Fundraising tips for a sponsored charity challenge

Be it a marathon, cycle, hike, mountain, skydive, team challenge, volunteering project, or a sponsored silence (which my family are still encouraging) – the list goes on – more people than ever are taking on personal sponsored challenges to raise money for charity. These every day fundraisers are not only making a huge contribution to society but getting the physical and mental benefits of doing something good.

Having completed a series of charity challenges and organised three fundraising walks for PHASE Worldwide, I’m regularly asked for advice on fundraising. So I wanted to share the advice I’ve been given and what I’ve learnt so far from my own experiences.

First things first…

1) What does sponsorship really mean?

‘Sponsorship’ is a term that has possibly been lost in translation. Sponsorship implies that people get something in return, unlike donations where people expect nothing. My first sponsored challenge was a 10km run where I took the usual approach of knocking on doors with a sponsorship form. Technically people didn’t give you the money if you didn’t complete the challenge. This approach seems less common with the new trend of online fundraising sites like JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving who donate the money to the charity regardless. Whilst the thought of losing the money raised would hold us accountable, I’ve never experienced anyone asking for money back.

Generally, this means the challenge needs to be that – a challenge. People want to see you squirm. These challenges are relative to the person. For example, few people would sponsor me to run a marathon: they know I love running. My goal to run 2:45 at London Marathon next year will push my personal limits but wouldn’t mean anything to non-runners, whilst they can probably understand the scale of climbing Everest. For a first-time exercise-detesting marathon runner, their friends will understand just what they’re putting themselves through and would be much more likely to donate (or sponsor) them.

If you happen to be supporting a cause that a lot of people feel passionately about they will often donate regardless of the challenge.

2) It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

Without the support and initiative of other people I would never have hit any of my fundraising targets. Climb The UK had people coming out to walk with me, getting sponsored by their own friends, with the money going to Young Minds, the leading mental health charity for young people. My sponsors Westgrove Group got their team involved in fundraising, Sharples Group sponsored the top of Lancashire, my speaking clients Nudge Your People sponsored the highest point of Surrey, and a high school walked the highest point of Norfolk with me (yes, it does have hills), raising over £850. For Everest 2014 the Craghoppers team even organised a fancy dress car wash at their offices! The list of kindness goes on...

Businesses can help massively with raising money, and I wrote more about that on a blog post here at Business of Adventure. Whether it’s asking your own employer for support, or approaching others, start with the contacts you have already, especially those who actively support charities and the community. Remember that businesses get lots of similar requests, which brings me on to…

3) Shy bairns get no sweets

Nobody likes asking for money (there are exceptions!) but we can’t be afraid to ask. My mentor Chris Spray once told me “Shy bairns get no sweets” which stuck with me. Don’t ask just once – we’re all busy and it doesn’t mean people are disinterested, they might just need a nudge. Don’t forget to tell, too. During Climb The UK I was blown away by the generosity from shop-keepers to café owners and people on the street. People inevitably ask where you’re cycling, and were literally donating on the spot. I had business cards with links to my fundraising page handy. The donations received were like painkillers, that gave me a reason to push through the hard bits.

4) Get a bigger net

Social media pleas will only go so far if you’re trying to hit a big charity target. Cover all bases and try smaller events in the build-up, if you have time – sell raffle tickets, sell cakes in the office, hold a pub quiz or fundraising evening. On the final summit of the challenge my PR Mick Ord was getting donations from the public by rattling a bucket as we walked!

Tell everyone you know. Get in touch with your local newspaper and radio station, or someone to do it for you. Good local (or national) media coverage can go a surprisingly long way. On a tiny ferry in the Orkney Isles in the Hebrides Scotland a couple asked how many counties I had left, having read an article in their newspaper. I was flabbergasted!

5) Stand out from the crowd

 I didn’t wear an Orangutan costume on the summit of Mont Blanc for fun, though it did keep me toasty. Look at your Facebook timeline and you’ll be inundated by fundraising pages and the usual “I would be very grateful for any spare change”. I’m guilty of this, like anyone. So, how can you make your challenge different?

6) Start with why

The most important question for any fundraiser is why should anyone sponsor your challenge? Why should they care? Get some numbers out there and tell them exactly what difference their donation will make. Any testimonials about the charity’s work and impact will tug at the heart-strings, as realistically there’s lots of worthy causes who need support.

7) Make people part of the journey

Is there anything you can offer in return? Regular progress updates are important but think about incentives, such as mentions on your blog/social media, or photos for people who sponsor above a certain amount. Don’t forget to thank people in spades – one adventurer Squash Falconer told me this in my early days of fundraising, because a simple ‘thank you’ really does go a long way, whether in person, online or a video.

8) Share your feelings

Being human on camera will always speak louder than words. If you’re having a rubbish day and you think you can’t go on then there’s nothing like capturing the moment live. People don’t want to see the highlight reel. We relate to the struggles and the discomfort, it’s a challenge after all.

Even in the build-up to a challenge, where you might be anxious about hitting an upcoming target is a good time to grab your camera. Someone once told me during an expedition that the moments where you feel least like filming yourself are when you need to do it most. Sharing these during Climb The UK always encouraged a boost in donations, which spurred me on. Keep it positive though. Sob stories don’t inspire donations.

9) Enjoy the journey

Fundraising has a strange knack of bringing things when you least expect. Some weeks you’ll make exciting progress. Others feel like knocking on a brick wall. Enjoy making a difference to a cause you care about, whilst hopefully enjoying the experience of planning, training, meeting people and learning from the challenge itself. Keep positive and take it a day at a time. If you don’t believe in yourself – why should anyone else believe in you?

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Have you got a charity challenge coming up? Any questions I've missed? Please let me know in the comments…

Until next time, you can follow my fundraising adventures here:

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