What would make you donate.....

[Fundraisingthoughts]

As a family we have been through a terrible tragedy this year. I would be really keen to raise money for the hospital ward that helped us through a very dark time.

What I would like to do is something stand out that would raise money. What would impress you as a challenge.

I have ran two charity marathons before so looking for something different but one that would make you think wow this person has put effort in.... I will donate. Any ideas much appreciated please.

I don't think that's how I decide whether to donate or not. I mostly consider the charity that the donation is for, and whether I think that's something I'd like to donate to. And to a smaller extent, I consider the person asking for donations, and how much I'd like to support them.

I don't think that's how I decide whether to donate or not. I mostly consider the charity that the donation is for, and whether I think that's something I'd like to donate to. And to a smaller extent, I consider the person asking for donations, and how much I'd like to support them.

Oh no, I said that twice. What I should have said is that I'm sorry you've had an awful year - I think a short but honest paragraph about why you think the cause is a worthwhile one can be very effective.

I donate based on the circumstances, not on whether the person is climbing a mountain or something.

I'm really sorry you've been through such a bad time, and I hope you raise lots of money

Who are you expecting to give you their money?

I make my giving decisions based on the causes I like and don’t keep anything aside for friends doing challenges. I can’t think of anything that would impress me, that’s not a factor.

And things like marathons really piss me off. If you want to run a lot of miles or walk the Great Wall of China, shave your head, stop drinking etc then go for it but don’t expect me to pay you for it.

If you want to donate your own money to a hospital that’s great but you can’t expect other people to want to. It’s an especially bad year for asking for money, loads of people are properly in the shit.

I'd like to know what I'd be donating towards, and a particular target, something tangible. The Tom Moore thing surprised me because no one knew what the money was going to be used for (NHS Charities covers many different things), and I expect some people thought it was going towards treatments etc when that's not the case.

On that basis, you've probably got two types of donors, those who want to know exactly what the money will be used for, and others who will donate to anything with a sentimental theme (the 'aah' factor).

(Not criticising the Tom Moore fundraising, more pointing out that many will donate on hype, without knowing many specifics.)

I wouldn’t donate based on the efforts of the people collecting. I would donate based on the cause only.

If I was friends with you’d I’d probably donate something out of sympathy anyway but if I was less close I’d want to know details of the cause -
Which ward, what are they collecting for? Are they underfunded and in need of x, y, z machines? What are you hoping to buy and what amount of money is needed to achieve that aim?

I’ve seen some donation drives for NICU wards for instance where extra / better incubators have been bought which the doctors very much requested. I would donate to that. I’ve also seen similar drives for NICU donations where the money was then spent on things like re-furbing the parents waiting area and buying cuddly toys for the babies. I wouldn’t want to donate to that cause.

I always wonder why people are doing something 'wacky' for charity. I always think it's more about them. If it's to get publicity then maybe, but I always prefer a straight detail or reason for the collection. Good luck.

By experience, if you do nothing people won't donate.

You get more donations when you do something. If you walk a bit, no one cares.

There will be a few haters pretending that they are paying for you to have an "experience" so make sure you make it VERY CLEAR that all the cost are paid by you, and ALL THE DONATIONS go to the good cause. If they give on a platform that shows the amounts, you can then prove how much you have given.

Your problem is that EVERYONE is doing something for a very worthy cause. I have requests right left and centre for every possible kind of charity

You can show local people how THEY might benefit from donation if they ever need that hospital, and make it personal.

Charities have lost enormously this year, with all fundraising events cancelled. It will be very hard to raise money, everyone is already streched a lot by so many requests.

@Orf1abc I agree. I was a bit saddened to find out that that money did not actually go to the NHS but a charity that does things connected to the NHS - so it didn’t buy PPE or fund 50 extra nurses or do anything like that.

Hope that came across right. I am sorry you have been through a tradgedy.

It's all about the charity for me, and their finances, and what they are spending on. I probably wouldn't donate towards anything in the hospital, as it's part of the NHS, and the NHS blows a fortune on contractors and consultants. Not Dr consultants, but business consultants. They waste money left right and centre, so I wouldn't consider it.

I'd pick practical help over money if possible.
Do they need volunteers or do they already have an established way of raising money, like a charity shop or cafe?

These are all really important thoughts.... thansk so much for sharing I will take all on board!

One thing you could consider is rather than focusing on a specific challenge to encourage others to donate as a one-off, is how you could have a similar (or larger) impact over the longer term by doing some other things yourself.

I've done this with a small local cancer charity that provided real practical support to me going through my cancer treatment. I made sure to nominate them where possible as my charity of choice for auto-donations - like Amazon Smile. M&S and other retailers have similar options too.

I purchase things like Christmas cards, calendars, diaries, little stocking fillers from their online shop. I use gift aid. I've made a provision for the charity in my will.

I also point people to the charity's amazon wish list and/or their donation page when asked what Christmas or Birthday presents I might like. I find people are much more receptive to this, and follow through with a donation, rather than by being just another person on their timeline doing a sponsored challenge.

A friend of mine does a lot of e-baying. She gives a small, fixed percentage of each sale to a charity she supports. As a percentage on an individual sale it is not much, hardly noticeable, but over time it has added up to a decent and generous amount.

Finally, when the Covid restrictions are finally over, I'm intending on doing a car-boot to off-load the results of a massive de-clutter and life edit with the proceeds going to my cancer charity.

Good luck with what you decide, and I hope things are looking brighter for your family moving forward.