Do you have a furry friend who needs some financial help? Maybe they've been chowing down on too many treats or chasing after their own tail a little too aggressively. Many times our furry friends have medical bills that are just too overwhelming for us to handle on our own. If so, GiveSendGo might be just the platform you need to fundraise for your pet's needs. Here's how to make it happen:
Create a campaign on GiveSendGo!
First things first: you've got to create a campaign for your four-legged pal. This should be a piece of cake for you and your furry friend, but if you're unsure, don't hesitate to paw-sit and do a little research on how to set up a great campaign. Maybe check out one of our other blogs on how to start a GiveSendGo campaign or watch one of our how-to videos on Rumble or YouTube.
Set a fundraising goal!
Next, decide how much you need to fundraise for your pet's needs. But remember: if you ask for too much, your supporters might start to flea. On the other hand, if you ask for too little, you might not be able to afford the purrfect treatment for your pet. Be realistic, and don't be afraid to reach out to your veterinarian for a second opinion.
Share your campaign!
Time to spread the word! Share your campaign on social media or through email and text and make sure to bark up the right tree. Ask your friends and family to share the campaign with their own furry friends. You never know who might be willing to help out. Remember, very rarely is there a group of strangers looking to donate to GiveSendGo campaigns. It’s most likely people in your own circle (family, friends, co-workers, church, etc.) who are going to give to your campaign.
Provide updates!
Make sure to keep your supporters in the loop on your pet's progress. If your pup is feeling better or your kitty has stopped coughing up hairballs, let your supporters know! And don't forget to include some cute pet pics in your updates. After all, who doesn't love to see some adorable dog or cat pics?
Express gratitude!
Last but not least, don't forget to show some appreciation to your supporters. Send them some puppy or kitty kisses and a heartfelt thank you (either through a message or a handwritten note - maybe even include some paw prints to go along with it). You might even want to give them a shoutout on social media. Just don't forget to thank your furry friend too – they're the ones who got you to start a campaign on GiveSendGo in the first place!
In conclusion, GiveSendGo is a great platform to help fundraise for your pet's needs. And with a little bit of effort and some adorable pet pics, you might just be able to get the support you need to help your furry friend out of a tough spot. Good luck, and happy fundraising!
So you’re trying to raise some money? Maybe you’re trying to pay for those expensive medical bills or want to raise funds for a legal defense. Maybe you know of a family in your community who’s in need or there’s a group in your church going on a mission trip. No matter what the reason is, everyone can agree on one thing - raising money can be a hassle. So, what do you do?
The great news is that there are so many people out there in the world, especially those within your inner circle, who have a heart to give! Thanks to the internet, there’s tons of platforms out there that allow these givers to donate to cases like yours and they specialize in crowdfunding to help you conveniently and efficiently raise money for your needs, wants, and goals.
So, let's see if crowdfunding is right for you!
Pros:
1. It’s super easy to use!
Forget the hassle of trying to organize a bake sale or trivia night to raise money for your cause. Instead of wasting your time and money on creative fundraising endeavors or events, simply turn on your computer and set up your fundraising campaign from home. Crowdfunding makes raising money so convenient and effortless. In fact, the average time it takes to set up your campaign is less than 5 minutes! Crowdfunding campaigns are also easily shareable on social media and through email and text with just a few clicks.
2. Not a lot of financial risk
Not only are fundraising events and endeavors a hassle, oftentimes they can cost you the very money you’re trying to raise. Crowdfunding usually costs very little to raise money, so there’s less financial risk. Therefore, you can focus on raising and saving the money you make to put towards your cause instead of spending it on start-up costs.
3. You gain access to a whole new community of people
Crowdfunding attracts and unites a large community of people who love to give and help others. The more you share and get the word out about your campaign, the more wonderful people you have the chance to connect with because of their support for your campaign!
Cons:
1. It takes time, planning, and effort to get the word out
Ask anyone who’s crowdfunded before - it takes work. It's a common misconception that once you create a campaign everyone and their cousin will give to your cause. That’s simply not true. You have to share your campaign with your friends, family, co-workers, church family, community, etc. to get the word out. It’s typically those close to you that will care to give to your campaign. As you share your campaign through social media, text, and email you’ll begin to see people you recognize giving to your cause. Asking those who have given to your campaign to share it with their friends and family will help spread your cause to others and give you a greater chance of getting outside donations.
Additionally, while setting up a campaign doesn’t take very long to do, it does take a little extra time to do it well. You need to write a description for your campaign that tells your story, hooks the reader, inspires others to give to your cause, and tells them exactly how they can give (typically all between 300-500 words). It’s best to also provide regular updates to your donors so they know how your campaign journey is going. Again, crowdfunding takes time, even after you’ve created the campaign.
2. Your campaign might not reach its goal
On any given crowdfunding platform there are thousands of campaigns. Realistically, if those you’ve shared your campaign with already aren’t giving to your cause your campaign may not reach its end goal. Unfortunately, this is the case for around one third of people who start a crowdfunding campaign.
3. Your campaign might get taken down on certain platforms
Many crowdfunding platforms take down campaigns because it “violated their terms of service” or they simply disagree with it’s message. All that effort down the drain, your voice silenced, and your cause crushed. There’s no telling if this will happen to your campaign, so make sure to choose one who won’t censor you!
So now that we’ve presented the crowdfunding facts, it’s time to tell you about GiveSendGo!
1. GiveSendGo prays for its campaign users and encourages others to do the same! GiveSendGo has special Prayer Partners that call each and every GiveSendGo campaign owner to pray for them and their campaign. What other crowdfunding platform does that? Additionally, each GiveSendGo campaign features a “Pray Now” button which allows you to send a prayer message to any campaign owner on our site. Whether you’re donating to their cause or not, we always encourage you to pray for them and their needs! We also have a prayer wall where you can submit your prayer requests and praises, as well as pray for others prayer requests.
2. GiveSendGo won’t censor your campaign. So long as your campaign isn’t illegal and/or you’re not raising money to do something harmful or illegal we won’t take down your campaign. Whether we personally agree, disagree, like, or dislike your campaign we believe everyone has a right to have their voice heard. So don’t worry, your campaign is safe with us!
3. GiveSendGo is FREE! GiveSendGo won’t charge you any money to start a fundraising campaign. Our third-party processor charges a small fee to those who donate to your campaign, but GiveSendGo’s platform itself is entirely FREE to use.
4. GiveSendGo has a Giver Army that’s dedicated to giving to campaigns every month. GiveSendGo’s Giver Army is made up of everyday people doing spectacular things! They dedicate their time and money to give to GiveSendGo campaigns every month. Additionally, they get to choose how much they give each month and who they give to. On top of that, our Giver Army receives a thank you package and a special invitation to our yearly GiveSendGo Fall Givers Party! You too can join our Giver Army and show off your cheerful giving!
Do the pros outweigh the cons for you? Does GiveSendGo sound like a great choice for you? Let us know what you think!
Whether it’s on social media, sending out an email, or directly on your GiveSendGo campaign page it’s important to update backers about the progress of your campaign. After all, they’ve made the decision to invest in you and your idea, you should invest in them too!
Here are a few tips on how to update your backers throughout your campaigning process, as well as a few guidelines on how to write a great campaign update!
So, what are some reasons or occasions why you should, or would need to, update your backers?
1. Fundraising Progress or New Developments
So you’ve created your campaign and are now asking people to donate to a cause you care about. That’s great! You’ve completed the first step. Now that you’ve opened that dialogue with your backers and potential backers, it would seem a little insensitive to never speak to them again. From a potential backer’s viewpoint, this would look like you only cared about getting the money you needed and not about their support. You need to also show your investment, not only in your campaign’s mission, but in the people who are giving to you.
This is why it’s important to share fundraising milestones and new developments in your campaign with your supporters. Let’s say you reached $1,000 raised or maybe you’ve reached the halfway point in your campaign. Let your supporters know you’re grateful for their help and share your milestones with them.
Who knows, someone out there might see your campaign update and want to give to help you reach your final goal! Sharing updates isn’t always about communicating with your supporters, although that is important, it’s also about reaching people who may not even know your campaign exists. The more updates you give, the stronger the support you will have, which means you’ll most likely reach your goal faster!
2. Thanking and Recognizing Your Backers
Show your gratitude and share it often! If you’re getting any support at all in your campaign, that’s more support than what you started out with. You should recognize those people for the impact they’re making on your life through their donations. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to reach your goal, so they deserve to see and hear how appreciative you are for their help. An update alone shows you care about keeping your backers in the loop, but adding an extra thank you tells them that you truly appreciate what they’ve done for you!
3. Personal Stories
It’s important for people to see the heart and the drive behind your campaign’s mission. People love stories, especially ones they can empathize with. You’d be surprised how much people want to help other people. But, without sharing a need or the story behind your goal, they might just see you as just another campaign in a sea of hundreds of campaigns. Give them something to be passionate about, something that makes you stand out. Everyone’s story is unique, so don’t be afraid to be vulnerable when you tell it. Just make sure you’re being honest. Your story might speak to someone on a level you may not expect. It may also inspire someone to start their own campaign if they see you sharing your mission with the world. So, share your story!
4. Sharing Links Related to Your Campaign
Sharing your campaign with local news organizations is a great way to get more awareness about your goal and mission. If they decide to run with it, now you have an article or news story you can share on social media or even share through email/text. It’s a win-win! Be sure to also share this article or video link as an update on your GiveSendGo campaign page, so people can see an outside perspective on your campaign! Who knows, you might have dozens or hundreds of people outside of your circle interested in your campaign now simply because the news covered it! Those are people who may never have known about it otherwise!
On a similar note, you can also share in an update to your backers the different social media platforms you use and regularly post to. This is another way for you to update your backers more frequently and to stay in touch with your supporters! It’s also a way of welcoming them into your life and story!
5. Share What You’re Using the Money For
So now people know about your story and your campaign goal, but what about the money? People are sometimes hesitant to give because they don’t know where the money they’re donating will actually be going and if it’s actually going to be used for what it’s intended for. Give them an update from time to time sharing the details of where or what your money is going to and how you plan to use it.
If your campaign is to raise money for an organization you’re passionate about, share about them and how that money will be benefiting that specific cause. If it’s for you or a group to go on a mission trip, share specific details about what their money will cover such as flights, hotels, transportation, food etc. Or, if you plan to use the money to help build houses in a third world country, then share that in an update too. The more specific you can be, the more confident people will feel in their giving to your campaign.
6. Image or Photos
Sharing a personal update through a photo or video is a great way to connect with your backers and potential backers on a more personal level. Sometimes this means just sharing a glimpse into your life and other times it means sharing an update specific to your campaign journey.
For instance, let’s say you’re raising money to pay for medical expenses for a loved one. You might decide to share an update about the state of their health, or maybe they have a message they want to share with those who are supporting them and you need to relay that message. Especially in this case, if someone has donated to your campaign then they probably also care about you as a person, not just about helping you reach your monetary goal. A photo or video that updates your backers helps you engage with them on a deeper level than just through text. It’s also a really simple way to let your backers know how your campaign journey is going!
How to Write a Great Update
Now that you have all of these tips on what to update your backers about, it’s a matter of how do you do it? Your update doesn’t have to be really long, but if you feel led to share a blog post or a longer message with your supporters that’s great too! It also doesn’t need to sound deep or really professional to get the information or message across. The important thing is that you be honest in your update, genuine, and that it be relevant to your campaign. Sometimes the shorter the update the better since most people don’t want to read pages of information, nor will that help communicate clearly what you need to share. Whatever you’re updating your backers about, simply write a few paragraphs (or maybe just a few sentences depending on the update).
Then, be sure to thank them for their continued support and be sure to mention how they can keep supporting you. Make sure you’re providing updates at least once a week, even if the update is short and to the point. Depending on the nature of your update, there are a lot of templates online that give specific steps in how to write an update like this. But at the end of the day, remember, just be you!
