Alex Ariana has raised money for numerous charities through his different fundraising drives and participation in numerous events. Here are some of his tips on doing so and raising as much as possible for charitable causes.

1. Start Now

According to Alex, the best time to start a fund-raising campaign would be several weeks or months before the actual event.  Starting early gives you and potential donors time to commit and give their contributions for the course.  You thus don’t want to wait until the last few days to start the fundraiser.

2. Request For Donations

There is more to starting a fundraiser than simply asking for donations. First, people will want to know about the course, and why they should fund it.  Start by approaching people closest to you, let them know and understand your agenda, and why they should support you.  Telling other people about your foundation and what you aim to achieve might also help bring some donors onboard.

3. Sponsor A Mile

You could also raise some money by asking people to sponsor you for every mile completed in the race. This option can be particularly fruitful if running a half-or full marathon or if you are a first-timer in the race.  Most people will be willing to sponsor you for every mile completed in an attempt to motivate you to run the entire distance.  Although you might not raise the targeted amount pre-race, you at least are assured of the amount you can raise after the race, especially if you finish. The fact that people will be sponsoring every mile covered is an incentive enough for you to keep going

4. Sponsor Based On Time

Are you an experienced athlete or looking to run 5k or 10k? You can then ask people to sponsor you based on how many minutes or seconds faster you will be (compared to your current personal record). Give the sponsors freedom to donate anything they have, say $10, $50, $100 per minute faster. You, however, want to work hard to beat your record to raise as much money as possible.

5. Email Everyone You Know

Draft a personalized email specifying what you intend to do and why, then email it to everyone you know. You, however, do not want to send a mass-generic email but rather personalize it according to the recipient. This is particularly important if/when emailing prospective donors.  Be sure to include a link to the fundraiser website in the email before sending it out.  This will make it much easier for them to send their contributions online.

6. Take Advantage Of Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Facebook, and other social media platforms, provide the perfect avenue to sell your idea and ask for donations. With millions of people using these platforms every day, you want to make a post about the fundraiser (including the link) and share it among your family and friends for increased visibility. Ask them to share and repost to increase viewings and possibly, donations. Be sure to add a simple yet detailed blub about the charity before publishing the post.

7. Consider A Face-To-Face Approach

Face-to-face donations still exist in this day and age, and yes, they can come quite in handy when looking for donations. You, however, want to come up with a concrete and clear plan for this plan to work. One way to do this would be to design and bring a paper donation form with you. You can then approach individuals at random, say in shopping mall car parks, sell your idea then ask them to donate to the course. Ask interested participants to fill the form and mail it to the charity yourself.  You can also request to email them the donation form and link if they prefer to donate online

8. Tap On The Power Of Networking

Ask the people around you, potential donors, and everyone online to reach out to others that might be willing to donate to the charity. While most of them might not share, the few that do will help improve the odds.

9. Consider the Matching Gift Program

Ask participants in the fundraiser if their employers have a matching gift program in place. If they do, you can then send the donor your link to add to their webpage. This way, you will get a donation for anyone that makes a donation or gift matching your program.

10.Thank Everyone Involved

Remember to send a personal thank you note or email to everyone that participated in the fundraiser. This is polite and shows you do not take them for granted and again improves the chances of them making a subsequent donation.