Fundraising Tips

Fundraising for Not My Roof is designed to be easy. Once you complete registration, you will have access to an online fundraising page where friends, family, and co-workers can donate to support your fundraising efforts. You will also receive a suite of tools ranging from pre-written email and social media donation requests to images and posters you can share and display. Most participants will fundraise by posting a short note and link to their online fundraising page on Facebook or Instagram (there’s even an option to connect a Facebook fundraiser to your page) and by sending out emails to friends and family.

THE BASICS OF FUNDRAISING

What is peer-to-peer fundraising?
Peer-to-peer fundraising (also known as “Friends asking Friends”) is a method of fundraising that motivates supporters to fundraise on behalf of a cause, as opposed to an organization asking for donations directly. In this case, you are asking your peers to contribute to support homeless children and youth in our community.

How will you and your peers support the cause?
Safe Harbor can’t solve youth homelessness alone. We need champions, messengers, and storytellers to help us move our mission forward. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way to reach new networks of people and gain new donors. You are now a part of Safe Harbor’s narrative and your outreach on our behalf will bring new attention to the vital programs and services of Safe Harbor Center.

How much do I need to fundraise?
Although there is no minimum to raise, we ask that each participant do their best to raise as much as they can.  Each dollar raised will go toward supporting efforts to provide shelter and essential services for homeless youth. We recommend setting a personal fundraising goal of $250-500.  You decide.  Once registered, Safe Harbor will provide each participant his or her own personal fundraising webpage and all the tools & resources needed to reach your goal.

SEVEN STEPS TO BOOST YOUR FUNDRAISING SUCCESS

Step 1: Set up your fundraising page
Once you are registered, a fundraising page will automatically be created for you on our fundraising platform.  You will receive an email with your username, password, and link to your personal fundraising page.  Your first step is to personalize your page so that it reflects who you are. You can add your photo and edit the existing text to customize your message.

Step 2:  Make a self-donation
Donate to your own fundraiser to get the momentum started and set the tone. Fundraisers who make a self-donation are proven to raise more than those who don’t.

Step 3:  Ask everyone
When you are fundraising, you need to ask everyone you come into contact with in the course of a day, a week, a month or a year. And we mean everyone: your friends and family, your neighbors, your local delivery driver, your barista, literally everyone! Be sure to ask anyone you pay for a service, like your doctor, your dentist, or your dog’s veterinarian.

Step 4:  Use Email
The most effective way to raise money is to send emails to your connections. When sending emails to your friends, family or co-workers, your friends and family will receive an email educating them on the youth homeless crisis with a direct link to your personal donation page. You can use the sample email text provided below or customize the message. Donors receive an email confirmation of their gift which can be printed and used as a receipt for tax purposes.

Step 5:  Ask BIG
If you ask someone for $10 you will probably get $10. But if you ask for $100 or $200 you might get it, or a smaller amount like $50; they probably won’t donate just $10. You don’t lose anything if someone gives less than you ask. But you are losing out on big donations if you don’t ask for very much. Remember — you are doing something BIG here. So ask BIG.

Step 6:  Use social media
Direct donors to your fundraising page on social media. By linking directly to your fundraiser you make it easy for them to donate, and their gift can be just one click away.

Step 7:  Follow up
Haven’t heard back from someone you asked for a donation? Reach out again! We’re all busy, and a reminder can help ensure that you don’t lose any opportunities. Be sure to include a link to your personal page!

SAMPLE EMAIL TO REQUEST DONATIONS

You can simply copy and paste the email message below and send to your friends, family, and co-workers.  Feel free to edit to give it a personal touch.

Subject:  I Am Giving Up My Bed So That Youth Facing Homelessness Can Sleep Safely and Dream Big!

Dear Friends,

I have recently accepted the challenge to give up the comforts of my home for one night to sleep outside – vulnerable, exposed, and uncomfortable – so that youth facing homelessness can sleep safely and dream big at Safe Harbor Center.

On Friday, December 3rd, I, along with other concerned citizens will be participating in Safe Harbor’s Not My Roof campaign. Not My Roof is a sleep-out event designed to spread awareness about the youth homelessness crisis and raise urgently needed funds for Safe Harbor Center, providing food, shelter, crisis care, and essential services to young adults experiencing homelessness.

Much like communities throughout the state of Georgia, Glynn County and surrounding communities are struggling with high levels of poverty and homelessness, especially among children and youth. In fact, it is estimated that 40% of our homeless population is under the age of 18. They are our community’s invisible homeless population, unsheltered — sleeping outdoors, in parks, on the street, in vehicles, abandoned buildings, under bridges, and other places not meant for human habitation. The longer young individuals remain homeless, the greater the risk that they will be trapped on the streets where they are vulnerable to become victims of crime, hunger, illness, mental health issues and dying prematurely.

Therefore, I am turning to you to ask for your generous support. please consider making a donation to Safe Harbor Center and help me reach my personal fundraising goal.

You may also choose to send your contribution in the form of a check. If so, please make checks payable to “Safe Harbor Center” and send them to me at the following address:

Safe Harbor Center
ATTN: Not My Roof
1526 Norwich Street
Brunswick, GA 31520

With your help, I know we can reach our campaign goal and send a powerful message to homeless youth that we stand with you in your struggles, celebrate your courage and resiliency, and support your promise and dreams.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO DONATE TO SUPPORT MY FUNDRAISING EFFORTS [include link to your personal webpage]

SAMPLE EMAIL TO RECRUIT OTHER PARTICIPANTS

You can simply copy and paste the email message below and send to your friends, family, and co-workers.  Feel free to edit to give it a personal touch.

Subject:  I Am Giving Up My Bed So That Youth Facing Homelessness Can Sleep Safely and Dream Big! – Please Join Me.

I have recently accepted the challenge to give up the comforts of my home for one night to sleep outside – vulnerable, exposed, and uncomfortable – so that youth facing homelessness can sleep safely and dream big at Safe Harbor Center.

On Friday, December 3rd, I, along with other concerned citizens will be participating in Safe Harbor’s Not My Roof campaign. Not My Roof is a sleep-out event designed to spread awareness about the youth homelessness crisis and raise urgently needed funds for Safe Harbor Center, providing food, shelter, crisis care, and essential services to young adults experiencing homelessness.

Much like communities throughout the state of Georgia, Glynn County and surrounding communities are struggling with high levels of poverty and homelessness, especially among children and youth. In fact, it is estimated that 40% of our homeless population is under the age of 18. They are our community’s invisible homeless population, unsheltered — sleeping outdoors, in parks, on the street, in vehicles, abandoned buildings, under bridges, and other places not meant for human habitation. The longer young individuals remain homeless, the greater the risk that they will be trapped on the streets where they are vulnerable to become victims of crime, hunger, illness, mental health issues and dying prematurely.

I hope you will consider joining me for the important event and gain a glimpse of what homelessness is like for so many children and youth. Not My Roof takes place on the campus of the College of Coastal Georgia. Upon arrival, each participant will receive a blanket, cardboard box, a basic essentials kit, and a memorable experience throughout the evening.

Getting started is easy to do, and it’s fun. You will be given all the tools you’ll need to make a difference. In fact, if you cannot attend our simulated encampment site at Coastal of Georgia, you can host your own virtual Not My Roof event from anywhere — a backyard, porch, terrace, garage, kitchen floor, or car, so long as it’s safe. You simply will need to register, and you’ll be provided all the tools for your virtual event.

If you are unable to participate, I hope you will consider supporting my fundraising efforts by making a tax-deductible donation.

With your help, I know we can reach our campaign goal and send a powerful message to homeless youth that we stand with you in your struggles, celebrate your courage and resiliency, and support your promise and dreams.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE:  https://www.safeharborcenterinc.org

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO FUNDRAISE

Social media is a powerful tool for fundraising. We recommend including an appeal on your social networks if you are already connected to an audience through social media. The most successful  fundraisers have used social media for recruitment and fundraising appeals. We love seeing coverage on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, but when it comes to fundraising success, Facebook is the top social channel.

You can simply copy and paste the message below into your social media account.  Feel free to edit to give it a personal touch.

I have recently accepted the challenge to give up the comforts of my home for one night to sleep outside – vulnerable, exposed, and uncomfortable – so that youth facing homelessness can sleep safely and dream big at Safe Harbor Center.

On Friday, December 3rd, I, along with other concerned citizens will be participating in Safe Harbor’s Not My Roof campaign. Not My Roof is a sleep-out event designed to spread awareness about the youth homelessness crisis and raise urgently needed funds for Safe Harbor Center, providing food, shelter, crisis care, and essential services to young adults experiencing homelessness.

Please consider helping me to achieve my personal fundraising goal by making a tax-deductible donation to Safe Harbor Center.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE  [include link to your personal webpage]

IMAGES AND RESOURCES

You can download images and resources to use in your communications via email and across social media platforms.  Feel free to use any of the images posted. If you are looking for something specific, or need help finding additional images to help promote your fundraising campaign and thank your donors, or if you have suggested images you would like us to upload, please let us know!

To utilize the images below to promote your involvement with Not My Roof, simply right-click on the image and save the image to your computer.  You can then share these images in your email or social media posts.