Here are five steps that will equip you to construct and implement your own unique fundraising strategy.

1. ASSESS YOURSELF
Is fundraising the right strategy for you? Before thinking of events or campaign pages, ask yourself these essential questions to determine if you have the makings of a flourishing fundraising campaign:
• Does your campaign have a unique story?
• Do you need to raise a lot of funds in a short period?
• Is your audience likely to be an ambassador for your cause?
• Does your cause have a tie-in with a current news topic, holiday, crisis, or event?
• Are you looking to grow your community in a different way than before?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're ready to move onto the next step to create a fundraising campaign!

2. PICK YOUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY
Having a fundraising strategy that coincides with your goals and donors will help grow engagement organically.
Not all strategies work for every fundraising, so assessing what kinds of campaigns your donors would be more likely to participate in will help guide you in the right direction.

3. CRAFT YOUR UNIQUE STORY
Your campaign has an amazing story to tell, but how you communicate that story can make all the difference. To tell your story in a way that resonates with your donors, keep in mind stories are incredibly powerful in the way that they move people. Use yours to engage and empower your audience!

4. SET UP YOUR CAMPAIGN PAGE
A key aspect to running any kind of fundraising strategy is creating your page to effectively convey all the information you want to communicate to your fundraisers and donors. It's important that your page contains
• A unified look and feel that goes along with your social cause.
• An invitation for people to donate or sign up for a personal fundraising page or team.
• Pictures, videos, and text to help share your story, and one clear ask.
• Your impact goal, fundraising goal, and timeline.
When you have a page that communicates to your donors clearly and allows people to join in to donate or raise funds on your behalf, your campaign is in an optimal place to flourish.

5. COME UP WITH A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
Setting up your campaign is only half the battle. The other is about reaching out to your audience to get them on board to raise funds or donate. The key is to use multiple outlets to best promote your campaign:
• Create a plan for emailing your donors about your campaign before, during, and after it runs.
• Send donors a toolkit that includes a social media plan they can follow, logos, videos, and exclusive content.
• Work with partners and board members who will engage their community around your campaign.
• Find a hero. Is there a celebrity, even a local one who would champion your cause?
• Create a social media plan that reflects the impact your campaign is making.
• Use connections with media outlets and send them a press release to get your campaign noticed.
• Be sure to follow up with donors who reply to your emails and engage with donors on social media.
• Send thank-you emails to all who donate; they'll appreciate feeling appreciated.
Now, with all these steps completed, you're ready to launch your own peer-to-peer fundraising strategy!

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