Confessions of a fundraiser with Fred
Between 29th November - 6th December all donations made to our Christmas Challenge campaign will be doubled and during this week we hope to reach our £40,000 target to change the lives of at least 15,000 school children and family members by supporting their communities to reach every school and household with a toilet and place to wash their hands.
This is a great way for you to support Dig Deep and also increase your fundraising for your challenge as research shows that during a match funding campaign 84% of donors are more likely to give and donations are on average 2.5 times bigger.
Fred's Story
In 2021 Fred used the Big Give Christmas challenge as an opportunity to increase his fundraising for his Kilimanjaro challenge. Read on to see how Fred got involved and his advice for anyone looking to take part this year.
You have signed up for our Kilimanjaro challenge, can you tell us a bit about why you signed up and what you are most looking forward to?
I first heard about the challenge after getting an email at uni advertising the opportunity. I thought about it for a while but decided I shouldn't let such an opportunity go, so I signed up! I was really excited not only to challenge myself and climb Kilimanjaro itself but also to raise a decent chunk of money to go toward supporting communities in Kenya. I had to defer my climb a year due to some minor health-related concerns, but now I've got the all clear I'm most looking forward to the feeling of achievement when I reach the summit!
Last year you took part in The Big Give to not only raise funds towards your challenge but also to unlock double the donation to support Dig Deep, how did you get involved?
I really tried to get stuck in with the Big Give last year, as it's such a great opportunity to raise money not only for your own climb but also to give a bit more to Dig Deep itself!
The first thing I did was utilise social media like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp group chats to try and reach as many people as possible. I also sent emails around using the university system and (somewhat cheekily) used my position as a member of the executive in my uni society to spread the word a bit!
This year, I am hoping to secure a donation from my local branch of the Rotary Club - I prepared a statement for them and my Grandpa - who is a member - is helping me to contact the local and national grant service for water and sanitation projects.
Did you find that people were more likely to donate within the week, given that it was a matched funding opportunity and given the success, you found last year, will you be taking part in the Big Give this year?
I did find a higher rate of engagement with my donation links during the Big Give week! It is a great incentive for people to double their investment, and I found it encouraged lots of smaller donations (say £10 or £20) as they knew it would have a greater impact. I will definitely be aiming to take part in the Big Give this year, hopefully utilising the Rotary grant mentioned before to raise a bit more directly for the charity!
We have some fundraisers who have never fundraised before, what advice would you give to someone wanting to take part, but maybe a little nervous about it?
My advice would be to not feel nervous about asking for donations, especially during Big Give week! A lot of my fellow fundraisers have organised great events such as a sponsored walk or bake sale, and feel free to tailor your fundraising to fit you and your community!
I come from a very small coastal town and so messaging local people and the Rotary Club was the best option for me, but do whatever suits you! Dig Deep provide a good list of ideas so get stuck in!
The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022
This is the perfect opportunity for you to spread the word about your fundraising and explain that donations will be worth twice as much for the charity during this time. So start spreading the word and directing your donors to the Big Give page of our website where they can pledge their donations.
To help you spread the word as effectively as possible we have put together a set of social media posts and a template letter for you to use.
Please note - in order to be matched by our corporate sponsor, all donations must go through the Big Give campaign site and only the donation itself will count towards your fundraising target; the matched element is restricted to specific charity projects.
If you have any questions about the campaign or how to get involved please just email the team: support@digdeep.org.uk
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