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By Samantha England
This is a very special week here at IUDM, because we are nearing our next big milestone: 100 DAYS until the marathon! That’s right, as of this Wednesday we will have only 100 jelly beans left until IUDM 32. The question is, how are we going to spend them?
Being our last big fundraising push of the summer, this is the day to give it everything we’ve got. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get donations, you’ve come to the right place! Here are 10 fun and easy ways to raise money for 100 days:
1. Get on social media
It seems simple, but posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even TikTok can easily help you spread the word about IUDM and rack up some donations from your followers. You can use this as an opportunity to tap into your own creativity, or repost one of the pre-made graphics that will be sent in committee GroupMes on the morning of 100 days.
2. Play Uber (or some other service) for the day
Did you know that offering to drive friends around or delivering food to people in exchange for donations will most likely save them money? Not to mention it goes to a great cause. Spend your day going the extra mile (literally) and get ready to watch the donations pour in!
3. Steward donors
Sometimes it can feel awkward to ask people for money right off the bat in an email or text, but it’s just as important to send past donors non-ask updates about your life and involvement with IUDM. You can let them know what you’ve been up to, and conclude the message with information about upcoming fundraising days. Even just dropping your fundraising link at the end of the message can encourage people to donate, without you ever having to explicitly ask.
4. Go canning or leave a jar out in a public place
If you’ve got a container and some time on your hands, you can raise money wherever you are this 100 days! Just head to a populated area nearby and go canning for donations (and you can always send someone your personal link if they don’t have cash). If you don’t have as much free time, though, or your social battery is dwindling, you can also ask a local business to leave a bucket out for donations and come collect it at the end of the day!
5. Dono for dono with a friend
Chances are, you have friends in IUDM, another school’s dance marathon, or a different fundraising organization who are also trying to raise money for a good cause this summer. Offer to “trade” donations with them; you donate to their page and they donate to yours. You both get the benefits of a dono, and your friend will probably remember that you helped them out when our next fundraising push comes along.
6. Reach out to IUDM alum
Whether you know alumni personally or you need help finding people to contact, cold calling and messaging IUDM alum is a great way to raise money and make awesome connections with past members of IUDM. If you do need help getting in contact with someone, your director would be happy to help you out!
7. Get baking (or another hobby you love)
Some of the things you’ve already been doing this summer can probably help you come up with donations on 100 days. Baking cookies for everyone who donates, making bracelets, lemonade stands, or tapping into any kind of skill will be sure to brighten a summer day, for you and your donors!
8. Take donations instead of pay for the day
Working a part-time job is typical for many college students during the summer, but it’s also a great way to fundraise. If you work for a paycheck, consider donating a day’s worth of earnings to your page, or if you get paid daily, ask your employer if they would be willing to donate for the day instead of paying you directly.
9. Shoot your shot with a celebrity
Ever thought about sliding into your favorite celeb’s DMs just to tell them how much you love them? Well, now you have an excuse to do just that, and casually ask for a dono at the same time! It might sound like a stretch, but a number of big and small artists have been known to donate to IUDM in the past; all you have to do is ask.
10. Email, text, and call anyone and everyone you know!
Sometimes, you just have to keep it simple. At the end of the day, the best way to fundraise is by spreading the word about what we do here in IUDM to everyone you can think of. Whether it’s your middle school math teacher, your roommate, the Starbucks barista, or your ex– we all want to make the world a better place, and donating to a cause like IUDM is a great way to start!
With only 100 days left until the marathon, it’s time to give it our all. Send that text. Make that call. Give up that one purchase that could be a donation instead. Together we can do incredible things, benefiting not just Riley Hospital, but ourselves and everyone we encounter along the way.
Happy fundraising, and Happy 100 Days!
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