FUNDRAISING TIPS
This year and every year, family, friends, neighbours and communities across Canada join together to raise funds to support mental health awareness and to promote discussion around depression, and other mood disorders.
Our fundraising events include walks, runs, rides and other physical and social activities hosted in cities and towns across Canada. funds raised through these activities support local community organizations and national mental health resources for all Canadians affected by mental illness and their families.
YOUR PROFILE
Register, sign in and PERSONALIZE your web page!
Customize your personal fundraising webpage tell your friends, family and colleagues why you are supporting Defeat Depression and how they can support you by making a donation.
Customize your profile:
Add photos, videos, and details of your event. Set your fundraising goal. Share your journey to defeat depression!
Import your email contacts:
Import your contacts and email your personalized webpage. Invite your friends & family to join your team. ask people to pledge and help you reach your fundraising goal. Invite them to join your team!
Manage your fundraising:
Use your Participant Centre to monitor and track your fundraising activity. send emails and thank you notes to donors using the follow-ups tool.
Approach local businesses to sponsor your event and show
how they support mental health. For help visit our
SPONSORS PAGE
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JOIN US
Host your own event:
plan your own walk, run or other fun event!
Sign up to participate with an existing event in your community:
Find an event near you on our Locations page!
Create a team:
Be a team leader at your local event and invite your friends to join.
Join an existing team:
Sign up to join your friends’ team.
Pledge yourself and get the ball rolling. Ask your
friends, family and coworkers to match your pledge or better!
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HAVE FUN!
Whether you’re raising money as an individual or as a team, these ideas can help you get closer to your fundraising goal and have fun doing it!
Host a Tag Day!
Collect funds at your local establishments.
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Have a BBQ or yard sale
All proceeds support your team.
Sports tournament:
Consider softball, volleyball, golf, capture the flag, basketball or ultimate Frisbee. Get creative!
Games night:
Get people on their feet for a game of charades, Trivia or Pictionary! Put this on the list for your next family fun night!
Donate your birthday:
Ask friends and family to donate to Defeat Depression in honour of your birthday. Customize your personal page as your party invite!
Stretch and snack:
Get co-workers away from their desks for a 10-minute stretch and a delicious
snack. Ask for a ‘give what you can’ donation to support the campaign.
Challenge another team:
A little competition goes a long way…challenge another department, business
or team to a fundraising competition!
SOCIAL MEDIA
Tell everyone you know about your event. ask them to join your team. invite them to donate to help you reach your goal and share your fundraising page with their friends too. Remember to include important event details in your emails and postings such as the event date, location or instructions on how they can join your team. Be sure to thank supporters when they make donations for you.
Update your FACEBOOK status and tell others why you’re passionate about Defeating Depression! Share photos, updates, and the link to your page. The Defeat Depression campaign staff will create a FACEBOOK page for your event. get your friends to ‘like’ it and link to the Defeat Depression page.
Share your story and promote your defeat depression campaign on TWITTER, Instagram and Snapchat. Be sure to mention us in your posts. ask your followers to share your posts, donate and get people talking about mental health.
Link your online fundraising page in your email signature: “This spring lets Defeat Depression! Support me as I help reduce stigma and raise awareness!”
Ask your employer to
match your fundraising
You could double
your money
raised!
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Fundraising Top Tips
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Set an easy goal and raise it later. Start with a goal of $200 and once this is hit raise the goal! Beating the goal is something you can share on social media encouraging more donations.
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The first donation should be your own. An opening tally above $20 is a great start, and leading the charge of donations by example has an escalating effect on the final dollar amount.
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Ask for set amounts. If you ask for $30 donations you are likely to achieve $30 donations as opposed to $5 or $10 donations. Use the power of setting dynamic donation amounts. They work!
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Use social media channels and email. Peer-to-peer fundraising and social media are a match made in heaven, however, it is only a part of, the campaign story. Email asks can achieve more fundraising success than social. This is all trial and case by case, but don’t forget to ask by email.
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If you can’t stomach it, you don’t have to ask for donations. Just talk about the activity. Starting a conversation about the mental health and what inspired you to take a stand, why you think it’s important enough to donate your time. Once you get your friends talking about your efforts and get a few donations – Your confidence to ask for support grows.
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Tell your story, why did you chose to Defeat Depression? So many people have a personal connection with mental health. The story of why you got involved can make the difference with your friends, family and coworkers. Making the story personal will connect with more potential givers.
Adapted from Frontstream (Top 10 Tips)