning to fundraise elsewhere), it also reduces the risk of fraud and prevents confusion for donors.
Test. Test. Test – You’ve got your amazing campaign, but no-one has tested it to see if it works. This can quite literally kill a campaign. If you put all of your effort into a launch and then no-one is able to donate, they may not try again – even if you resolve any issues.
Sharing is caring – This couldn’t be more true. There are heaps of ways to share your campaign – SMS, messenger services, social media, email, word of mouth, work newsletters, school newsletters, flyers, and hosting fundraising events. You don’t have to do all this yourself. If you don’t have social media, just tell a few friends who do, and get them on board with getting the word out.
Consider nominating a person to receive/manage funds – We have had rare cases where fundraisers have raised funds for a terminally ill patient (for example), and arranged for funds to go directly to their bank account, however, the patient sadly died. So, even though funds were sent to their bank account, they could not be accessed by family until all legal proceedings were completed. The same applies if you are raising funds to help someone out of debt, or any other case where allowing a person direct access to the funds raised for them could be considered a risk.
Consider private fundraising – Private fundraising is an amazing way to raise funds without the cause being open to the public. Using our privacy options, means only those closest to you can access the campaign and make their donation discreetly.
Consider support campaigns – Sometimes you actually want to get as many people involved as possible! Perhaps some people want to fundraise in their own special way. One person may want to do a headshave, another may want to do a marathon, another may want to just do a collection in work and ask for donation matching from the company. Support campaigns are the perfect option. They are linked directly to your main campaign, so all funds go automatically to your campaign, but people can create their fundraising campaign and tailor it exactly the way they want to run it.
Bonus Tip: Love knowing you are doing something awesome – If you’ve never fundraised before (most people on our site haven’t), get ready to feel empowered by the power of fundraising for a cause close to your heart. You are helping to change someone’s life for the better. Be proud of that.
While fundraising for a loved one in need is amazing, there are also other ways to help:
Raising money for a friend or family in need can go a long way, and the sooner you start, the better. You could really change someone’s life for the better!
Ready to go now? Go ahead and create your fundraiser – it’s quick, easy and free to start.
Need some inspiration? Discover great fundraisers.
I'm Ann-Marie, I'm 32 and a passionate freelance blogger and writer. I live in Scotland with my husband and lots of pets. My favourite things are bright coloured hair, animals, hiking, writing and anything creative!
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Сomments
Ms. Ann-Marie, I meant to thank you in helping me understand parts of the process of seeking help for a loved one. I am trying to learn how to do this because I have a dear friend who needs the help. He had lost his mother and needs the help to get on his feet and become more independent, especially for raising money for payment of work clothes and hospital bills. Most of all, I really appreciate your help in clarifying ways to healthily raise money for loved ones. Thank you.