5 ways to raise awareness of fundraising

I have been inspired by a lot of fundraising lately, which hopes to raise awareness of various causes. Here are some that prove that you can raise the profile of an often overlooked cause like the ice bucket challenge did for ALS. Here goes!

1. #skulfie - UK's leading organisation for organ donation, Live Life Give Life is working to raise awareness of organ donors. The charity hopes to raise its profile, and do this while remembering those kind enough to donate, and celebrate those living because of donations. Their campaign 'The Day of the Living' has been inspired by the Mexican festival, The Day of the Dead, which celebrates the dead in a way that remembers ancestors with a truly different kind of festival! Everyone is encourage to take selfie with face painted sugar skulls and to share and tag with the hashtag: skulfie along with promoting their text donation SKUL14 £3 to 70070.

2. #Pants2HIV - Gay men's health charity, GMFA has launched a social media campaign to engage with donors to take photos of themselves in their underwear, share the image, donate £5, and nominate their friends to do the same. Why? To raise money and to fight against this terrible illness that is HIV. Those who wish to tweet images in their pants are encourage to use the hashtag #Pants2HIV, and text 'GMFA14 £5' to 70070. This is a great way to get people (specifically gay men) talking about HIV regardless of age, background and in a way that allows them to realise that this is an issue that affects them. It hopes to gage their interest to seek information about preventing transmission. GMFA's CEO, Matthew Hodson stated that: "If we're going to be able to have honest discussion about what it means to live with HIV then we've got to get beyond the point where nobody is willing to talk about it."

3. Go pink for Breast Cancer - this Friday raised awareness of breast cancer by asking people to dress in pink, but it went even further than that! UK landmarks turned pink in support of the charity. This image shows Chatsworth house turning pink, but this is just one of many who participated. People at my work were enthusiased and got involved by dressing in pink, buying pink cakes and encouraging people to think about cancer. I was most interested to read about mother, Amanda Ford who underwent a double mastectomy alongside her two sisters who helped raise money for breast cancer charity by rolling out a specially-made pink plastic lawn. She worked to back the campaign, Wear It Pink Day with the help of her company LazyLawn to raise awareness. Ford said, ""I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and my twin sister was diagnosed in 2005 - we carry the same BRCA gene as Angelina Jolie and both took the decision to have a double mastectomy."

4. Elfie Selfie -  North East English charity, The North East Autism Society (Neas) launched a clever new christmas fundraising appeal. This demonstrates a real fun way to encourage people to think about those with autism as well as those who may be affected, by asking people to dress up and take an 'elfie selfie' with the hope of leading to become another successful social media trend. A representative of the charity, Lisa Taylor talked about the campaign with much enthusiasm: "We are asking people to take an elfie selfie, either by using an app or dressing up. They can then upload it on to facebook, tag us in and nominate their friends. It should be great fun." Donations can be made by texting elfi14 £3 to 70070.

5. Marie Curie Cancer Care won 2 accolades at Digital Impact Awards - ok, this isn't a campaign, but it does congratulate Marie Curie's fantastic work to engage with its audience and raise awareness of the fantastic caring they do for terminally ill people. The awards are now in their fifth year, and celebrate digital stakeholder engagement. MC collected gold in the Best Use of Digital in the Charity, NGO or NFP sector category, and bronze in the Best Digital Communication as Part of an Integrated Campaign category. Marie Curie's head of digital, Claire Hazle was delighted with the news, stating that: "To have the work of our Digital, Fundraising and Communications teams recognised at such a prestigious awards ceremony is a testament to all the fantastic work they've done over the past twelve months."

Please let me know if I missed anything! Hope you enjoyed reading, I know I enjoyed examining the best awareness-boosting in the past month.

Jodie :)

Volunteer Induction

So, I am excited to announce that I will be volunteering to fundraise for another fantastic charity. This time it will be with Cyrenians.

Yesterday evening straight after work, I was able to enjoy wholesome soup and wholemeal bread with a kid's pack of innocent smoothie. Yum! I got to interact with other volunteers, and bond over our passion to help homeless people. It was fun.

We started by gathering ideas about how being homeless affects different parts of the service users' lives. These include how they could suffer with depression, lose trust in people, become isolation, turn to drugs and substance abuse as a way of dealing with their issues and could even be subject to sexual exploitation. I found it truly insightful, and eye-opening, as you learn that some basic human rights can be taken for advantage. It isn't just about being homeless, but it is the continuous cycle they find themselves in where they can't get somewhere to live because of lack of job, and can't get a job without a permanent address. Then they are unable to sign on for benefits without an address, and can't even get medical care with some sort of address!

We also discussed basic etiquette of being a volunteer, and situations we might have to deal with. I found this most interesting, but after working all day it got to me a bit.

I filled in paperwork and gave copies to prove my identity, and know it feels more real, and for the first time in a while, I am REALLY excited to get involved. I was meant to be given dates to volunteer, but I have heard absolutely nothing. Hopefully very soon. Will keep you posted. From now on, my posts will be more top 10 articles I  have seen in the week than referring to articles written, or my personal experience of fundraising. I am still learning my writing style here! Jodie :)

Organising a walkathon

Sorry for the late update on here, but I have been busy with work, socialising (shocking for me) and various other regular tasks, but I promise to try to write this blog at least once weekly, if not two or three times per week.

This time I choose to discuss the recent popularity of walkathons for raising funds for charities, community projects and schools. They are reasonably easy to organise, easy to raise awareness in the local media and can also serve as a fundraising opportunity at a low cost to the organisation, who wish to plan them. Here are a few observations of how to make a successful walkathon:

1. Focus on volunteer recruitment
Define necessary volunteer roles, and be relentless in hiring talent to make your event successful. A few useful roles may include:
-Logistics Volunteer: someone to obtain permits for the event to go ahead, with an interest in controlling traffic for the area used for the walkathon, insurance and handle general logistics of the event
-Corporate Sponsorship Volunteer: someone with an experience in sales and building partnerships to gain sponsorship from businesses and donors, who might believe in the cause
-Events & Hospitality Volunteer: this is basically an event cheerleader, who organise pre and pro-event meals, activities and coordinates any entertainment. They may also serve as volunteers, who stand at different points of the track to cheer on volunteers.
-Marketing & PR Volunteer: a volunteer with a communication background, who do a lot to raise awareness of the event, and boost participant enrolment by: pitching stories to the media, writing press releases, creating print and promotional materials and any other ideas that they feel will help

2. Pinpoint a specific cause within overall goals
Encourage people to donate by specifying where the funds will go. For example, Friends of ANCHOR did an event, where they raised funds for a gene machine, to detect if they had the gene that gave them cancer.

3. Set timelines, plan, plan and plan some more!
Set a guideline of when specific tasks need to be completed, and what is required to be done by staff and volunteers involved.

4. Leverage technology
Use technology to help speed recruitment of volunteers by allowing them to select their roles and availability via an online form. However, with enough technical knowledge, it is a great benefit to consider the use of an online tool for collecting donations and/or setting up a social media plan to publicise the event.

5. Don't go overboard!
You have a lot to hand out already including registration forms, sponsor packs, publicity flyers and instruction sheets. Therefore, don't create even more materials to bombard participants and volunteers because this can confuse the audience, instead of gaging their interest.

6. Failure Prevention Team
Have people to help with mistakes that might fall through the cracks, while the planner can be left to keep sane at this hectic time, and make sure everything else is able to keep on track!

7. Celebrate every success
Be sure to point out every piece of great work completed in the team, whether it is volunteers, staff, media or anyone involved in helping the event become a success. Consider organising prizes for key milestones such as biggest fundraiser, fastest walker, team players, social butterfly, and what-not.

8. Help participants prepare
This can be done by providing them with goals and helping them to set their own individual guidelines and priorities. Help them by providing them with relevant materials including a list of potential supporters, a draft pitch to be used to help them raise their funds and a guide of common courtesies (e.g. thank you letters to supporters and donors). Providing participants is a great help to fundraising. I know this from experience, where I have needed to write donation request letter or email requests to local businesses.

9. Make it easy and personal
Set up guidelines of how every £5, £10, £20, £50, £100, £200+ can be raised, by showing sample events that have raised a lot of money in the past. Show unique fundraising to engage with participants and keep them interested. Show an interest in every participant by regularly checking on how their fundraising is going, and how you can help them raise more funds. Don't allow them to feel like they have to do it all on their own! Also make it feel relevant to them by allowing them to vocalise their motivations for fundraising for this particular cause, or finding out how the cause has benefited them. Their stories can then be used in further promotional material, and encourage more people to participate. This is helpful to the charity and participant, who feel special and more included.

10. Motivate all!
Keep participants, volunteers and staff motivated by awarding them for doing well at specific tasks, and giving prizes for particular things. Send participants and volunteers regular weekly newsletters on how money benefits the organisation. For example, a newsletter may inform those who are interested of big funds raised. "Mary Anne raised £5000 by climbing kilimanjaro, this was raised by doing x, y and z events. Her money has been used to ensure that there are more sanitary conditions in Eastern Africa. The funds raised have helped build shower blocks in local towns and 3 more water pumps, so residents don't have to travel so far!" This is just an example.

On Wednesday, I have my induction for my next volunteering opportunity, and with give you a more personal update about it then or Thursday evening! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on my posts, Jodie :) x

Giving is not just beneficial to charity!

I love fundraising, and giving to good causes (as my posts might make clear). Although I might not be able to give a lot, as I still live with my parents and rely on their support quite heavily, I do try to do my bit!

Although I planned to discuss charity engagement in this post, I have decided to show how giving to charity doesn't just benefit the cause, but the people who benefit too. I have got some of my information from the following sources:
http://www.wisebread.com/5-ways-giving-to-charity-is-good-for-you
http://www.wisebread.com/why-generosity-is-key-to-everything-including-your-career

It has been pointed out that giving can be great for your health. With a study from Carnegie Mellon University stating: "people who were socially connected (i.e. volunteering or giving to charity) reported catching fewer colds." However giving can help much more than colds, according to author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post reported that, "giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illnesses, including HIV and multiple sclerosis." This seems a bit far-fetched to me, but I can believe research that found the link between giving and reduction of stress hormones. Psychology expert, Dr Tony Grant said, "Knowing we’ve done something to improve the life of others not only boosts our self-esteem and gives us a sense of purpose, it also shifts our attention away from our own stresses and worries."

 Not only does it help your health, but it can help with your happiness. There is no denying this, as call it selfish or personal satisfaction, but to be honest, it feels good to give something whether it is providing a one-off monetary donation; giving food to the homeless; helping out at an animal shelter, or donating clothes to your chosen charity. A study of 46 people has shown that "participants who were directed to spend a small amount of money on others (either $5 or $20) reported greater feelings of happiness than those who were directed to spend the same amounts on themselves."

Happiness can result in better employees, who work harder and tend to be be more productive. Why? I am unsure, but clear examples are companies like Zappos and Google, who have been shown to have an innovative corporate culture based on fulfilled staff.

Staff who are generous are able to build more supportive networks. Maybe this is because they are seen as more likeable, or because they appear happier, and therefore people are more willing to be in their presence. Either way, generosity can help exude confidence and be a real sign of good team players, who wish to help others in their industry too. If you help others, more people are willing to give assistance to you when needed. This is evidenced by Eleanor C. Whitney, writer of the book, Grow: "When you are generous you don't just give of yourself, but acknowledge the contributions and needs of others. The result is a network of people who are also willing to help you."


Often neglected is the importance of generosity amongst management and those higher up in an industry. It might be one of lesser known qualities for a good leader, but it plays a big role in encouraging staff. Jodi Glickman, communications expert has explained that managers who are generous are not just well-liked: "Generous bosses get 10x the productivity from their employees; generous employees' stars rise in tandem with their bosses'."

Although not all contributions are tax-deductible and the rules for making such charitable donations can be complex, you can easily speak to someone more knowledgeable. Nobody is a fan of the tax-man (except maybe the tax-man's family), so anywhere you can regain tax is a huge plus.

Money isn't the only way to give to charity. Some may donate hard-earned cash from fundraising, savings or monthly earnings, but others may wish to donate personal belongings or even volunteer. Many charities are happy to have volunteers, who can provide their time and skills. This looks good on a CV, but can also be fun as you can fundraise, help out a local charity shop or even provide administrative support, drive, feed the homeless, but this all depends on the services a charity provides.

It is also a great way to give an issue that affected you or someone close to you. For example, if you had dealt with a natural disaster and lost your home, family members and anything you held dear, you might be inclined to give to a charity that helps natural disasters such as the red cross.


Giving can be positive whether it is to charity, helping an elderly person cross the road or to a work kitty for a well-loved staff member leaving, getting married or leaving to have a baby. It gives you: that warm fussy feeling, is a way to support something you feel passionate about, is beneficial to your career and health, there are ways of giving that can be tax deductible and potentially cost you nothing. I believe in karma, as this post can demonstrate. I believe that anything good done by a person only means that something great will happen to them that is unexpected. Your kindness can result in gaining that job you have been hoping of getting, or result in you relieve some stress.


I will discuss charity engagement soon, but I never do run to my own plans, and either find something more fascinating to talk about or do. I hope you have enjoyed this post all the same, your support is very much appreciated and hope you find time to leave feedback.

Best Charity PR Campaigns of all time!

(Sorry for the long post, but I can say this is my favourite to write so far)

I have been examining some of the best PR campaigns for the charitable sector after reading the following fascinating article: http://pha-media.com/blog/top-10-charity-pr-campaigns-time/

In this article, it pointed out ten successful campaigns, but I am not sure of the running order. For instance, it charts a recent #nomakeupselfie as top, but I would maybe have movember or the big tweet first because they have been repeated year after year, and are only growing in popularity. Both are raising further awareness and funds for the charity. I am not denying the bare faced selfie success, which even made me bare all! It was a simple thing to do, and had people donating to cancer charities. I personally chose to donate to local charity, Friends of ANCHOR, who were a local cancer charity, where 100% money raised goes directly to charity as administration and travel costs are covered by their key sponsor, Balmoral Group. I wish more charities were able to do this!

Anyway, the article... The article describes some fantastic campaigns including that of a human chain for charity, which happened in 1986 without the magic of social media, but it helped to raise awareness of the hungry and homeless. I think that have been innovative ideas including the campaign that RSPCA did that was inspired by Games of Thrones; they made animals look like the characters to help them to find homes. Some of the campaigns stretched to a high demographic such as the campaign done by swedish UNICEF, which showed powerful videos to demonstrate how facebook likes is not enough. The videos were viewed 750,000 times, and across 195 countries.

There were some amazing campaigns listed here, but believe that there are many that need to be remembered. They might not be as effective or successful, but their messages were clear. Here is my list of 5 to not be forgotten (no particular order):

1. #FindMike campaign - this was an effective campaign by Jonny Benjamin. For those who don't know him he is a popular mental health video blogger, who I studied for my dissertation. Benjamin lived with schizophrenia, and without Mike at a hard time in his life, he might have jumped off Waterloo Bridge. Therefore the campaign included social media, digital content including videos, broadcast interviews and newspaper coverage to track this hero down! The charity, Rethink (who work to combat stigma in mental illness) received 5,000 new facebook likes, 2,600 new twitter followers, and a fivefold increase in website traffic - all from this campaign. The campaign also fulfilled its aim and managed to reunite Jonny with Neil Laybourne, who saved him that fateful day!

2. Rachel's 9th Birthday wish - if you didn't hear this story of an inspirational girl, and how she chose to celebrate her birthday, you will be touched! At the young age of 9. she adsked that friends and family didn't give her birthday gifts, but asked that they people helped her raise a $300 goal via MyCharity, to help children in Africa access clean water. Unfortunately, not long after her birthday she was involved in a fatal car crash, which meant her final goals were unfulfilled. However, her family and friends rallied together to continue the campaign, and has since been a viral sensation on social media, and interesting people all over the world. The campaign went on to raise over $1.2million over 60 days, which just shows howamazing a single selfless act can be.

3. Ice bucket challenge - I might not have agreed with this idea initially, but can't fault any efforts to raise awareness and funds. This campaign was hugely successful, may I say more?

4. "Don't cover it up" - This campaign was very effective, and showed the effects of domestic abuse. The video is titled 'How to look your best the morning after,' which mimicks a typical makeup tutorial on YouTube, but with the twist of having a make-up artistic give tips on how to hide injuries gained from domestic violence. Lauren Luke is a popular vlogger, and used her mainly female fan base to help raise awareness, and help stop such violence.

5. It Gets Better Project - this viral movement from 2010 aimed to address the issue of the rise in suicides in teenage gay and lesbian groups. The campaign provided over 50,000 user 'It Gets Better' videos to be uploaded onto YouTube, which together raised a combined total of over 50 million views. I suggest you check these out!

To finish, I would like to encourage you to get involved in a campaign I wish to get bigger in aid of Aberlour Childcare Trust (although like the Iced bucket challenge and #nomakeupselfie, you may choose to promote this for any charity you passionately support!

In a bid to build morale amongst Scots who recently voted in the much-talked-about Referendrum, this has been created to make Scottish people proud, and prove they can do something amazing and make a real difference!  The event page states: "The eyes of the world are upon us right now. How do you want them to see us? How can we continue the passion shown by both sides during the referendum campaign? I have a simple idea. Join me in investing in our nation's future today by donating just £3 to Scotland's children's charity, Aberlour. And show support with a smiley from today until the end of October!" This campaign was launched today.


So what do you have to do? Click here: twibbon.com/support/smiley-2 it helps you add a smiley face to your profile picture on facebook, twitter and whatever else you use. Also persuade people to donate while doing it. Simply text BUILD to 70660 to give £3 per month to Aberlour. (You can opt out at any time by texting STOP). For more details on the event, scots and passionate people-alike, visit the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/309412892563820. No maybe about it, add a smiley face and encourage others to do the same. Invite people to the facebook event, and get involved! SPREAD this beautiful message to support Scottish children who are less fortunate.
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In my next post, I hope to discuss charity engagement, but please let me know of anything else you wish for me to discuss in fundraising. Ideas are welcomed!