Fundraising Tips
Stair Climb Fundraising Tips
We regret to inform you that due to unforseen circumstances, the National First Responders Fund is postponing the 2022 Stair Climb sponsored by Farmers Insurance to a date in the Spring of 2023.
If you would like a refund, please notify us by this Friday, the 19th, by 5:00pm pst, or your contribution will be considered a donation to the cause. Thank you so much for your understanding and support of the NFRF.
Calling all climbers, climb teams, and volunteers! We need your help to raise money for First Responders battling PTSI. With a little effort and these helpful ideas, fundraising can be easy and successful! Here are some ways you can maximize your fundraising efforts.
- Start by giving yourself a donation. People are more willing to give if they see you are already on your way to your goal. Give a $10 or $25 or $50 donation to your fundraising page to show that you are passionate about the cause.
- Jazz up your Fundraiser page. When you registered, you should have received an email from our registration/fundraising site with instructions on setting up your personalized page.
- Personalize your Fundraising page. When you registered, you received an email with a link to your personal and team fundraising page. Please reach out to [email protected] if you need help finding or setting up this page. You can add pictures or videos, change the title, change the copy, and more.
- Ask, and ask often. Get out there and ask people to join your team or make a donation — the more people you ask, the better. If you don’t ask, you don’t get! Set a reminder to ask at least one person every day. You can do this by calling, texting, emailing or even tagging them on social media.
- Find a personal connection for people to want to give. Contact or tag people who you know are or have a connection to First Responders. Maybe someone you know who lost or had a home saved by Firefighters. Maybe someone who had their life saved by an EMT. Someone who has a kid who has a dream of someday becoming a Police Officer. Any personal connection creates a story.
- Try to get 10 people to give you $15. Or 15 people to give you $10. Donations don’t need to be large to be impactful. Every little bit helps!
- Post on Social Media. People can’t donate if they don’t know about the event!
- Let people know where/how to donate: Go to your personal fundraising page and copy the URL. You can paste that into a post on your social media page and ask people to donate to your goal. Post a photo of you or of a first responder to draw attention. Tell a personal story of #WhyIClimb (tip: while creating a fundraiser for NFRF on Facebook or Instagram is quick and easy, we don’t recommend it in this case. Any funds you raise there, while still going to NFRF, don’t count towards your personal fundraising award goal. We are working on creating that integration, but for now, the only way to get donations to count towards your personal goal is to send donors to your personal page).
- Get your company's support. Many companies encourage their employees to support favorite causes. Create a company team for the climb, or ask if your company will match your fundraising goal if it's achieved.
- Ask donors if their company matches donations. Many companies match employee donations to nonprofits, so ask your donors if their company matches. If so, contact us and we can manually add the match to your account before the actual match arrives.
- Post to Nextdoor. Facebook and Instagram are not the only social media outlets available. If you are a member of Nextdoor, you can share your climb there. You can reach out to your neighbors and let them know that you are fundraising and participating in this stair climb. Neighbors love to support people in their community.
- Share your personal #WhyIClimb story. Post a photo of you climbing stairs. You’d be amazed at how many people will be moved by your story and want to donate.
- Send personal emails/letters. This old-school approach really does work. Write a letter to your uncle or grandma who might not be active on social media or email. Yes, we can accept a check - just be sure they fill out the offline donation form, and write your name on the check memo line so we know who to credit the donation to. More info on this is in our event FAQs.
- Try writing a personal message. Reach out in a social media post or an email (or even go traditional with a handwritten letter) to let people know what you’re asking for and why. Explain how funds raised through the Stair Climb impact the lives of First Responders. Feeling shy or have writer’s block? Here is some suggested wording to get you started:
- “I am training to take to the stairs to raise funds for First Responders with Post Traumatic Stress Injuries. I am climbing 1197 stairs <or insert the personal activity you choose to do> in support. Please help us help those who help us by donating to my fundraising page <insert YOUR page link>. My goal is $500. Every donation helps!”
- “Hi! I’m raising money to help First Responders with Post Traumatic Stress Injuries through the National First Responders Fund. I’m participating in this year’s National First Responders Stair Climb, the virtual athletic and fundraising event that supports First Responders across the country. It’s happening September 3rd to 12th, and for just $15 you help me get to my goal of $150!”
- Aim high and don’t lose sight of your goals. Setting a fundraising target will help motivate you to achieve it. The initial goal should be the $150 minimum to get your participant shirt and medal. If you exceed your initial goal, don’t stop fundraising. Reach towards the $350 hat goal, or the $750 hoodie goal! People will be more likely to donate if they think you still need to reach a certain number. You can change your goal from the “dashboard” of your fundraising page.
- Work with local businesses for matching donations. Try asking your favorite local coffee house or other business for a matching donation. Promise them that if they donate $100 to you, you will give them proof that you will “match” it with donations from other donors.
- Remember to say THANK YOU! The most important part of fundraising is making sure to say thank you. Let your donors and team members know how much their support means to First Responders in need. A quick personal phone call or handwritten note can go a long way. Keep your supporters up to date on how much money you have raised and how close you are to your goal. Let them know when you have completed your climb and how proud you are to be supporting First Responders. These small gestures can help you retain supporters in the future and perhaps entice them to make an extra donation to help you achieve your goal, or even participate themselves next year.
- Collect check or cash donations. Many donors prefer to write a check. Form will be added here soon.
- All check donations must be received in our office by Wednesday, September 7th to count towards your fundraising goal (so please mail before that). You can also send us a picture of the check and form that is being mailed if you think it is going to be late.
- Please do not mail cash. If you receive a cash donation, keep the actual cash for yourself and write us a check or do an online donation in that amount.
- Join our Facebook group for training tips, workouts, inspiration, and more. This is a great place to connect with other fundraiser athletes and share your story of training for the climb. We can all inspire each other on our journey.
Thank you for your participation and support. We can’t do this without you!