10 years ago today I left my job with no plan, just a feeling.
I've been self-employed since.
That feeling led me to a niche within a niche... GYSS is an agency that only works with charities on virtual challenges.
It has been a satisfying and stimulating decade. So I think now would be a good time to give something away, for free.
The 8 principles below apply to everything from a car wash for a local sports club, to a marathon with 50,000 runners. They outlive all trends. They are insights into 21st century humans and how they interact with the world around them.
We apply these these 8 principles to every single challenge or event we work on.
My hope is anyone who spends their working week trying to raise funds for a good cause, will get some value from these principles.
1. Go where people already are
Find out where they spend their spare time. Appear there and fit in. Give them an action they can take without leaving scrolling-mode.
2. Tap into existing motivations
Seek people who actually want what you have to offer. Those who already care. The emotion is there, bring it out and convert it to action.
3. Explain what & when in 1.5 seconds
Be succinct and obvious. Once they know what and when it is, they’ll decide if it deserves more of their precious attention.
4. Newsfeeds love the ‘new’
Provide something that hasn’t been seen before. A combination of text and imagery that a thumb can’t easily dismiss. Give them an original and unique angle to assess.
5. Get to “Thank you” very quickly
Something changes on a page that thanks people for signing up. They sit up, take ownership and start looking for ways to justify signing up. Get them there as soon as possible.
6. Offer an incentive to commit, now
The ten minutes after they sign up are pivotal. You have their attention. You must get them to set up a fundraiser. The best way is to offer them something for FREE.
7. Connect participants to each other
We are lonelier than we realise. People don’t sign up to engage with like-minded people, but they enjoy it when it happens. So be thoughtful and start uplifting, supportive conversations.
8. Offer aspirational achievability
People want to be challenged. They want to do more, but not too much more. The level of difficulty must be just above their level of fitness. It’s fine to sweat and struggle, but they also want to finish.
My intentions here are to help fundraisers (especially those in smaller charities) raise more, so if you find these principles useful, please send someone the link to this post.
Thanks
Adrian