How to get started.

As the old adage goes: fail to plan, plan to fail. This is the most important first step, but often gets overlooked. Take 20 minutes or so to make a fundraising plan.

1. Map out the ideas you already have to help you reach your target.

   • Note down the people you’re going to ask to donate to you, and how much you think they will give. It might end up looking like this ->

   • Add in some of your existing plans - bake sales, raffles etc. Put a sensible target against each and add them into your plan.

2. Now, look at that gap. How big is it?

   • Less than £500: Think about you how can you stretch your plans to make the difference… how can you supersize your existing plans to make sure you hit £1,800?

   • More than £500: fill the gap! You’ll need to get creative and add something else into your fundraising plan (check out inspiration below). 

Set up your online fundraising page

Your online fundraising page is key: this is where you’ll collect donations and it’s the link you’ll be sending out along with every ask. Take some time to get it right.

 Top tips:

1. Personalise your page: add a photo and a paragraph about what are you doing and why. Share what Child.org are going to do with the donations you’re collecting. Personalised pages earn more (people give to people) so make sure you’ve got this step covered!

2. Line up your big hitters early (or donate to yourself) - people tend to follow suit looking at previous donations, so try and craft your asks to get yourself off to the best start (plus, it will make you feel FAB to start strong). You can offer incentives for people to donate - “£50 to design my helmet” is a favourite of ours!

3. Say thank you and publicly share when others donate - not only will your sponsors feel very loved, but it will gently remind others who haven’t yet donated…

How to ask for donations.

A share on Facebook might not cut it - go direct and go hard. Use the medium that works best for you (Instagram stories? WhatsApp groups? Direct email? A phone call and follow up?)

Frame your ask and line people up - talk talk talk about what you are going to do, what you’re nervous about and why it's important to you that you are undertaking this EPIC challenge. People give to people so share your story and be explicit “it would mean the world to me if you can sponsor me!”

Give those you know will donate a figure “£50 will help me hit my halfway mark”; “it costs £30 to support 5 mums-to-be with lifesaving advice for their newborn baby”

People may well donate twice: whether on your page and then also through an event, a raffle, a bid on an auction etc - make the most of these opportunities!

Supporting stats

• 5 million children worldwide die before their first birthday. 47% die in their first month of life.

• Globally, deaths among newborn babies haven’t significantly reduced since 2017.

• In Kenya, 1 in 26 babies don’t make it to their first birthday and neonatal mortality rates have barely changed in the last five years (21/1000 births, compared to 2.9/1000 in the UK).

• We know that a lack of attention towards postnatal care is impacting neonatal health because it is during the postnatal period that we are able to identify some of the causes of neonatal mortality and work to prevent them.  

• We also know that by arming mums-to-be and their support networks (partners, communities) with critical life-saving health information (what danger signs to look for, the importance of skilled deliveries) and connecting them with the health services they are entitled to, we can help keep mums and babies in Kenya safe and healthy.

Your Ride Africa fundraising will help fund projects championing maternal and child health in Kenya: arming mums-to-be and their communities with life-saving health information, connecting at-risk mums and babies with the health services they need and improving the quality of care mums and babies receive.

Read more about our work in postnatal health here.

Supersize your fundraising with these ideas and inspiration.

Fundraising should be fun, so when thinking about how you can maximise your fundraising, think about what you love doing and how you can make that into a fundraising event! Check out some of our top ideas below.