How to be a Pro Fundraiser Through Your Friendship Walk Page 

As we approach Friendship Walk season, it is important to attempt to fundraise to give back to the Best Buddies organization! Fundraising can be intimidating, but with your Personal Friendship Walk Page, it is extremely simple! In this blog we will break down step by step how to be a successful fundraiser for the Friendship Walk! 

Register 

The first step to begin your fundraising journey is to register. You can register for the Friendship Walk on the official site. Make sure you register by selecting the walk in your city. Once you create your account, you can join an already existing team, or assemble your own. Being on a team for the FW is not required, but if you are apart of a school chapter other group it is recommended that you join in order to combine your total funds and potentially earn team incentives. 

Personalize 

Personalization is the key to being a successful FW page fundraiser. First, update the provided bio. Every FW page has the same included bio that just explains Best Buddies further, but it is recommended that you make it your own. In this space, be as creative as want! Making it personal to you will help share your experience within Best Buddies with others and showcase its impact on you. Some questions to ask yourself include: What does Best Buddies mean to me? How has Best Buddies impacted me? How can I mention my friendship with my buddy? Why should people donate to me and where does the money go? These points will prompt people to give because they will be able to see a clear impact of their donations.

Next, personalize your page by adding a picture! This will help visually highlight your involvement with Best Buddies. 

Finally, adjust your total fundraising goal. Each page comes with a predetermined goal of $100, but it is highly encouraged that you change it! Making your goal a large number will prompt people to donate more to your page to help you reach that number.  

Share 

Sharing is the second part of your page's success. You need to spread the word to get more donations. Post your personal FW Page link on your social media, neighborhood groups, parent's social media and more! You can also send it out via text or email to close friends. Additionally, sharing this link at you or your parents' place of employment is another great way to increase funds. 

Perseverance 

If you are not receiving large and numerous donations, don't get discouraged. Friendship Walk season is not just about the funds, but more importantly the impact. If you send your link to 20 people and only 5 donate to you, that is still amazing!! Sharing your story and spreading awareness are other valuable aspects of this time of year. Keep spreading your link everywhere in order to maximize your donations! 

Gratitude 

The most important part of fundraising is showing gratitude towards others. Each time you receive a donation, an email will be sent to you with more information about your donor. Make sure you reach out to them with a short email expressing your gratitude and appreciation for their help for your personal goal and the Best Buddies mission. 

We hope these tips helped you feel ready to be a rockstar fundraiser this Friendship Walk season, and wish you all good luck! 

In Friendship, 

Maya Ali