Fundraising Tips and Tricks - Epilepsy Durham Region

Thank you for your interest in supporting Epilepsy Durham Region with your own fundraiser – we are excited to have you join us and look forward to hearing about your plans!

By fundraising for Epilepsy Durham Region, you have the opportunity to change the lives of people with epilepsy, helping them go to school, gain access to local epilepsy care, and feel safe and included in their community. Read through our step-by-step instructions on how to kick start your fundraising.

How to choose your fundraising challenge

Starting your own fundraiser can seem overwhelming – don’t let it be! Here we have a number of suggested fundraising challenges to get you started if you’re looking for some ideas:

Company Donor Match: Offer to match donations made by your employees up to a certain dollar amount
Dress-Down Day: Employees donate a certain amount to dress down for the at work
Silent Auction: Collect donated items by fellow employees or other local businesses and host a silent auction where colleagues can bid
Fitness Challenge: Organize a fitness challenge such as company-wide step challenge with participants raising funds through sponsorship pledges
Talent Show: Host a company wide talent show where employees can showcase their talents, with the audience member donating to vote for their favourite act

If our suggestions aren’t right for you, then feel free to get creative and create your own fundraiser! It’s important to do what you enjoy. As long as you have fun, and are passionate about the cause, donations will follow.

Setting up your online fundraising page

Whatever your challenge is, you can create your own fundraising page online through CanadaHelps, collect donations, track your progress, and have all of your proceeds directed to Epilepsy Durham Region! It’s simple:

Login or create your free CanadaHelps account
Select Epilepsy Durham Region as the charity you wish to fundraise for.
Tell your story, set your fundraising goal, add pictures or videos, and more. Share it with your friends and family to ask for their support!

Choosing your fundraising goal

Once you’ve completed creating your CanadaHelps fundraising page, you can set a fundraising goal for yourself. A goal is an important tool to help your supporters rally around your cause, and it will help keep you focused as you begin putting your fundraising plan into action.

Pro tip: You can always adjust your goal on your fundraising page down the road.

Reach out to those in your community and network

Think about all the people who can help you reach your fundraising goal. This doesn’t have to be just people who can donate – it may include volunteers that can help you to plan your event, or local businesses that can provide items for your fundraising activities.
Branch out and be creative when you make your list. Think beyond the family and friends. Consider people like your coach, doctor, and teachers. Many people want to give to a great cause…all you need to do is ask (and be sure to express your personal connection and why you chose this cause)!
Once you create your list, be sure to send your personal fundraising link from CanadaHelps to all of your contacts.

Pro tip: To stay organized, create a contacts database to help keep track of messaging your network and send thank you emails after you receive a donation.

Start fundraising toward your goal

Here are some ways you can help amplify your effects when asking for donations:

- Use social media: It’s the best way to reach the largest number of people and share the link to your personal fundraising page. Promote your fundraising campaign and keep your followers updated on your progress. It’ll serve as a friendly reminder for people to contribute to your cause!
- Create a fundraising email: This could be to fellow local businesses, your employee compliment, or community members. Emails are the fastest and most effective way of asking for donations. Don’t forget to add a compelling personal touch of why this cause is important to you.
- Tell the media: Your local paper, radio station or school newspaper may be interested in covering your fundraising campaign. Reach out and make a pitch! If you’re hosting an event, add it to your local calendar of events or blog like Snap’d (will check if this is still good).

Be persistent and patient

Not everyone you reach out to will donate – don’t be discouraged. Following up is the most important step in your fundraising. An effective fundraiser has to be able to ask again and again.
An easy way to follow up is to provide an update on your progress. Let people know how much you’ve raised so far or that you’re close to your deadline. In your follow up, be sure to share pictures of your training or event preparation.

Pro tip: A thank you goes a long way. It’s essential to thank your donors and let them know when you have reached your fundraising goal. In your personal fundraising page with CanadaHelps, you will be notified when someone makes a donation online and send them a thank you message.

Thank you for your interest in supporting Epilepsy Durham Region with your own fundraiser – we are excited to have you join us and look forward to hearing about your plans!

How to choose your fundraising challenge

Starting your own fundraiser can seem overwhelming – don’t let it be! Here we have a number of suggested fundraising challenges to get you started if you’re looking for some ideas:

If our suggestions aren’t right for you, then feel free to get creative and create your own fundraiser! It’s important to do what you enjoy. As long as you have fun, and are passionate about the cause, donations will follow.

Setting up your online fundraising page

Whatever your challenge is, you can create your own fundraising page online through CanadaHelps, collect donations, track your progress, and have all of your proceeds directed to Epilepsy Durham Region! It’s simple:

Choosing your fundraising goal

Once you’ve completed creating your CanadaHelps fundraising page, you can set a fundraising goal for yourself. A goal is an important tool to help your supporters rally around your cause, and it will help keep you focused as you begin putting your fundraising plan into action.

Pro tip: You can always adjust your goal on your fundraising page down the road.

Reach out to those in your community and network

Think about all the people who can help you reach your fundraising goal. This doesn’t have to be just people who can donate – it may include volunteers that can help you to plan your event, or local businesses that can provide items for your fundraising activities.

Branch out and be creative when you make your list. Think beyond the family and friends. Consider people like your coach, doctor, and teachers. Many people want to give to a great cause…all you need to do is ask (and be sure to express your personal connection and why you chose this cause)!

Once you create your list, be sure to send your personal fundraising link from CanadaHelps to all of your contacts.

Pro tip: To stay organized, create a contacts database to help keep track of messaging your network and send thank you emails after you receive a donation.

Start fundraising toward your goal

Here are some ways you can help amplify your effects when asking for donations:

Be persistent and patient

Not everyone you reach out to will donate – don’t be discouraged. Following up is the most important step in your fundraising. An effective fundraiser has to be able to ask again and again.

An easy way to follow up is to provide an update on your progress. Let people know how much you’ve raised so far or that you’re close to your deadline. In your follow up, be sure to share pictures of your training or event preparation.

Pro tip: A thank you goes a long way. It’s essential to thank your donors and let them know when you have reached your fundraising goal. In your personal fundraising page with CanadaHelps, you will be notified when someone makes a donation online and send them a thank you message.