Maximising your sponsorship income with an online sponsorship page

Setting up a sponsorship fundraising page is really easy. Just click on the banner below, and follow the simple instructions. You don't have to be a computer whizz!

Once you have set up your page you are free to start using it to collect sponsorship immediately. Most people do this by sending round an email to all their contacts containing a brief explanation about their motivations for taking part in the event, why they have chosen TB Alert to benefit from it, and a link to their sponsorship page.

Personalise your page
Make your page as compelling as possible by adding your own photograph and text. Make sure your page communicates the reason you have chosen to raise money, and why you believe TB Alert deserves support (we can help you with information on this if you need it) . Be creative!

Email your family and close friends first
Before sending an email to your entire address book, asking your closest friends and family to donate first. An empty page can be a little intimidating, so do make sure to capture a couple of donations before contacting your entire list of potential sponsors.

People tend to match the amounts already listed on the page, so do target your most generous supporters first!

Think laterally when deciding who to contact and make sure you have emailed all potential supporters: Sponsors come in many forms! Apart from contacting close friends, family and colleagues, why not contact overseas friends, former colleagues, college friends, fellow members of church, sports clubs, etc as well - the internet allows for this. Encourage them all to pass on the message to anyone else who might support your chosen charity. Don't forget friends and relations in other parts of the UK or abroad - they can access your page from anywhere in the world.

Set your target higher than you first think: Set a high target and people will feel encouraged to help you reach it - set a low target and they will feel that you don't need their help! Your bmycharity page shows your 'fundometer' which shows how far you have got with your target. If the date is closing in and you still have some way to go it gives you a great excuse to remind people again!

Contact your local media - and advertise your web address via any publicity drives you initiate
Publicity in the local media can be an invaluable fundraising tool. A few lines in the local paper, or an appeal for sponsorship on your local radio station, can yield amazing result (but dont forget to make sure you include your link on any information you produce for them).

With Bmycharity, attracting sponsorship couldn't be easier — readers and listeners can simply visit your page and sponsor you direct. The best way to get some publicity is by sending out a press release.

Publicise your efforts on a notice in your gym, church, college, children's school, pub, etc: Create a basic poster, a simple Word document will do, telling people about what you are doing and why, and ask any interested parties to sponsor you via your page. You would be surprised at the amount of people who receive sponsorship from complete strangers

Keep your page updated and email your friends — again
Be persistent. It takes more than one round of emails to reach one's target. Encourage people to re-visit your page by regularly updating it.

Change your picture, post updates on your progress and, if you are taking part in a sporting event, keep a training diary. Let supporters know how much you've raised so far. An email update is interesting for those who've already supported you and a nudge for those who haven't.

You know what it's like - people mean to donate, but sometimes they don't quite get round to it on the first request.

Use your own email as well as the facility on the page
Because you are already familiar with your own email system, you can set up groups and you'll be able to send more emails at once than you can via your sponsorship page.

Some of your potential supporters may feel more comfortable opening an email that comes from you personally through an email address they recognise.

Send email updates on your progress: It is very important to engage your supporters when you can - make sure they know where you are up to on your training and sponsorship, and what a potential donation will do for TBalert. People often intend to sponsor you but don't quite get round to it on the first request, and it does work to keep reminding them from our experience.

Add a link to your page to your email signature at work and/or at home: Adding your link to your signature helps ensure that all your contacts are made aware of your efforts, and you may even gain some unexpected sponsors! Don't forget to ask permission about your work signature.

Ask to be on your company's website: Ask your webmaster/web-editor at work whether they would be prepared to add your site to the company/organisation's website or intranet. Workplaces enjoy promoting the public spirited efforts of their staff and you could get a lot of extra sponsorship.

Some companies may even offer a "matched giving" scheme where they offer to match any amounts you have raise, so this action could help you reach your target even faster.

Communicate what a donation will buy
Let your supporters know what their donation will buy. Have a look at our paper sposorship form - that has some ideas on it. Click here to download a paper form.

Put a notice up in your gym, church, college, children's school, etc.
Don't just rely on email. A simple poster asking people to visit your fundraising page can reach people whose email address you don't have. You might also consider printing some flyers to hand out to people when you see them.

Personalise your thank-you email
When you create your page, you have the opportunity to personalise the thank-you message each donor automatically receives. In addition to expressing your thanks, use this opportunity to ask supporters to pass on your web address to anyone else who might be interested in sponsoring you.

If you have already created your page, you can log in to your account to personalise the thank-you message at any time.

Keep fundraising after your event
Some 20 per cent of all donations through Bmycharity come in after people have completed their fundraising event. So don't stop fundraising once you've cross the finish line. Update your page and email your supporters with news of your success.

Remind those who haven't yet donated to do so, and ask others to donate again in recognition of your achievement.

Good luck in all your fundraising effortsand enjoy your challenge!

Other things you should know....

• All sponsorship money collected via your online sponsorship page is paid directly into TB Alert'sbank account
  
• TB Alert does pay a commission to bmycharity, however because of the fact that they claim gift aid for us (so we dont have to pay an administrator to do it) and also because people give more on average by credit card, TB Alert receives more money on average per challenge event particpant than before on-line giving was available
  
• GiftAid is automatically claimed on all donations where the online sponsor has clicked the GiftAid declaration box
  
• Please make sure you set your expiry date for your online sponsorship page for after your event (but no more than three months after to avoid having to chase sponsors indefinitely!), as many people sponsor event participants after their event is over
  
• Please let us know when you have finished collecting your online sponsorship so we can update your record on our database and send you a thank you certificate
  
• If you decide to hold another fundraising day or challenge to raise funds for TB Alert, you can use the same username and password to set up another page, as your TB Alert Bmycharity account will remain active
  
• You can always combine on-line fundraising with a paper sponsorship form for friends without access to the internet. Click here to download a sponsorship form (you can photocopy this).