Fundraising Tips

The professional staff at the American Lung Association will give you all the advice and support you need to develop and implement a fun and successful fundraising plan. They will work with you individually to help you get the word out about your goal. Once you start, you'll be surprised at how many people are willing to contribute to you and your adventure, which will directly benefit this important cause.

We signed up for the climb in March, which felt like a late start to raise almost $4,000 each. Our strategy was to ask as many people as possible. Our most successful method was asking for donations through social media. We found that sending private Facebook messages to ask people for donations directly was more effective than posting about it. Asking people who were online at the time, which you can tell through their Facebook chat status, was especially effective. When we did this, we got some immediate responses from people who may not have donated if they had just seen a post.

Our other big secrets were taking advantage of Karl’s company donation match program, and meeting all of the fundraising incentive goals that ALA offers. We also sent letters to about 30 friends and family, and brought in a few donation that way. In the end, we raised a little bit of money from a lot of people (nearly 100 donors by the end of the campaign!) When we began, we set a reach goal of $10,000 that was beyond the minimum fundraising required. While we didn’t achieve the stretch goal, we think that having it pushed us to the point of achieving the minimum.

For anyone who is just starting out, we have a few tips to share. A certain percentage of people will be willing to give, so it’s really just a numbers game—if you ask enough people, you will find them. Don’t be discouraged by people who don’t give, because it doesn’t mean that the next person won’t say yes. Also, don’t assume you know who will give and who won’t give—we were surprised by the spontaneous generosity of people we hadn’t spoken to in years. Good luck!

Amy Nordrum
Mt. Rainier.

The average participant raises more than the required amount. Most of the climbers have never fundraised for an organization before. The American Lung Association provides the following tools to help you reach your goal:

Online Resources

The easiest way to send fundraising emails to your contacts is through your personal account. If you would prefer to use Convio, the online system we use and their templates, below are some instructions to help you get started.

Matching Gifts

Use our company search tool above to see if your company offers a matching gift program, as well as find information on how to get started. Some companies without a formal program may still match your gift. Just ask your Human Resources department!

Climber Tip: Libby M.

Isn’t fundraising for a fantastic cause rewarding?! If you are struggling, just start now! One method that I’ve found to work well is employer donation matching. This can really help achieve donation goals quickly.  Check with your employer. They may offer matching or another similar program and even better, taking the passion for a good cause to the right person and easily secure donations!

Last year I even got permission to take a PowerPoint presentation into a staff meeting. I explained my goals and showed the significant effort dedicated, using photos from training hikes with descriptions on challenges and some learning takeaways from each hike. This sparked not only donations, but interest of some in joining the efforts for ALA!  Want to partner up and get some ideas or join in an effort together? Please reach out to me or others that are part of Climb for Clean Air we are here to help! See you on the trails 😊

Participant Center Help

Use your Participant Center to help meet your fundraising goal! Click on the picture below to view our short HOW TO VIDEOS that will guide you through logging into your center to sending out that first email.

Connect your participation page to a Facebook Fundraiser.

Downloads...

 Saving an email template in your Participant Center (PDF)

Offline Resources

A guide to successful fundraising

Fundraising 101 (PDF)

Ask Letter Templates

Fundraising Sample Letters FIVE SAMPLES

Participant Help

Fundraising Business Cards Template (Doc-Avery-8371) - Customize these cards and carry them with you and share them with people you meet at work, around town or while you’re training 

Specific Fundraising Ideas (PDF) - Some creative and time-tested ways to raise funds

How to Submit Your Donations (PDF) - Instructions for sending us your offline donations to post in your fundraising account

Corporate Match Directory (PDF) - Look up to see which organizations have company matching gift programs

501(c)(3) Tax Verification (PDF) - American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific 501(c)(3) verification and tax ID#

Forms

Mt. Kilimanjaro Commitment Form (PDF): WILL BE POSTED SOON