Thanks for supporting Old Spokes Home through the 2023 Fall Fundo! This year, we are aiming to raise over $35,000 to support our nonprofit programming and mission through our largest annual fundraising event. To accomplish our goal, the fundraising efforts of our participants are critical; registration fees alone can only get us 40% of the way to our target.
We ask participants to meaningfully move us towards our objective in two ways:
- by making additional donations of their own, and
- by motivating their friends, family, and/or colleagues to contribute.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is powerful, and can quickly multiply the impact of your contributions. Of course for some, asking for money — even just to support your friendly local nonprofit bike shop — can feel awkward and uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to be that way! Making an ask, if done right, can be easy, natural, and painless. Here are some tips:
- Customize your fundraiser page. Let your supporters know that they’re supporting you by making your page your own.
- Share on social media. Posting is quick and easy, and can have a wide reach.
- Try posting a link to your fundraising page on your Instagram story, in a Facebook post, or on LinkedIn.
- Tell your followers why you are riding in the Fall Fundo, and what Old Spokes Home’s work means to you. (Scroll down to see some figures that might help!)
- Re-share regularly. A weekly repost will be seen by more viewers and gain traction every time it is shared.
- Send an email (or a handful). Email is a great venue for a longer, more personal message.
- Keep it personal! Your friends, family, and colleagues will want to know why you’re riding.
- Tell them how Old Spokes Home is helping your community. (See below!)
- Ask in-person. In-person requests are super effective, and don’t have to be uncomfortable.
- Don’t ask right away. Talk first about your excitement for the ride, how Old Spokes Home reflects your values, and the work we are doing in our community.
- Ask small. We’re not expecting high-rolling donors — in fact, a patchwork of small-dollar donors is even stronger than a few big contributions. Start by asking for $5, $10, or $20. Whatever feels comfortable and reasonable.
- Be prepared to be told “no.” Not everyone will want to contribute, and that’s OK. Accepting a “no” answer with kindness and understanding will diffuse any tension, and may help leave the door open for your prospect to change their mind later.
- Leverage your gift. Ask your employer if they offer donation-matching, or check here.
Here are some figures to help you talk about Old Spokes Home’s work:
- We have given away over 200 kids’ bikes to local youth in 2023 alone.
- We have sold over 140 subsidized bikes to Everybody Bikes participants in 2023 thus far.
- The Everybody Bikes program saved participants over $25,000 in 2022, and over $22,000 in 2023 as of August 3.
- By welcoming local kids into our Community Workshop for over 40 sessions of Youth Shop in 2023, we have made bikes, skills, and knowledge more accessible to youth.
- Through 25 workshop and clinic sessions, we have helped riders of diverse abilities and backgrounds learn more about how to be empowered and self-sufficient riders.
A reminder about our mission statement: We create access to bikes and the opportunities they provide for our whole community.
We also like to say that we transform communities and improve lives through bike access.