Halfway redux + Fundraising Tips from your Mighty Pens Mentors
I’m a little late here (spoiler: I’ve been traveling), but HOLY COW guys we are more than halfway through November! IT IS CRAZY. Also awesome. Here’s some of the amazing that we’ve achieved so far:
- Almost a million words written across all participants
- Sixteen Silver Pens (15k words)
- Thirteen Gold Pens (25k words)
- A MIGHTY PEN (50k!!!!)
- Almost $5,500 raised (which will help support 2,750 writers!)
Have you hit one of our writing prize tiers? Don’t forget to get those writing prizes.
And also! November 20th is upon us! As we come up on your second chance to claim a fundraising prize, Mighty Pens mentor, admin wizard, awesome author, and overall awesome genius of a fundraiser, Sheeda, has gathered up some advice from our mentors to help you reach those fundraising goals–and support NaNoWriMo at the same time. As always, please let us know if you have any questions. And thank you SO MUCH for being part of the team.
-Kat
Fundraising tips from your friendly Mighty Pens mentors
Fundraising is noble and rewarding. But let’s face it, sometimes there’s pressure and anxiety involved, and it becomes difficult to find the “fun” in “fundraising”.
Fear not Mighty Pens fam! Me, and a few other mentors have some tips for you on how to ask friends, loved ones, and coworkers to donate.
Ask family and friends–and then send reminders! Amy explains:
The easiest way was to use my Facebook page, because that’s where my family and friends could all see it, and I could publicly thank each person after they donated. I explained what it was all about, including where the money was going, and what I was planning on working on. I explained that the donations helped me win writing prizes (like critiques), just to add a little more incentive to those who love me and want me to succeed.
People really do need reminders! Don’t be afraid of putting it out there again and again. My very best friends in the world and my own sister didn’t donate until the last week. People will put it off because they know they have the whole month. But when you enter that final week (or approach each prize gate), it’s really time to put the pressure on.
Diana shares easy-to-follow tips on asking for donations via social media:
I Tweeted asking for donations and sponsors using the hashtag and was lucky enough to find one.
I also posted on Facebook about it and some of my friends decided to donate as well. A simple message like, “Hey, we’re raising money for charity while writing! If anyone would like to donate, PM me!”
I DID get anxious when I had to hit up my sponsor every time I hit 5k so they could donate. What helped for me was reminding myself they KNEW what they were in for, and were willing to donate at least $100.
Kailey’s go-to strategy is staying in touch:
My biggest strategy has been to reach out to family both years and it’s worked decently well for me. But one thing I found to be absolutely necessary is to stay in contact. Always follow up, even if they already donated. People enjoy hearing about progress and feeling like they’re a part of your journey writing this manuscript. It was a huge deal at Thanksgiving last year with my family asking a bunch of questions. So always follow up with your sponsors and keep sending updates.
And me? I’m all about being a bit pushy, but nice, with personalized emails:
Don’t be afraid to share why you’re participating in NaNo and The Mighty Pens. When your potential donors can connect you to the cause, it goes a long way. IRL I’m an introvert, but when it comes to asking for donations, I become a bit pushy and ask everyone in my life: family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers––you name it. Those that I’m really close with I ask in person, but let them know there is no pressure, and if they are interested I’ll text or email the link. I’ve posted on Twitter and Instagram, but, personally, my biggest success has been personalized emails.
I don’t BCC everyone on one generic email. I take the time in each email to share with each individual why I’m participating and what the fundraiser is about. Again, I let them know there’s no pressure or expectation. I also find that for people you aren’t super close with, a personalized email gives them an opportunity to think about it without the pressure of you standing in front of their face staring at them and waiting for a response. Awkward, right? A lot of people come through and donate, and some don’t. And for the ones that don’t respond? That’s fine! I feel good about asking politely and trying, and they have every right not to want to donate.
Even if some people don’t donate, they’ll still respect the fact that you’re working towards a worthy goal. So get asking! The best case scenario is you get donations. The worst case is you don’t. Either way, you’re winning.
Don’t forget to use #TheMightyPens on Twitter to ask for more tips if you need it. We are all in this together. We’re more than halfway through November, but there’s still time to make a big impact! 💪🏼🖊️
