Sponsorship - any tips?

[TheBoyBilly]

I'd like to do a London to Paris charity ride later in the year. The thing that is giving me worry is the high(ish) sponsorship required. I am looking at about £1350 all told of which £800 is a recommended minimum for the charity, the rest is to fund the ride, support, hotels etc. As I am looking to get enjoyment from riding four days with full back-up, meeting like-minded folk and, hopefully, new friends I am prepared to stand the costs of the ride myself. This leaves the £800 to charity. Any tips on how to go about raising this? I reckon I could raise £300 straight off but I'd like some suggestions now before I sign up for something I can't fulfill financially.

Any ideas most welcome.

Bill

 

[dellzeqq]

I've raised money by riding, and helped to organise two rides that raised £70,000 last year, and I'm bound to say that it can be more difficult than you think.

First - look through your e-mail address book and get it up to date. I don't know what you do for a living, but consider people that you might meet or deal with in your working day. Don't write people off - some people you expect to sponsor you won't, and some people will come up with big bucks out of the blue.

Second - work on a concise e-mail - describing the ride, and what the money is for, including the briefest bit about the work of the charity.

Third - work out a way of incorporating a picture or a couple of pictures in to the e-mail, but make sure that the e-mail doesn't get too big

Fourth - open a Justgiving or Virgin giving account, and take a bit of time to get your page looking sweet

hope this helps

oh - if you change your mind about going to Paris you can always click the link below. The Martlets FNRttC aims to raise £100,000 this year. Entry will be (I think) £15.

 

[slugonabike]

Good advice from Dell.

I raised £2000 for charity when I ran the London mara, I found the fundraising far more stressful than the training and swore 'never again' so I wish you well! Well done for covering the cost of the ride yourself, at least you can tell your sponsors that every penny raised is going to the charity.

From experience I would say to add a little bit about why the charity is close to your heart so that peeps don't think that you are just asking them to fund your 'jolly'. Also remember that you don't have to raise all the money in direct sponsorship, you could look at running a quiz night, 5 a side tournament, darts match etc depending on your interests. You could also consider running a sweepstake (how long before you get your first p******e perhaps!), giving away a raffle ticket to every sponsor (if you have the contacts you might be able to get a local business to donate a nice prize for this and/or the sweepstake), taking cakes or choccy in to work for peeps to buy, getting a team to pack bags at a local supermarket etc. Some employers offer to match any money that their staff raise in sponsorship so that might be worth looking into. If you have someone who is prepared to help out as your 'fundraising manager' so that you can get on with everything else, all the better.

Good luck.

 

[dellzeqq]

one of our riders held a ball! We knew we were on to a winner with that one..........

the charity you ride for will have a load of ideas

and I'm going to steal slugonabike's wizard wheezes.....

 

[TheBoyBilly]

Thank you both for the great ideas. And Dell, I am certainly looking to do a few FNRttCs this year-once I get my fitness up to scratch

Bill

 

[slugonabike]

Afraid the ideas were not mine, dell - and I wasn't able to use any of them myself, for various reasons. However, I'm glad to pass them on and hope they will raise some dosh for good causes.

 

[StuAff]

I'd like to do a London to Paris charity ride later in the year. The thing that is giving me worry is the high(ish) sponsorship required. I am looking at about £1350 all told of which £800 is a recommended minimum for the charity, the rest is to fund the ride, support, hotels etc. As I am looking to get enjoyment from riding four days with full back-up, meeting like-minded folk and, hopefully, new friends I am prepared to stand the costs of the ride myself. This leaves the £800 to charity. Any tips on how to go about raising this? I reckon I could raise £300 straight off but I'd like some suggestions now before I sign up for something I can't fulfill financially.

Any ideas most welcome.

Bill

Bill, I did the Royal British Legion ride to Paris last year, already sent in my entry for this year's. It's a requirement of that ride to keep sponsorship entirely separate from the costs of the trip, and though they too would like £800 minimum sponsorship, they seem happy enough to take whatever you can raise- in other words, if you've made an effort, they don't worry about the amount. If you haven't signed up for one, it's highly recommended- great organisation, good route...and closed roads to get to the Arc

Edit: And I'll be trying some of those fundraising ideas myself, so thanks gents!

 

[slugonabike]

Edit: And I'll be trying some of those fundraising ideas myself, so thanks gents!

<ahem>

I am a laydee slug

 

[TheBoyBilly]

It is the Royal British Legion ride I was considering StuAff, but unfortunately it coincides with the 1000 Rider FTRttC on the 2nd September which is a bit of a shame as I'd like to do both very much. With this in mind I think I will do the FTRttC this year and then ride for the Legion next year. This will give me more time to not only build up my own funds but get sponsorship for such a wonderful cause. Thanks all.

Bill

 

[dellzeqq]

Thank you both for the great ideas. And Dell, I am certainly looking to do a few FNRttCs this year-once I get my fitness up to scratch

Bill

Well you'd better start now! Most of us have been on a strict regime of three pints a day since the New Year

 

[TheBoyBilly]

Well you'd better start now! Most of us have been on a strict regime of three pints a day since the New Year

Lol, and there was I thinking that this new Cabernet Souvignon diet was all I needed. Back to Harvey's Best it is then!

 

[StuAff]

<ahem>

I am a laydee slug

Whoops. Should have read, thank you lady and gents

 

[StuAff]

It is the Royal British Legion ride I was considering StuAff, but unfortunately it coincides with the 1000 Rider FTRttC on the 2nd September which is a bit of a shame as I'd like to do both very much. With this in mind I think I will do the FTRttC this year and then ride for the Legion next year. This will give me more time to not only build up my own funds but get sponsorship for such a wonderful cause. Thanks all.

Bill

Great minds think alike perhaps! Yup, I had the same dilemma....