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Your Walk For Humanity fundraising guide

Welcome!

Thank you for supporting New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision.

Every day, six New Zealanders turn to Blind Low Vision NZ for support with vision loss. We’re here to provide practical and emotional support to empower people to live the life they choose, without limits. 

That’s why your walkathon challenge is so important!

This guide is designed to help you reach and exceed your fundraising target. Every dollar you raise makes a meaningful difference for New Zealanders with vision loss.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team! You can reach us on

Using your fundraising page

It only takes a couple of minutes to set up your page and then you can share your unique fundraising link with friends, whanau, and colleagues and watch the donations flood in.

Supporters can donate to your page using a credit or debit card and they’ll automatically get a donation receipt (for gifts over $5).

Every donation you receive will add to the growing tally on your page. You can even add updates and photos at any time to let your supporters know how you’re getting on.

If you haven’t already set up an online fundraising page, or you have any questions please get in touch and we’ll help you get started!

 

Steps to being a successful online fundraiser

1. Make it yours, and show you're committed

Make a donation to your own fundraising page. People are more likely to donate to your page when they see someone has already contributed. Donating your own money also shows that you are serious about the cause. Personalise your fundraising page. Add your own text, pictures, or video. Remember, your supporters will be interested in the cause, but they are mainly interested in you! Make sure you tell them why you are getting involved (it doesn’t have to be long).

2. Contact your nearest and dearest first

The best fundraisers start by asking their closest contacts first, then work their way out to the rest of their network. Why? Your closest contacts are the ones most likely to donate, and you’re more likely to build up a good foundation of donations. Studies show the closer to your goal you are, the more likely people are to donate. So when your outer circles see your page with some progress, they’ll likely want to be part of the “movement” too!

3. Think about your email audience

There’s no perfect formula for writing an email asking people you know to donation, but here are some best practices to guide you:  Explain your connection to Blind Low Vision NZ, vision loss, or one of our services and why it’s important to you. In a sentence or two explain the good work you’re helping to support. Be clear to potential supporters about what you’re after; make a direct ask for financial support. Include a link to your fundraising page. Thank your contacts for their time and support. You know your family and friends, so don’t feel like you have to stick to a formula. Just remember to be yourself!

4. Make the most of social media

Start fundraising through social media after you’ve sent out your initial batch of emails. Get your tag on. Start on Facebook by tagging those that have already donated and thanking them for their donations. This reinforces that people are already donating to your page (remember, success breeds success!). Set internal goals. $200 by one week, $400 by two weeks, etc. Use your social media accounts to update followers on your progress towards each goal and ask for people to help you get over the next hurdle. Give ‘em good content. Don’t feel you have to make every post an ask – share inspiring stories, update your supporters on or share related news stories or blog posts about vision loss, guide dogs or Humanity Frist It can help remind people who’ve forgotten to donate!

5. Follow up

Unless they tell you otherwise, assume that people want to donate but just haven’t had a chance to yet, have forgotten about it, or lost the link. Use goals as a follow up tool Re-contact non-responders when you’re approaching one of your internal goals. If you set a few internal goals, you can plan on sending a couple of follow up emails. And of course, include progress updates in your follow up messages. Thank everyone who donates You can even use this as a chance to share on social media again!

Get creative!

You can reach your goal even faster by putting on an event or getting creative with your fundraising. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

 

Fundraising at work:

  • Talk to your employer about making a gift – maybe the business could match your donations?
  • Bake a batch of sweet treats and sell to your colleagues
  • Hold a raffle and ask local businesses to donate prizes
  • Hold a sweepstake; this could be sports-related or about the latest reality TV show. Think outside the box.
  • Talk to your employer about a putting on a BBQ or hot lunch. Slow cookers are great for big-batch chilli and soups on cold winter days!
  • Organise a corporate golf day for your colleagues, clients, and suppliers
  • Can you offer an extra service to your colleagues for a donation? Clean their desk, fetch their coffee, give up your carpark, give them a lift…the possibilities are endless.

After hours

  • Show off your brain power at a trivia night! You’ll be able to find a local bar or pub willing to host it for free if you have enough people...they may even donate a bar tab for the winners! Ask local businesses for prizes for the top team, most creative team name etc.
  • Clear out the spare room wardrobe or garage and hold an auction on TradeMe
  • Why go out to a fancy restaurant when you can host a night in? Make some simple delicious food and ask your friends to donate the cost of a night out to your fundraising page. A great way to catch up and make a difference!
  • Challenge your friends and family to a sports / games day. This could be outdoor sports, indoor sports, or even board games! Organise prizes for the winners and charge people to take part.
  • Host a cinema night. Book out a local cinema or create your own at home!

Planning your fundraising

You’ve decided to partipate in the Walk for Humanity and you know all about how to raise money…now what? Planning out your fundraising activities is a great way to get started and stay on track!

  1. Decide on your goal. How much do you want to raise? Remember, the more you raise, the bigger difference you’ll make – make your goal ambitious but achievable.
  2. Plan out your fundraising activities and how much money you aim to raise from each one. Remember to schedule in sharing your online fundraising page too so you don’t forget! Schedule in social media posts and emails to update your supporters on your progress.
  3. Put your dates in your phone or work calendar or print and hang your calendar in a place where you can see it!
  4. Share your calendar with close family and friends to see if they can help with your fundraising activities – they might also have some great ideas to help you raise even more!

Week 1

Monday: Share fundraising page via email to closest 5-10 contacts

Tuesday: Share fundraising page via email to 10-15 others

Wednesday: Send via email to everyone I feel comfortable emailing

Thursday: Share on Facebook

Goal: $100

Week 2

Facebook post about how you want to contribute to New Zealanders with Vision loss

Goal: $150

Week 5

Share fundraising page – take baking orders

Goal: $100

Week 7

Share fundraising page 

Goal: $200

You’ll see I’ve already planned to raise more than my initial $1,000 target!  Remember, you can update your target any time!

How your fundraising is changing lives

By taking on this challenge and raising money, you’re truly changing lives. Take it from Dean, Stella, Ese, and Stevi.

Stella

When 10-year-old Stella was diagnosed with two serious eye conditions, her family had the practical and emotional support they needed – thanks to people like you.

“Blind Low Vision NZ support has been amazing. It’s given Stella the confidence that she can do the things other children do.

For her future, I just want her to have the same opportunities as everyone else. To be able to access everything the way other people can access everything and to have the confidence to give things a go.”

Dean

When Dean lost his sight, the thing he missed most was reading. He felt it most when he’d catch up with mates and they’d discuss their latest reads.

“I missed reading pretty badly at that time. It was like an emptiness, and not being able to talk with my friends about books highlighted it.”

Almost five years without books went by, but then Dean heard about Blind Low Vision NZ’s talking book service. Once he’d listened to his first talking book, Dean was thrilled.

“I just love them. It’s added another dimension. It’s given me back part of my life that I thought I’d lost for good. I can’t be more grateful for that. It makes life a lot bigger.”

Ese

Ese dreamed of a career in music, but he never imagined the obstacles that would be in his way.

“To be told I have this amazing gift and then to have it crushed by what people thought about my blindness was incredibly disheartening,” Ese says.

Thanks to people like you, Blind Low Vision NZ was able to help Ese with his career aspirations – including finding him a placement with an Auckland primary school. They were also able to help Ese’s new employer with technology to make sure Ese had the tools he needed to succeed.

 “I was overwhelmed with emotion when I got the job. I was so grateful for the support from Blind Low Vision NZ and for the school to see an opportunity for their kids,” Ese says.

Ese still teaches there today and has a profound impact on the students in his class. Thank you for helping people like Ese do they work they’re passionate about.

Stevi

22-year-old Stevi was born with a rare eye condition causing very low vision.

Living in a small community with no public transport left Stevi feeling very isolated, dependent on others and low in confidence. But teaming up with her beloved guide dog, Halo, changed all that.

“I was quite shy before, but you can’t be shy with a guide dog because people come up to you all the time. Having a guide dog definitely gives me confidence” says Stevi.

“People don’t understand the impact that a guide dog can have. All I have to do is hold the harness handle and I know that I will be safe and I trust her. Having a guide dog gives me a sense of accomplishment because I am able to do what others can do. There are no limits.”

Having Halo has given Stevi the motivation to finish school and university, and she’s now got a job she loves. Thank you for enabling confidence for young people like Stevi.