A charity walk has become one of the most popular ways to raise money. Whether you are planning to organize running events or walking alone, this type of event will allow you to raise money and raise awareness of any cause. You can help a friend with medical bills or fund disease research or on behalf of an organization.
Regardless of the number of participants, the location and duration of the walk, there is much to do with the planning of this type of fundraising event. The best way to stay organized while organizing the details of your charity walk career is to create a website with integrated electronic commerce and fundraising capabilities, that states the purpose of your fundraising. Your website will be the place of access for all those interested in visiting and knowing your cause, the details of your event and how to participate, donate and sponsor you.
You should consider the following when planning a charity walk:
Route
If you are going to walk around your neighborhood, in a park or around your city, you must trace the route in advance. You must consider the age group and the physical abilities of its participants. Security should always be a primary concern. Consider the amount of traffic and the number of crossroads. There are several legalities to consider since sometimes you require special permits – so, you should check in advance.
Marketing
To get participants, donors and sponsors, you will need to spread the word about your event. You can use traditional forms of advertising, such as flyers and radio ads; however, today, the easiest and most effective way to raise awareness is through social networks. You can tweet about your cause and event. You can create a Facebook event page with information on how to participate and contribute and a link to your website.
Registration
You can easily do the collection of participant information and registration fees online with your walk event website. This not only simplifies things for organizers but is also much more convenient for registrants. Because of this, they can quickly complete a form and pay the registration fee online with their credit card. TIP: Create a custom registration form to collect the necessary information. Keep it short. The easier the registration process, the more likely it is that people are willing to register
Fundraising
Your website will make raising charity funds so easy! Whenever an individual register to participate, they can automatically access their own personal fundraising page that they can personalize with colorful text and images. It allows them to set their own fundraising goal and share with their network of family, friends and colleagues.
Those who want to support their cause can do so by visiting their fundraising website. Donors can make contributions directly from the website and personal fundraising pages of the participants with their credit card. People are more likely to donate more money with the added convenience of donating online.
Sponsorships
The purpose of your fundraising event is to raise as much money as possible. Therefore, you want to limit your expenses. The best way to do this is to get food, drinks and prizes at your event for free. Potential sponsors are everywhere. You can ask your local supermarket, restaurants and network if they are willing to support your cause in exchange for exposure at your event. You can also present different sponsorship opportunities, including offering memorial bricks on your website and offer people the possibility to buy these sponsorship packages online.
Constant communication You
You want always to continue to create enthusiasm about your event as you get closer. You can send broadcast emails to all registrants with tips on how to raise funds and train for walking, contest information and prizes, what to bring and use for the event, and more.
It is also a good idea to update all those people who are interested in your cause by sending an electronic newsletter (to participants, donors and sponsors before and after the event) with information, news and articles on the cause. It also shows how much money has been raised until the date, where the funds are going, progress and updates, etc.
Volunteers
Regardless of how big or small your event is, you will need volunteers to help you prepare, act as cross guards, direct walkers, distribute food and water, etc. You can ask anyone to volunteer since people are generally happy to help for a good cause. TIP: You can have a volunteer page on your website so visitors can find out where help is needed.
After the event
After your event, you should send thank you emails to everyone involved (participants, sponsors, donors, volunteers). It is always a good idea to send periodic updates on how the money raised has helped the cause.
If your charity walk is going to be an annual event, then you want to encourage people to sign up to participate again and get sponsors as soon as possible. TIP: Offer a discounted rate for early registration or per returning participant for people to register early! You can also consider submitting a survey requesting comments and considering suggestions for an even better event the following.
Conclusion
Coming up with a charity walk is a lot of work. However, the reward you get in the end is highly satisfying. Plan everything online for your fundraising campaign to make your life so much easier. Your website can help you reach a lot of people.
