FUNDRAISING IS FUN AND EASY!

On this page you'll find great resources to make your fundraising a snap.

You can view the prize list on our prize page.

WHY WE ASK
When you ride Reach the Beach, you not only take on the physical challenge of 100, 80, 55 or 26 miles, you also take on the personal challenge of raising the additional (tax deductible) $50 required to ride in this year's event.

For those of you signing up as Dreamers (non-riders),  your fundraising efforts go a long way to help us fight lung disease and promote clean air in Oregon - and you don't even have to spend a minute on a bicycle.

Over 78% of our funds come from people just like you - so we rely on Reach the Beach fundraising contributions to fund important local programs and national research initiatives. By raising money for the American Lung Association in Oregon, you can be especially proud of the extra help you'll provide for the thousands of Oregonians who suffer from lung disease.  By supporting American Lung Association in Oregon programs, you help kids with asthma learn how to manage their disease, improve the air quality in the homes of Oregonians and keep Oregon's workplaces smokefree.  Every dollar makes a difference, so go out there and do a great job!

RAISING MONEY : NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!
Raising money is not rocket science and we make it easy for you.  At its core, fundraising is all about being enthusiastic and ASKING people for contributions in a heartfelt way.  It is a pretty straightforward process and can even be a lot of fun! Below you will find some helpful tips on how to raise money and earn those great prizes. 
View the prize list >>

TIPS AND TOOLS

Your Personal Web Page

When you register for Reach the Beach, you will have a personal web page created for you.  The password you create when registering will allow you to go in and make changes to your web page. To enter your site, click on the "Enter My HQ" link found in the menu on the left of the web page and enter the appropriate information in the boxes. If you forget your password, go to the MAIN LOGIN page and click on FORGOT USERNAME AND/OR PASSWORD.

Your web page will:

• Show your current fundraising total
• Have an email function that will allow you to invite people to donate towards your fundraising efforts
• Provide a report area that will allow you to keep track of the donations you receive
• Allow you to upload your own photos 

When you send an email to a friend asking for a donation, all the friend has to do is click on the link at the bottom of the page to end up at your personal web page. They will only need to fill in the amount that they want to give as well as any required information that is needed to process their gift. They will also receive a receipt emailed to them once the gift has been processed.

You may personalize your page by clicking on the "My Webpage" tab.  Using these features, you can ensure the page really reflects who you are.  Some of the customizations you can do are:

• Choose a picture we provide
• Change text color and style
• Write your own info
• Upload your own image (.jpg format, 100 kb or less)

 

Writing A Good Personal Appeal Letter

The first step in your fundraising is to write your personal appeal letter.  This is, by far, the most successful fundraising strategy for bikers.  You'll be surprised how much people want you to succeed, especially your close friends.

Paper or Email?
Given the amount of personal communication that flows on email these days, it's a good question.  Should you send postal letters or can you just use email?  Our online fundraising program allows you to send appeal emails to 20 friends and family at a time, track your up-to-the-minute fundraising progress and is fast and convenient for the donor.  However, you know your friends and family best so think about how each person uses the internet.  Make sure you're not skipping over some of your non-computer-friendly supporters by relying solely on email.

A postal letter is actually becoming something of a novelty these days and it really has such a personal touch, but following up with a contribution isn't as simple for busy, computer-based people.  Maybe consider a postal letter with a supplemental email message through your fundraising webpage.  The email will contain a link to make a secure donation to your fundraising goal through our site.  If you send a postal letter, do not forget to include a self addressed, stamped envelope.  We know from long experience this increases the rate of response significantly.

Who is on the list?
In short: Everyone.  People you work with, your social circle, organizations you belong to (think church, service clubs, etc), old college roommates, teachers and relatives (distant and close).  Don't forget your dentist.  Sit down and make a list of the people you know.  Then go through the list and ask yourself "how do I know this person and who else do I know from the same place?" 

The letter

1. Make it personal.  Convey your enthusiasm for the ride using words you would use.  Look at the samples we've provided, but be sure to say what you would say.  You're writing to people who know you, so sound like yourself, and let people know that this is important to you.
2. Talk about your goal.  It is a good thing to state how much you're hoping to raise and to aim high.  This helps motivate your donors to join in the effort to help you reach your goal, and they'll share in your success.  When you say "My goal is to raise $500 to support the programs of the American Lung Association in Oregon," your donors know the magnitude of your undertaking and will respond.   If you don't say how much you're trying to raise, they may assume it's only a few dollars.
3. Ask for a specific amount.  If you don't tell folks how much you need, they have to guess.  Your best friend may think that $10 is enough to get you to your goal while you are counting on at least $250.  One way to do this so that those who can't give as much are not offended is to say "While any amount is greatly appreciated, if everyone who receives this letter donates $25 I will reach my fundraising goal!"  This way the person on the fence about whether to give $5 or $10 will know that $25 is what you are really wanting.  Asking for a specific amount makes a huge difference in the effectiveness of your campaign!
4. Talk about Lung Association programs.  If you are riding in memory or honor of someone, be sure to tell their story.  If not, then pick out a Lung Association program or two that particularly appeal to you (Smoking Prevention, Environmental Health, Asthma Camp, for example) and talk about it, saying why it's important enough for you to be raising money for it.  Stories and personal information will help people understand why you're doing this and it will help them care about your efforts.
5. Ask.  Tell people what you are asking them to do: to support your commitment to the American Lung Association by making a donation today and ask that they donate urgently.  The vast majority of people you contact will want to support you.  Setting a target date will help them translate their desire to help into action.  Use specific language such as "Please support me and the ALAO by making a tax-deductible contribution today!" 
6. Provide instructions for making a donation.  Ask them to send a check (made out to the American Lung Association in Oregon or ALAO) in the enclosed envelope (don't forget to add a SASE to your letter) or go to your personal webpage and donate online.
7. Add a P.S.  People will always read the p.s. on a letter.  This is a good place to put a fundraising deadline, the website address or a reminder that all donations are tax-deductible.  EXAMPLE:  P.S. check out ReachTheBeach.org and you'll see how amazing this cause is, why it is worth supporting my ride and why this is so important to me.
   
8. Follow up.  Keep track of your donations as they come in (and whom you've heard from), then follow up with folks over time.  If your contact list is made up largely of tech savvy people, email can be a good way to follow up.  Send it to everyone on your list.  It will keep them reminded of your efforts.
9. Thank the donors.  A quick thank you card or postcard (such as an Oregon coast postcard!) in the mail is best, and email works too.  Send these in a timely fashion to everyone no matter the donation amount.  You may also want to send something to people after the ride to share with them your experience on Reach the Beach.

 

Fundraising Details

1. See our  Event Schedule for deadlines (scroll down).
2. Ask people to send the checks directly to you made out to the American Lung Association in Oregon, so that you can keep track of your fundraising and thank the donors right away.
3. Send in your donations along with the Rider Sponsor Sheet (make sure to put your name at the top, so we know whose account to credit).
4. Checks should be made out to American Lung Association in Oregon or simply ALAO.
5. If someone makes a check out in your name, simply turn it over and write "Pay to the Order of ALAO" and sign it in the endorsement block on the back, then send it in with the others. Our bank won't let us deposit checks made out to you, but that's a good thing, right??
6. Credit card donations can be made online through our website or to your personal RTB web page.  Online donations go through a secure website.
7. When an online donation is made in your name, you will receive an email from us telling you the name of the donor and the amount of the donation.
8. Your personal web page shows your current fundraising account balance at all times. It takes a week to process checks you send in, but if your account balance doesn't look right to you be sure to call and ask about it.
9. Keep a record of your donors and the amount they have donated so if there is a discrepancy with our records we know where to start looking for the error.
10. Send company matching gift forms along with your donations. If the company has an online process for matching gifts, please send in a copy (paper or electronic) of the email verifying the donation and match so we know to give you credit for the matching gift.
    

EXTRA FUN + CREATIVE OPTIONS

After you send your fundraising email out to all your friends, family and co-workers, you can start brainstorming and organizing some fun event-oriented fundraisers. If you want to discuss your fundraising ideas in more detail, feel free to contact Jennifer Baldwin, Development Director at Jennifer@LungOregon.org or 503-718-6151.