In just over a month, Aaron Lieberman has raised $10,000 for OAR using
Firstgiving’s online fundraising tools. His remarkable success
demonstrates the endless possibilities when you unite the passion of
your supporters with the power of the internet.
We spoke with Aaron about his Firstgiving page,
and our conversation gave us insight into the practices of a very savvy
online fundraiser. The three keys to Aaron’s success were readily
apparent: organization, resourcefulness, and persistence. Aaron began
putting together his list of people to "ask" months in advance. He
recognized that he would need to e-mail his link to a large number of
people in order to raise $10,000; the next step was figuring out how to
reach as many people as possible.
Like so many of
us, Aaron uses e-mail to keep up with friends, family, colleagues, and
clients. When he took the time to gather all of these e-mail addresses,
he realized he knew hundreds of people whom he could solicit for a
donation to his online fundraising page. Aaron’s busy work schedule
would have made writing and mailing this many letters all but
impossible. By sending his asks out via e-mail, he saved time and money
while instantly reaching out to people all over the country.
Aaron
raised $10,000 one e-mail at a time. He’s had one hundred individual
donations, none for more than $500 and most between $25 and $100. The
time Aaron took to collect and update his e-mail contacts this year
made all the difference, and has made him one of Firstgiving’s most
accomplished fundraisers this year. Some of his tips for you:
- Plan ahead! Lieberman began his e-mail "ask" list months in advance
- Add a link to your online fundraising page to all the e-mails you send out, whatever the overall subject
- Think
big by thinking small: Lieberman realized his $10K goal could be
reached if 500 people gave $20. Thinking this way reminds you that your
goals are attainable. - Remember that you’re asking people to support your efforts for a great cause, so don’t be shy to ask everyone you know!
