Personal emails might be the spark you need

With the Virgin Money London Marathon being our biggest annual fundraising challenge, this year we asked our fundraisers how they helped their charities change the world.

"Of those we asked, over 70% found that sending personal emails to friends and family really worked for them"

So why is this a great fundraising idea?

• It cuts through the noise of social media
• It goes straight to your supporters’ inboxes
• It’s personal and direct

Here’s how you can rally your own supporters and drive up your donations:

1. Prioritise who you ask

Ask your closest friends and family first - they’re more likely to back your cause and be generous. Make sure to ask the ones who care about your cause too, or who have fundraised before.

2. Hook them in with your subject line

Keep it short and to the point. It needs to be enough to catch their eye. Whilst for some it might be enough just being from you, others might need more of a nudge.

3. Keep it personal

Remember who you’re emailing - a brief line or two asking how they are, or changing how you talk about your fundraising can make all the difference.

4. Get straight to the point

Sum up in a few lines what you’re doing and why right at the beginning. You can go into more detail later, but this way they know straight away what you’re asking, no matter how much time they’ve got.

5. Give your reasons

Win over your friends and family by showing why your fundraising really matters to you - share what it was about your charity that really spoke to you.

6. Include a link to your fundraising page

Include a link to your fundraising page both at the start and end. Make it bold, make it obvious - whatever you need to do to get them clicking.

7. Thank them in advance

We all like to feel appreciated. Thanking those you email in advance will make them feel like their donation will really be valued.

8. Ask for help

Not everyone can afford to donate, but they might be able to share your link with others, give you a fundraising idea, or help you out with the fundraising itself. You never know if you don’t ask.

9. Include photos

Bring your email to life with photos from your preparation or your charity. If they can see the effort you’re going to, they’re more likely to follow your story and back your cause.

10. Follow up

No matter the outcome, always go back to your friends and family if they’ve expressed an interest or donated. They might want to donate again, share your story, or see how you’re getting on.

Need more fundraising ideas? Check out Jonathan’s story of how he raised over £54,000 by keeping his charity close to his heart, and emailing every single person he knows.