Asking for donations
Telling people about your challenge and asking for donations can feel awkward. Check out our advice that will hopefully make that initial ask feel a bit more comfortable.
Set the tone
There’s no better way to get the fundraising ball rolling than by making a self-donation. It not only encourages your support network to match or better your donation, it also helps to show that you care about the cause and are serious about reaching your target.
Tell your story
Once you have set up your fundraising page, make sure you share it on your social media channels with your friends, family, and colleagues. Let them know how important this challenge is to you and how vital the money raised is to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Stuck for what you will say in your first message? If you're not quite sure what to say, here is a suggestion that you can adapt and personalise to get you started. The most important thing is to tell people what you're up to, why the challenge is important to you and what you're raising money for:
"From 1 March, I'm going to be completing the Macmillan March Plank Challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support. This challenge is really important to me because...
Everyone diagnosed with cancer deserves life-transforming support and so I'm doing whatever it takes to help Macmillan to be there for everyone living with cancer. Any donation amount will be greatly appreciated.
And I'll share updates along the way and when I complete my challenge. Thank you!"
Let your supporters know how the money you raise helps Macmillan
It’s only because of fundraisers like you that we can continue to support people living with cancer. Below are just a few statistics that you can share with your network to show how your fundraising really makes a huge difference.
- £86 could pay for 100 copies of our most popular booklet, Help with the Cost of Cancer, potentially helping a person affected by cancer understand the benefits and financial help they could access.
- £181 could provide emotional support to one person living with cancer for around eight weeks, through ongoing and regular telephone sessions with one of our Macmillan Buddies.
- £483 could help run our Online Community forum for 1 day. In this time, 2,398 people affected by cancer in the UK can give emotional and practical support to each other on anything to do with cancer – from treatments, to coping with everyday life, to the death of a loved one.
- £1,202 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for 1 week, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support
- £3,510 could help run a small Macmillan benefits advice service for 1 month, providing people living with cancer with easy-to-understand, impartial advice on claiming the financial support they’re entitled to.
- £15,702 could support our financial guides to run the financial guidance element of our phone service for 1 week. In this time, they could, on average, deal with 309 calls and web enquires, providing a wide range of financial support and advice to people affected by cancer.
Small donations for the win!
In a time where people may find it harder to give larger donations, remind your support network that a small donation can go a long way to helping Macmillan Cancer Support.
Just £4 could pay for 50 copies of our credit-card sized resource explaining graphically the signs and symptoms of some common cancers. This has become one of our most popular resources and is particularly popular with men, who can be reluctant to pick up other materials.
Around £7 could cover the cost of a nurse offering a patient a personalised electronic Holistic Needs Assessment (eHNA) assessment and care plan. A Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) is a process of gathering information from patients or their carers to help plan their personalised care. The HNA supports the whole person and analyses physical, emotional, spiritual, social and practical concerns. This helps to develop an individual care plan. Macmillan developed an electronic version of this tool (the eHNA) to make the process more straightforward and less time-consuming.
Suggested donations
Offering a suggested donation amount to potential donors can be a great way to maximise your fundraising. A great example of this is for distance-based challenges, but it can be adapted for all sorts of fundraising.
Running a marathon? Rather than suggesting a £20 or £50 donation why not phrase it in a different way:
"I'm taking on the London Marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support next year over a gruelling 26.2 miles. It would be amazing if you could sponsor me £1 or a couple of quid per mile. It will really help me when I hit the dreaded wall and most importantly will make a huge difference to people living with cancer."
You'll be amazed how quickly the extra money adds up, and it also helps supporters to justify their donation and visualise your challenge.
Be visible
Once you have set up your fundraising page, there are many ways you can update your followers without directly asking people for money.
Update your social media bios
Updating your bios on your social media channels and including a link to your fundraising page is a quick and easy way for your followers to keep up to date with your fundraising journey and donate to your challenge.
Change your email signature
If you use email in or outside of work, consider adding a line about your fundraising efforts and a link to your fundraising page in your email sign off. It’s a great way of staying in people’s minds as well as widening your possible network of supporters.
Print posters
Why not ask in your local shops, pubs or community centre if they are happy for you to spread the word about your fundraising. Our posters can include QR codes that allow people to access and donate to your page quickly and easily.
Fundraising resources
Need extra resources for your fundraising? Add a personal touch to your materials with the Design Editor tool, browse our merchandise which includes balloons and bunting, and download a sponsorship form. We've got everything you need to make your fundraising a success.
