WIBU to ask for sponsors

[Justforlaughs]

I have been challenged to do a 20 mile walk for a charity that is very dear to me. I am very unfit and it would be a huge challenge to me. I never ask for sponsorship, but I've read so many threads on here where posters complain about being asked for sponsorship that I'm quite nervous about it. I really wouldn't be holding people to ransom over it, but I want it to be worth the effort. If I'm only going to raise £20 then frankly I'd rather donate the £20!
Be nice!

It all depends, I've told all my mates no more £, things are tight for me and I've sponsored in the past, but being asked every year for things such as Race for Life by the same people is a little too much. Just because you feel passionate about doing it others may not. Make it worth the effort for you, so what it you only make £20, it is the taking part that counts not the defeatest attitude before you even start!

Your charity may not be a charity I hold dear.

You can ask, but get a thick skin and be prepared for a lot of negative responses

I think people these days generally are more fed up about constant bombardments.

Why don't you do the walk for yourself and donate some of your salary to the charity you want to support? Or spend the time you would be training for the walk doing overtime and donate that money to charity?

I don't mean to be rude but I don't see the connection between you wanting to do a challenging walk and your friends/family having to donate to charity for it. It's a bit like 'volunteering' others to help the charity.

You will get mixed responses here, I think.

If you were a very close friend I'd donate a small amount. The trouble is I have my own DC's and extended family always after money for this event or that sponsored event and it all mounts up.

And tbh I would rather give my money to charities which are important to me, rather than to you.

Booboostoo I don't WANT to do a 20 mile walk at all, in fact I can think of very few things I'd like less (other than running it ). Our work charity of the year is the charity that has supported me and my family through the past year (coincidence) and SOMEONE is expected to do this walk (directive from head office), I've been asked how I would feel about doing it. I haven't made up my mind yet but I don't like asking for sponsorship for "useless" events. I don't like sponsoring for things that people will enjoy doing -eg. I want to run a marathon so I'll get sponsored, or I would like to trek through Peru so I'll do it for charity. I did Race for Life recently and felt that a 5km walk was hardly worth asking for sponsorship for so just made a donation myself. I do think that a 20 mile walk (for me) is a big effort and wouldn't want to make other people feel uncomfortable by asking, which is why I asked on here. Thanks for the opinions.

It's fine to let people know you are doing something like this, and people are not likely to respond badly to it when from the sounds of it, your friends and family will know of your involvement in this charity.

It's the begging messages that people don't like. If you are informative rather than grabby in your email/Facebook status/chosen method of communication, it will be fine. Accept that plenty of people will ignore it, but there might be people who read what you're doing and choose to give a little support to you or the charity.

Thank you brokenSunglasses

OK that makes it sound a bit different. If it's the annual office charity and one of you always does the 'challenge' then I don't see why you shouldn't do it. Presumably your colleagues will donate whoever does the challenge and someone has to do it, so good on you for doing it.

I do think that is a bit different than asking other people to donate though. Your office colleagues have collectively decided to give to charity, have chosen how to give and chose the charity each year which is different from asking everyone you know to sponsor you for a charity and a method of giving you have chosen.

I think what you're doing is great. In my opinion it's fine to ask for sponsorship, just don't ask over and over and don't expect everyone to say yes.

Good luck, hope you raise lots