Fundraising with Friends

When you’re fundraising for MS Walk your friends can be a great source of donations, encouragement and support. If you want to make donating extra fun and increase the amount you raise, try getting together with your friends for one of these great fundraising activities!

•    Host a movie night. Let your friends vote on what movie they want to see. Charge a small fee for entrance, dim the lights and prepare some interesting facts about the film you can share before the movie begins.

•    Work together to create crafts or baked goods for a sale. Craft sales and bake sales are two fundraising staples, but doing all the prep work by yourself can be tough. Get your friends involved and make it a group activity!

•    Prepare a fancy dinner. In exchange for pledges, invite your friends to a fancy dinner. Decorate your dining area and prepare all your best dishes.

•    Have a karaoke night. Rent a Karaoke machine and charge a fee for entrance. Not only will guests be supporting a good cause, but they’ll get to see their friends sing their hearts out (whether in key or not!). At the end of the night you can even crown a Karaoke Idol and offer them a prize.

•    Hold a trivia contest. Create trivia questions based on your friends’ interests. Charge a small entry fee and offer a prize. Alternatively, challenge your friends and ask them to donate a small amount for every question they get wrong.

Remember, nobody knows your friends better than you do, so don’t be afraid to come up with your own ideas for fundraising activities and events they’ll enjoy! Share your ideas with your fellow walkers on the MS Walk Facebook and twitter pages!

Use our social media tools and fundraise online!

One of the most important parts of fundraising is getting the word out and reaching as many people as possible. There’s no faster way to let everyone know you’re raising money for MS Walk then by sending out a message through Facebook, Twitter or your personal blog. Even better, we’ve got some great tools that can help add a little pizzazz to your online fundraising efforts. Download a variety of social media tools from mswalks.ca, such as logos, badges, videos, banners and more! Here are some ways to get the most from your social media interactions:

•    Update the profile picture on your Facebook and Twitter accounts with an MS Walk badge
•    Change your timeline or cover picture on Twitter and Facebook to an image you took at last year’s MS Walk
•    Highlight one of your MS Walk Facebook posts so it appears at the top of your profile page
•    Embed an MS Walk banner ad onto your blog or personal website
•    Create a Pinterest board where your team can post pictures and information about MS Walk
•    Upload an audio file to your Tumblr blog that tells people about MS Walk and why you’re fundraising
•    Create a short video of yourself talking about MS Walk donate and post it on YouTube

Share your ideas for online fundraising on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and have fun!

MSAnswers.ca is now mobile-friendly!

Have you checked out MSAnswers.ca recently? The website allows people with MS, caregivers and others affected by MS to discuss issues of importance and obtain accurate answers to MS specific questions from experts including neurologists, nurses, psychiatrists and other health care professionals.

The website is now mobile-friendly, so you can visit it on your smartphone when you’re on the go!

Fundraising inspiration for the New Year

Happy New Year, MS Walk participants! January is a time for fresh starts, and also for reflection on years gone by. Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to achieve great results in your fundraising for the 2013 MS Walk?

To help you kick off 2013 with a burst of fundraising energy, we’ve combed through our archives to find some of the best fundraising tip posts of years gone by. Click through the links below to find inspiration. Just 2 or 3 of these creative tips can make a huge dent in your fundraising goal!

Play a game

Share you appreciation and your experience with those who donated

Handwritten notes mean a lot

Host a pancake breakfast

Plan a social gathering

Donate to yourself

Organize a bake sale at work

007 Licensed to ask

Spring cleaning garage sale

Rubber duck races

Crazy golf

Turn to your team

Auction off

Lunch break

Share your favourite fundraising ideas – from this list or your own imagination! – in the comments below, or on Facebook or Twitter.

The fine art of self-promotion

One of the hardest parts of fundraising is identifying possible donors and breaking the ice. Once you get past that first hurdle, you’ll find that people are excited about supporting you as you lace up for someone you love.

So how can you make sure people know about your commitment to the cause? You need to promote yourself! It’s easier than it sounds. Start with these five easy ideas.

1. Add a message about the cause and the link to your personal fundraising page to your email signature. This will remind your friends and work colleagues about your mission on a regular basis, and give them a quick and easy way to show their support.

2. Make fundraising part of your special occasion. Ask for donations to your fundraising page in lieu of flowers on your birthday, or yet another pair of socks in your Christmas stocking.

3. Use social media. Use your online accounts and networks to reach out to potential donors. Share content from the MS Walk Facebook, Twitter or YouTube accounts to familiarize your contacts with the event. Because it’s easy to donate online, even your friends across the globe can show their support.

4. Advertise for free. Where possible, contact local TV or radio stations to share your team or personal MS Walk story with a wider audience. Write a letter to the editor of your community newspaper, submit a piece to a blog or the church newsletter, or put up posters at local businesses. It doesn’t need to cost a lot to get the word out!

5. Be proud of yourself. Asking for donations to support a worthy cause is nothing to be embarrassed about! Take pride in your commitment and hard work, and don’t be afraid to share your enthusiasm with others.

Register and enter to win a trip for two anywhere in North America!

Do the mid-winter blues have you fantasizing about a getaway vacation? The MS Walk might help you turn your dreams into reality!

Register to participate in the 2013 MS Walk by January 31 and you will automatically be entered in a draw to win a trip for two to anywhere in continental North America.*

If you’ve already registered to participate your name has already been automatically entered in the draw. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Visit mswalks.ca to sign up to join us in raising funds to support people affected by multiple sclerosis in your community – and possibly win a trip in the process!

*The Grand Prize winner must respond to and claim the Grand Prize via mail, email or telephone by March 25, 2013 (the "Deadline"). The grand prize winner must book their trip by June 24, 2013. Visit mswalks.ca/contest for full contest details.