Charity fundraising tips for runners

Top tips to raise money in a running race

If you're looking to raise money for charity in your next running event, there are a number of ways of maximising the funds that you can get. Whilst getting you fit and healthy, running can also raise vital funds for a great cause. Here's our guide on how to go about getting sponsored for a charity run.

Get started early, well before the run
Adopt a similarly determined and planned approach to your fundraising as you do for your training. Carry a sponsorship form with you at all times.

Ask others to help
Encourage family, friends and work colleagues to help fundraise on your behalf.

Where is the money being spent?
Ensure you and your fundraising team know specifically where the money will go. "£1,000 buys a kidney machine for children" will elicit more funds than a vague indication.

Check out online sponsorship
Take the hassle out of sponsorship by creating your free personalised online sponsorship page. It’s fast and easy to make your own Flora London Marathon webpage. Supporters can donate by credit or debit card, their money goes direct to your chosen charity and it’s all tax-efficient – earning your charity even more and making your target easier to reach. Ask your charity how to do this.

Make it easy for sponsors
Divide the sponsorship form into a table format with easy-to-fill-in sections for the sponsor’s name, address, telephone number and pledge amount. Don’t forget to use both sides of the paper. The more information you get, the easier it is for the charity to reclaim gift aid, which means they get 28% back from the tax man.

Be easy to contact
Ensure your name, address and telephone numbers are clear on both sides of the sponsorship form. This way, any photocopies should eventually return to you.

Target carefully
Make a list of all your family, friends and work colleagues as well as associates you know through sporting or social activity. If it helps, list them in separate sections and decide how you are going to approach them and what you want to say to them.

Face-to-face is best
It is more difficult for sponsors to say no if you’re stood in front of them. If you can’t meet them, send a letter, fax or email because they are harder to ignore. A tear-off reply slip at the bottom is also useful. If you do email them, send them the link to your online sponsorship page.

Get it matched
At work, or through colleagues in other businesses, target managers who control budgets. Approach your boss and ask if you can tell sponsors that their donation will be matched pound for pound by your company.

Have a high profile
Meet as many potential sponsors as you can. Contact your local newspaper or company newsletter and tell them about your venture.