We want your CAF fundraising experience to be fun, easy and rewarding. That is why we put together the following fundraising tips, tricks and best practices that will help get your fundraiser off the ground.
How to save the image:
Take your fundraising further by raising money through your social network. By connecting your fundraising page to a Facebook Fundraiser, you can share your page on Facebook to your friends and family. Donor's don't have to leave Facebook to donate to your page, all donations received will process and be displayed on both pages.
Your personal fundraising page and Facebook Fundraiser are linked - this means if someone donates on Facebook, you will see your total amount will automatically update. If someone donates on your personal page, the Facebook Fundraiser will automatically update your amount.
Below are shareable graphics for each athlete plus their link to their page on our Athletes page - including their age, hometown, sport(s), physical challenge, and story. You can use their stories in your fundraising page, messages to your supporters, and to showcase how CAF impacts our athletes.
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/ella-rodriguez/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/kenasyn-bird/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/jack-cunningham/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/gabby-platt/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/willie-stewart/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/tyler-jones/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/emma-meyers/
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/chase-merriweather/
About CAF
CAF Beliefs
How CAF serves people with physical challenges
$30,000 = a set of prosthetic running legs for a growing child
$15,000 = outdoor chair for cycling on trails
$5,000 = a custom track chair
$3,000 = a racing chair
$2,500 = a basketball wheelchair
$2,000 = a Hockey Sled + equipment
The key to success is simple - you just need to ask! Tell your friends, family, and colleagues why you want to help CAF work towards greater inclusion and empower challenged athletes to achieve more and inspire them to donate.
DAY 1
Set up your fundraising page in your Participant Center. Your registration fee counts as your first donation. If you didn't have a registration fee, make your own donation to really kick things off and demonstrate your commitment to the mission.
DAY 2
Get social! Make sure you connect your fundraiser to Facebook in your Participant Center. This will automatically share your page to your Facebook network. Once you get the word out, you’ll be surprised at who will support you- a high school friend, a college roommate, or a former co-worker.
DAY 3
Ask three family members to donate $25 or more.
DAY 4
Hit up 5 friends to donate $20 each. Your Participant Center is a great resource for sample fundraising messages that you can use if you need some help asking for support.
DAY 5
Ask a business that you regularly frequent to donate $25. Whether it’s your favorite restaurant, your hair stylist, your pharmacy - or all of the above - it never hurts to ask.
DAY 6
Ask five co-workers to donate $20 each.
DAY 7
Speaking of your employer, see if your company offers a matching gift program to really drive up your donations.
DAY 8
Choose five people from your gym, your child’s school, or local community group and ask for a donation of $10 each.
DAY 9
Ask someone whose cause you have supported for $25 or more. That’s the beauty of giving!
DAY 10
Send a fun update to everyone you’ve reached out to who has yet to donate. Showing them the progress you are making will act as a friendly reminder to show their support.
Did you know that sharing your personal story can be the most powerful way to really connect with potential donors?
Here are some tips for sharing your connection to CAF:
Below are tips on how to fundraise from a few SDTC veterans who have been fundraising for CAF for many years. Combined, they have participated in over 65 fundraisers and raised over $570,000. We asked them what advice they would give to a fundraiser and here's what they had to say:
Ralph Robinson
Fundraising since 2003
Probably my best piece of advice came to me from Dick Lansing. I asked him what his secret to great fundraising is, since he had been at the top year after year, and he told me what I think I was beginning to understand. He said that in general people donate to YOU, not to the cause that you are supporting. They care about you, as a friend, family member, colleague at work, or however you know them. It's not that they don't think CAF is a worthy cause - that is a necessary condition for them to donate. So you DO have to let them know that CAF spends its funds in a well-directed way, and uses almost all of the money to help challenged athletes. But that may not be enough, because almost everybody has more worthy causes to donate to than they have money. So, what you really need to do is help them understand how being involved with CAF has helped YOU to be a better person in this world today. You need to help them see how helping CAF has helped YOU make the most of your life. Tell them the story of when and where you first got involved, and how that impacted you. That, more than anything, will help them truly understand the mission of CAF, and will move them to take action and make the donation. Since I had the good fortune to meet and talk to Jim MacLaren, I like to tell them how that one conversation moved me to come back year after year.
Stephen Doyne
Fundraiser in EVERY SDTC
Stephen shares with following his network:
For the past, 26 years it has been my privilege to participate in each and every San Diego Triathlon Challenge. A life changing experience, I have been humbled by the grit and determination of so many challenged athletes. Whether it is seeing Rudy and Jake grow up from the ages of 5 and 8 and flourish to be young confident men without a hint of disability, or see Sara grow into becoming the first woman amputee to complete the Ironman, CAF has changed lives - including mine as well. It is simply the best - a true tribute to the human spirit. And every dollar you give goes to help a worthy individual worldwide. Your donation will not only change their lives but yours as well.
Tina Weidenkeller
Fundraising since 1995
The root of it all is you are doing something good. You’re doing something to help the world be a better place so get the “ask people for money” out of your head. It’s the organization, sure, but it’s the person asking that drives why people are giving. They are giving to you because you’re involved in this charity. You are the connection for this person to help CAF.
Don’t have any preconceived notions on who will give or who will not because it never comes out the way you think. The one you think won’t give, gives a big gift and vice versa.
You may have to ask them multiple times. You’re not being a pain, it’s life. You’re busy, you’re pulled into so many directions and people will thank you for reminding them. Sometimes people think I work for CAF because I’m such a passionate fundraiser.
Break it down for people - I need 50 friends to give me $10 and I’ll be at my $500 goal. Don’t try and look for that person who’s going to write a $500 check.
Use the tools they’re giving you - Videos, stories, social media shares so people can SEE what CAF is really doing.
Before social media, I sent emails, I mailed letters! Now with social media it’s so easy to share with everyone. You never know who will jump on but you have to keep on it.
When people come together to support a cause they believe in, the results can be a real gamechanger. That’s why it’s so important to inspire others to make a real impact by helping CAF create a world where people with physical challenges are provided opportunity and access to sports and physical activity. No matter how big or small you envision your fundraising campaign, here are some tips to help you invite your friends, family and co-workers to join you.
How to recruit team members
Keep your team engaged