How to raise money to support a family in need
When a family you know is struggling, it’s natural to want to lend a hand. Maybe the family needs help as they deal with an illness or death, or perhaps a parent is struggling with unemployment. If you aren’t exactly sure how to raise money to support families in need, crowdfunding empowers you to make a difference in a low-pressure way.
7 fundraising tips on how to help a family in need
Wondering how to give to a family in need? With the tips below, you can learn how to create a fundraiser that will meet your goals.
1. Speak to the family directly
Reach out to the family you’d like to help and ask how they’re coping with their situation. If they talk about particular challenges, respectfully ask about how financial support could help ease their burden.
You can direct them to government advice about financial support too. There’s several ways they could get support from the government, depending on their criteria and circumstances.
Single parents can also get support from government sources, which could be valuable.
Ask if the family is comfortable with you crowdfunding on their behalf. You’ll need to tell potential donors why their contributions are vital to this family, so you’ll need to understand exactly how the funds will be used by the family. Then you’ll be able to explain how and why the support will make a difference when it comes time to write your fundraiser story. Take a cue from public radio stations, which do a great job of answering the “why” in their fundraising drives. Why is this fundraiser needed? What could happen if people don’t contribute?
Here are a few examples of people fundraising for a family in need:
- Together for Patrick
- Help Raise Money for Aimee’s Family
- New parents both diagnosed with Cancer!
- Kie’s Little Helpers
- Patrick and Ciera’s Children
For additional inspiration and tips, read our blog post about how to help your community with crowdfunding.
2. Give your fundraiser a title that inspires action
The title of your fundraiser is your first chance to introduce people to the family you’re helping. Include the last name of the family in the title to make it unique. Additionally, consider including the word “family” and a modifier word that helps explain the situation or type of help needed. For example, “Help the Ford Family Fight Cancer.”
Try creating a title that’s simple, draws interest, and inspires people to take action. Find more fundraising tips in our post about crafting a fundraiser title.
3. Write a compelling fundraiser story
Your fundraiser story is your opportunity to introduce the family to potential donors. This is also the time to explain how their financial contributions would make a difference. Some tips to keep in mind:
- Explain your relationship to the family, so there’s no confusion among donors about why you’re managing the fundraiser.
- It may not always be clear to others how to help a family in crisis. Aside from monetary donations, are there other ways people can contribute? List those, too.
- Provide a breakdown of how donations will be used. People will be more likely to donate when they understand how the funds will help.
- Your fundraiser description length influences donations, so be sure to write more than 400 words.
- Don’t forget to ask the family for feedback on your story before sharing it.
See our post with tips for writing your fundraiser story for more pointers.
4. Add photos and/or videos
Everyone loves a good story—and every good story needs captivating images and videos to be complete. Photos and videos that make an emotional impact help donors connect with a family and its needs and offer more clarity on their situation. Ask the family if they are comfortable with you sharing a few photos to help add a visual element to their fundraiser story.
For more information on adding visual content to your fundraiser, read our posts with fundraising tips for using an image and video:
- Why the Right Images for your Fundraiser are the Key to Success
- Everything You Need to Make a Powerful Fundraising Video
5. Reach out to close friends and family first
The first few days are critical and can greatly influence how successful your fundraiser will be in the long run. First, share your fundraiser with a few close friends and ask for their feedback. Since people are more likely to donate to a fundraiser if they see others have already donated, it’s a good idea to secure a few solid donations before blasting the fundraiser over social media.
Another way to bring in donations right off the bat is to send a personal fundraising letter to those closest to the family. If you need some help coming up with the right words, take advantage of fundraising email templates.
6. Create a plan to share your fundraiser
Sharing your fundraiser again and again is a huge part of any fundraising plan. Once you’ve gained some initial momentum, you’ll want to share your fundraiser with everyone you know.
- Spread the word on any social media platform where you’re active, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
- Regularly post messages that invite others to donate to the family.
- Always include your fundraiser link, and ask people to share it with their contacts as well.
- If any friends on social media donated, “tag” them in a thank-you post to publicly show your gratitude.
To learn more about the best ways to share your cause, read our post that has fundraising tips for social media. To get more information on how to use specific social media platforms, read our posts about Facebook fundraising and Twitter fundraising.
7. Throw a fun and effective fundraising event
When it comes to fundraising without social media, a fundraising event is a fantastic way to spread awareness for your cause. From potlucks to car washes, there are countless fundraising event ideas to rally the community together for the family in need.
Start helping families in need today
All it takes to touch someone’s life is for one individual to step up and take action. Thankfully, making a difference by helping families doesn’t require hours of work or elaborate plans. There are ways to help families in need through crowdfunding. You can create a fundraiser on GoFundMe within minutes and begin raising money for a family in need right away. With our fundraising platform, the family you’re helping can keep even more of their donations, and you can even have the money sent directly to them. Sign up today to get started.