1. Plan your fundraiser

The ASF offers a range of resources to make planning for success easy. Check out our calendar to properly time to launch of your campaign and find the rest of our resources.

2. Build your story

Your story is what will make people what to donate. Keep it concise and build an emotional tie to your cause. Get more tips for building your story here.

3. Create a snappy project name

Keep your project’s name as short as possible while still making sure it’s eye catching. Not sure where to begin? Get inspo from other projects currently using the ASF platform.    

4. Carefully select your images

Use high resolution photos that will help you to sell your story and ensure your logo also fits the required specs.

For reference, the required sizes for images and logos are:
Project logo: 400 x 400 pixels
Thumbnail and Gallery Images: 900 x 600 pixels

5. Think about who and how you will ask

Work on identifying any potential high net worth donors within your club, network or community (e.g. local businesses) and consider taking a different approach. For a broad network, an email or a social media post may be enough to get the message across, but for bigger donors, you may want to get more personal. At the very least, give them a ring and make the ask directly, but better yet, meet them in person – it’s much harder to say no face-to-face.

6. Consider how you’ll get your project seen

We have more than 1000 projects on the platform at any time – unfortunately, simply creating a project doesn’t guarantee you’ll get donations. Think about how you’ll get your fundraiser in front of potential donors.
Some options include:

• Social media

• Emails to your club’s contacts

• Newsletters

• Speaking with local media

• Promoting your online fundraiser at in-person events

Wherever you decide to promote your project, make sure there is a clear ‘call to action’. ASK for donations, and always include the link to make it easy.

7. Plan how you’ll manage your donor relationship

Research shows that by simply saying ‘thank you’, you increase the likelihood of a donor giving again by 50%. But donor stewardship shouldn’t end there. To encourage further donations, continue to keep them updated on your project’s progress or if you need more help reaching your target, don’t be afraid to ask again.

8. Review, refresh, re-engage

Make sure to regularly review and update your project page to keep potential donors engaged.

9. Involve the community

Fundraising shouldn’t fall on just one person. Ensure your club members and community are informed about the project and encourage them to promote it with their network.