FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT
FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT THANK YOU! We are so excited that you have registered to participate in Cycle for STEM! Together, we are raising awareness that a solid STEM education is essential to maintaining our Nation's position as a world leader and that STEM education offers students a bright future in the American workforce. America’s strength is dependent on the fact that as a nation we have never shirked from investing in our young people and have constantly worked to build a new generation of the “best and the brightest.” Since its founding, shaping a stronger and more secure future for America has been the goal of our AFCEA Educational Foundation. Our Foundation’s activities aim to inspire academic excellence, promote leadership qualities and put young people on the path to success. We are 100% focused in providing education assistance – as much as $2 million in scholarships annually—to military veterans, ROTC Students, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students and teachers. This year, the Foundation is celebrating its 35th anniversary. In these 35 years, our nation has witnessed an inspiring era of phenomenal technological breakthroughs. We’re proud to have played a role in backing many of the people who have helped achieve these astonishing results. Throughout our proud history AFCEA Educational Foundation has never stopped investing in a smarter, stronger America. More than ever, the challenge continues. LET’S GET STARTED Pg. 4 HOW TO RAISED $500 IN 7 DAYS Pg. 5 FUNDRAISING LETTERS & EMAILS Pg. 6 MAKE IT SOCIAL Pg. 9 QUICK & EASY FUNDRAISING IDEAS Pg. 10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Pg. 11 LET’S GET STARTED Fundraising is easy! Here are three steps to getting started. STEP 1 Customize your fundraising page by adding photos. Share with your donors why you have chosen to Cycle for STEM. People respond to personal stories. Update your goal to reflect your fundraising commitment. Update your Facebook page and Twitter feed. Make the first donation and encourage others to match that donation. Don’t forget to mention that donations are 100% tax deductible! STEP 2 STEP 3 Send out an email to everyone in your contact list. Emails pile up and people might forget. Send a follow up email, text or phone call. Send them a text message or tweet Make sure to tell them why you are supporting the AFCEA Educational Foundation. Don’t forget to ask them to donate— suggest a donation amount ($20 or $25) and include a link to your fundraising page. Mention again that all donations are taxdeductible! Carry donation forms with you when you are out running errands. Hand them out to local businesses you frequent like the barber, nail salon, pizza parlor and pub. Stay positive and believe in your reason for fundraising. Don’t feel guilty about asking for donations— people want to support those causes you are passionate about. Check your fundraising progress regularly by checking your fundraising page. Keep Facebook and Twitter updated with your fundraising progress Don’t forget to send out Thank You letters to all your donors. HOW TO RAISED $500 IN 7 DAYS Are you wondering “how can I raise money for the AFCEA Education Foundation? It isn’t as difficult as you might think. Consider all the individuals in your life – those from your family, work, church, etc. Once you begin to identify individuals then you are able to outreach to them for support. Making a difference in JUST 7 DAYS could not be easier Use the guidelines below to help you raise $500. DAY 1: Sponsor yourself first $ 25.00 DAY 2: Ask 4 family members to sponsor you for $25 each $100.00 DAY 3: Ask 5 co-workers to contribute $15 each $ 75.00 DAY 4: Ask 5 friends to contribute $20 each $100.00 DAY 5: Ask 5 neighbors to sponsor you for $15 $ 75.00 DAY 6: Ask your boss for a company contribution of $50 $ 50.00 DAY 7: Ask 3 businesses you frequent for a donation of $25 each $ 75.00 CONGRATULATIONS YOU’VE JUST RAISED $500 IN 7 DAYS!!!! FUNDRAISING LETTERS & EMAILS The key to a successful letter campaign is writing a good letter. Here are some suggestions for writing a successful fundraising letter: 1. Grab your holiday card list or your wedding invitee list and begin writing! Letters can expand your donor base to people you may not see on a regular basis. Send them the letter and let them decide. Check with your family for relatives and people who knew you as a child. Do not hesitate to include casual acquaintances, as they will understand that you are seeking donations for a worthy cause. 2. Put your HEART into you letter. Tell them why you are doing this. Don't include too many facts and figures; instead include your personal story of why you have taken on this task. Someone will donate to you because they know you and want to support your reasons for doing this . 3. Include a call to action. Don't just tell them what you are doing, ask for their help. Include your personal fundraising goal in the letter, and suggest giving levels. Do not diminish your request by being apologetic or by saying something similar to "I hope you can donate something". 4. Make it easy to donate. Include a return envelope for them to send their donation to you. Label the envelopes with your address. It is nice to include a stamp on the return envelope. 5. Provide a description of AFCEA Educational Foundation and tell your story - show your passion for our mission. 6. Ask donors to make checks payable to the AFCEA Educational Foundation include your name and "Cycle for STEM” in the memo line. 7. Set a deadline. People are always motivated by deadlines. We give you a deadline for your own fundraising, but we recommend that you set a deadline earlier than that date. This way you can assess your fundraising and revise your plan if needed before the actual deadline. 8. Send a reminder. Keep a list of those who send in donations. Send a reminder to those what have not yet donated. Include training updates in your reminder, and let them know that fundraising is going well, but you still have a bit farther to go. Sometimes, reminder letters are more successful than original letters for bringing in the money. 9. Send a "thank you" card. "Thanks" is a powerful word. It is nice to receive a note acknowledging the importance of a donation, no matter the amount. Staying in communication develops a rapport that will have many added benefits, from closer bonds of friendship to continued support for another season of Cycle for STEM. SAMPLE FUNDRAISING LETTER/EMAIL Dear <Name>, I recently signed up to participate in the AFCEA Educational Foundations Cycle for STEM challenge bike ride. I am very excited to be contributing to a great cause and participating in this challenging event. The goal of this year's ride is to raise $75,000 so that we might continue to invest in classroom teachers who are providing innovative STEM learning opportunities in their classrooms as well as academically talented undergraduate and graduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). My personal goal is to raise <$$> through this event. I would like for you to join me in supporting this great cause by making a contribution toward my fundraising efforts. The AFCEA Educational Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, so any donation you make will be tax deductible. The U.S. will have more than 1.2 million job openings in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related occupations by 2018. These include jobs in technology management, digital forensics, bioinformatics, electrical and chemical engineering, and foreign languages. Yet there are significant shortages of qualified individuals to fill these careers. The AFCEA Educational Foundation’s activities aim to develop critical thinkers, increase technical literacy, enable the next generation of innovators, and put young people on paths to success. They are 100% focused on providing educational assistance – as much as $2 million in scholarships annually with AFCEA Chapters and AFCEA International combined – to military veterans, wounded warriors, ROTC students, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students and teachers. I believe in the work that the AFCEA Educational Foundation is doing, investing in our young people who have constantly worked to build a new generation of the “best and the brightest.” I hope that you will join me in supporting them. You can donate toward my fundraising by visiting my personal webpage at <http://…> or by mailing a check made out to the AFCEA Educational Foundation to my address at <…>. Thanks in advance for your generosity and willingness to join the movement to create awareness that a solid STEM education is essential to maintaining our position as a world leader and to our national defense - creating critical thinkers, increasing technical literacy, and enabling the next generation of innovators. Sincerely, <Your Signature> P.S. For more information about the AFCEA Educational Foundation please visit http://www.afcea.org/ education/scholarships. For more information about Cycle for STEM or to donate online, please visit http://www.afcea.org/events/cycleforstem/14/. FUNDRASING FOLLOW-UP & THANK YOU’S Sending follow-up emails, letters, and calls to your donors is one of the most important components of a successful fundraising plan. Do not be surprised if you have to follow up 3-4 times with your donors until you receive a donation. Do not get discouraged and do not think you are a pest - chances are they were busy and forgot. Timely and effective reminder communications are key! Sample Follow Up Letter/Email Dear <Name> I need your help! As you know, I have joined Cycle for STEM to support the AFCEA Educational Foundation because <insert personal story>. The largest donor this week will get recognition on my personal webpage as well as on Facebook and Twitter. And anyone who donates this week will get their name on my team shirt. By working together, we can give deserving students and teachers the necessary education and resources to be successful both inside and outside the classroom. You can give by visiting my personal webpage at <http://…> or by mailing a check made out to the AFCEA Educational Foundation to my address at <…>. No donation is too small…every penny counts and there is still time to support STEM education. Sincerely, <Your Signature> Sample Thank You Letter/Email Dear <Name>, On behalf of the AFCEA Educational Foundation, thank you for supporting me of the inaugural AFCEA Cycle for STEM bicycle ride that took place July 13-19. <Insert your best story or stories from the ride.> This event would not have been a success without the generous support you have provided us throughout. Thanks to you, I raised <$ > to support scholarships, grants and awards to academically talented students studying in a technical field, and to classroom teachers providing innovative STEM learning opportunities in their classrooms; at the same time, you helped raise awareness that a solid STEM education is essential to maintaining the Nation’s position as a world leader and that STEM education offers students a bright future in our Nation’s workforce. I deeply appreciate the willingness with which you have and hope you will continue to support our efforts to engage the global community in dynamic learning environments that foster technical innovation and thoughtful leadership; develop collaborative partnerships that create learning opportunities in the STEM disciplines; and educate the next generation of leaders by providing the critical training and financial resources necessary to succeed in tomorrow’s workplace. Thank you again! <Signature> PS: To see pictures from the ride, check out <Fliker or Tumbler> at <insert link>. MAKE IT SOCIAL Leveraging social media increases fundraising totals by up to 40%! Facebook—Post It! Start a Facebook group to get the word out about your fundraising. Invite your friends and update this page frequently with your progress on both training and fundraising. Include a link to your personal fundraising page each time you post an update. Tag people who have contributed to your fundraising. Twitter—Tweet it! Tweet weekly about your commitment to your Cycle for STEM fundraising goal. Include a link to your personal fundraising page so people can follow you. Follow up with people on Twitter with email or tweets about your fundraising. Use the hashtag #C4STEM Blog About It! Participate in our blog, cycleforstem.tumber.com Provide updates on your training and fundraising. Invite your donors to be add a blog post sharing why they are supporting you and Cycle for STEM. Message—Text it! Send an introductory text message to your friends asking for their email if they wish to know more about Cycle for STEM. Send a text asking people to donate – include the URL for your fundraising page. Send a quick text message to the donor right after their make their donation. Thank them right on the spot. QUICK AND EASY FUNDRAISING IDEAS The Key is to Ask! Unless you ask, the answer will always be no. Watch Party: Grab the opportunity to turn an ordinary football, hockey or basketball game into a fundraising event. Host a watch party at your house and ask for a donation from each attendee. Make it Special: Request donations to your fundraising page instead of a birthday gift. Yard Sale: Use spring cleaning as a way to raise funds. Sell old books and games and put the earnings towards your goal. (Ask your friends and neighbors to pitch in.) Jeans Day: Ask your coworkers to make a $5 donation in exchange for wearing jeans to work (be sure to check with your HR department). Perform a free service for donations: Rake leaves, shovel snow, take care of a pet. When offering your service, ask the person who benefited from your actions for a donation toward your worthy cause. Car Wash: With a group of friends, set up a car wash in the parking lot of your school, church, or public area. (Be sure to ask for permission and make sure that people are careful of moving cars). Jellybean count: Fill a jar with jellybeans and have people pay to guess how many there are in the jar. Change It – Start a competition between classes, families or individuals by giving them each a coin jar to collect change for a designated amount of time. The one with the most collected wins a prize. Board Game Tournament: Pick a favorite, such as Monopoly. Assemble 4 person teams that will work together to accumulate points or you can allow individuals to participate. Charge an entry fee for each team. Office Olympics: Paperclip chain jump rope, office chair races, post-it origami contests. Entry fees. Enough said. Wishing Well: Nobody can resist dropping a quarter or two into a wishing well. To be effective, the well needs to be in a high-traffic area. Video Game Tournament: Think you are the best gamer among your friends? Prove it! Charge entry fees and have a concession stand and settle. Bake Sale: Put your Grandma’s favorite cookie recipe to good use and host a bake sale. Sponsor Your Miles: Ask friends, family, neighbors, everyone to sponsor a mile or multiple of miles. For example: $1 per mile. Frequently Asked Questions AFCEA Educational Foundation is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization organized under the laws of the District of Columbia. Tax ID: 54-1115312. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by federal law. The Foundation invests 85% of its resources on program related activities. The Foundation supports classroom teachers; undergraduate and graduate students; ROTC cadets; and veterans and wounded warriors through scholarships, awards and grants. The AFCEA Educational Foundation believes a solid STEM education is essential to maintaining our position as a world leader and to our national defense. Since 2009, the Foundation has invested over $1.3 million in support to classroom teachers who are providing innovative STEM learning opportunities in their classrooms – directly impacting over 60,000 middle and high school students. Collectively, AFCEA International, the AFCEA Educational Foundation, and AFCEA Chapters invest approximately $2 million annually in scholarships to military veterans, wounded warriors, ROTC students, and STEM students and teachers. MAIL: AFCEA Educational Foundation 4400 Fair Lakes Court Fairfax, VA 22033-3899 PHONE: (703) 631-6149 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: CycleForSTEM.afcea.org
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