Advice on preparing for the big day

Go for a fundraising PB! Aiming for a personal best means that your goal will be challenging but not ridiculous. People are more likely to donate if they feel your target is reachable, so we tell all our supporters to aim high but to keep one foot on the ground.  

Remember, the best stories have twists and turns. Whether you smash your target or ask for everyone to dig a little deeper to get you there, don’t be shy! Keep everyone updated on your progress and keep the suspense alive. 

Just think, if you raise £725 you could help a family receive year-round support from Sense. With a donation of that size, Sense could visit a family for an initial assessment, keep them invited to support events throughout the year, and give them access to our specialist networks and advice. 

Your contributions will have a positive and long-lasting effect on the people we reach. 

Think of it as buying yourself the most fulfilling gift imaginable! By donating to your own fundraiser, you’re not just opening the show, but you’re also showing everyone how much you believe in the cause. It’s a brilliant way to build trust with your supporters and inspire them all to join in.  

Don’t worry about going in with a mega donation either. It’s not about how much you give. Even a £10 donation has a massive impact. A tenner could help a child begin to communicate, helping fund an initial one-to-one communication session with a Sense specialist. 

Allow people to be part of the story from the very beginning. Share your ambitions, fundraising page and your story from the moment you sign up. Make sure everyone knows what’s happening!

Then, as the big day finally arrives, make some noise! Update your social media status, share live updates and photos. You might need to rope in some friends and family to help here, so make sure to factor that into your plan.

It’s super important to continue sharing updates after your event ends too. Shower your supporters with thank you messages and celebrate every step closer to your fundraising target. You’ll be surprised how many donations come in during those final days.

Everyone’s fundraising journey is unique. It’s these personal experiences and how you share them with your supporters that make for real fundraising success. Your narrative can inspire others, spark connections to the cause and build a community who’ll rally around to support you! 

Use social media, email updates or word of mouth to let people know why Sense matters to you. Even if the reason you’re supporting us feels obvious, spend some time thinking about how to convey that to other people. It’s okay for your answer to evolve over the course of your fundraising too, it’ll just prove to people how deeply you’re thinking about Sense and the impact your event will have. 

Not all of your supporters will be familiar with Sense, so get ready to be an ambassador! We have so many amazing stories to share with you and your supporters, just head over to our Talking Sense blog. 

We exist to support disabled people to communicate, to overcome isolation and to connect people with opportunities to participate in education and work. Inspiring stuff! 

Find the ones that you think will resonate most with your audience and help them understand the opportunity they have to be part of something incredible. Remember, every story shared is an invitation for someone to join in and help to ensure that no one is left out of life. 

Your progress is exciting! Even if it’s just a casual update, we’re here for it. Fundraising is all about teamwork after all. So let’s keep the lines of communication open and work together on this! 

Whether you’ve just signed up or have hit a fundraising milestone – drop us a line! You can tag us at #TeamSense or @sensecharity across all of our socials. You can also get in touch at [email protected] or call us on 0300 330 9257. 

JustGiving is the easiest way to send money. Make sure that setting up your JustGiving page is near the top of your fundraiser to do list. Then you’ll be able to share the link with your fantastic supporters before, during and after your event. 

If you’ve signed up for a Sense Challenge event (such as the Manchester Marathon) you will have gotten a unique Just Giving link in your welcome email. Or, if you’re doing your own fundraising, then you can go to justgiving.com/sense to set up your page.

Head to sense.org.uk/donate and you’ll be able to make a one-off payment using this form. Make sure all your details are on there, like your name and how you raised the money. That way, we can make sure to thank you properly! 

Call our friendly supporter services team on 0300 330 9257 and they will be able to take your payment by credit or debit card. 

To arrange this, email us on [email protected], and we’ll be able to give you the details. 

If you have a cheque or charity voucher, please send it to us at the following address: Sense, 101 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9LG.