Start Fundraising
Letter writing and email campaigns are the most effective fundraising methods! Here’s a simple how-to for letter/email campaigns:
- Write a short letter or email and distribute to friends, co-workers, and family members. If you will be participating as a team or with your family, think about including photos of all the participants.
- Tell people why you are participating in the In Love with Literacy Read-A-Thon. Perhaps, you are a current volunteer for the Council. Have you known someone personally who has been affected by illiteracy? Maybe you have worked in education. Or you just believe strongly in the power of literacy. Whatever your reasons for participating, share them! This truly personalizes your email and lets others share in your passion for the cause.
- Tell them your fundraising goal and don't be afraid to ask for a specific amount.
- Provide facts about literacy in Frederick County.
I will be participating in the In Love with Literacy Read-A-Thon on Valentine's Day of 2009. This event will support the Literacy Council of Frederick County. This non-profit has been helping adult residents in Frederick County improve their reading, writing, and language skills through one-to-one tutoring for 45 years. I wanted to support their mission and thought the read-a-thon would be an ideal way to help.
As many of you know, I have been a teacher for over 10 years now, and I believe that the ability to read and write effectively is a powerful tool that everyone young or old needs. Weak literacy skills affect nearly 16,000 adults in our community. In addition, Frederick County has a large foreign-born population that has doubled in the last ten years. The Council is able to provide English as a Second Language tutoring to non-native English speakers.
I have pledged to read for 2 hours on the day of the read-a-thon. Would you support me by sponsoring my reading time? My fundraising goal is $30. You can pledge an amount for every 15 minutes that I read, such as $2, or you can pledge a flat sum. I would appreciate any amount you would like to give. Every dollar raised will be used to buy books and other program materials for the Council.
Thank you for your help. Please visit the Literacy Council of Frederick County's web site at www.frederickliteracy.org to learn more about this organization and about other ways that you can help fight illiteracy in our community. To learn more about the read-a-thon go to www.inlovewithliteracy.org.
Turning in Your Donations
Download the Donor Tracking Form from this web site. When your donors give you cash or checks fill out a donation form to ensure that you or your team are properly credited for their donation. All checks should be made out to the Literacy Council of Frederick County.
Matching Gifts - Double your gift! Check to see if your company will match your contribution. You may be able to complete your request online or you may need to get paperwork from your Human Resources department. Please be sure to read and follow your company guidelines. Remember to ask your family, friends and other donors to check to see if their employer will match their donation.
Write Thank you Notes
After the read-a-thon, be sure to thank everyone who supported you in your fight against illiteracy. Send a thank you note, acknowledging their donation and/or participation on your Team. Express how your supporters helped make a difference. Thank you can never be said too many times. This shows them that they helped make a difference and ensures their support in the future.
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