This article will walk you through each step of the process, from creating your Gift of Parenthood account, to publishing your very first fundraiser.
Step 1: Campaign Details
To build your customized fundraiser campaign, we’ll need a few details. First, select who you are fundraising for?
- Yourself: You are raising money for your own fertility treatments, surrogacy, adoption, etc.
- Family Member or Friend: You want to support a loved one’s path to parenthood with some extra funds
- Charity: You’re paying it forward and raising money for other hopeful parents
Step 2: Customize Your Campaign
Next let’s build out your campaign.
Fundraiser Title: Keep it simple yet informative by using a name/organization and the purpose of the fundraiser.
Tip: Adding a short headline to your fundraiser will encourage donors to learn about your cause. Example titles: “Help Kelly & Mike complete their family with IVF,” or “Support hopeful parents with grant money from Gift of Parenthood.”
Fundraising Goal: Set a financial goal for your campaign.
Tip: Not sure where to begin? We recommend starting at $1,000 to $12,000 and adjusting later as needed. You always have the option to lower or raise your goal later on.
Fundraiser Start & End Dates: These can always be changed or extended by accessing your campaign Settings > Edit Campaign in your Dashboard
Fundraiser Category: Select your fundraiser category (Adoption, Surrogacy, Fertility Meds, Egg Preservation, Embryo Adoption, Sperm Donation, or Fertility Treatments)
Add Photos & Video: Make your campaign stand out with photos and videos.
Step 3: Share Your Story
Now is your time to shine! Explain who you are, who you’re fundraising for (yourself or friend/family), and why it’s important to you.
Step 4: Boost For Maximum Exposure
Optimize your fundraiser for maximum donations & be entered to win a Gift of Parenthood grant worth up to $25,000.
Step 5: Share With Your Network
While your fundraiser can start receiving donations as soon as it is published, no one will know your fundraiser is active until you start to share it. Sharing your fundraiser with as many friends and family members as you can is the best way for it to be successful. Here are a few ways to share:
- Social media: Fundraisers shared on social media raise up to 5x more so share and share often! You can share your Gift of Parenthood fundraiser on a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, and WhatsApp. You can also copy your fundraiser link so that you have it ready to send to people or add a link to it in the bio section of your social media profile. Copy and paste the fundraiser URL or use one of our social media sharing tools by logging into your Dashboard and going to Manage > Share Fundraiser
- Email: We built a comprehensive email invite tool that can be accessed via the Dashboard. Just go to Manage > Send Email Invites and fill in the required information. You can copy and past up to 50 email addresses to send out bulk invites. Send email invites to friends and family who may want to contribute to your cause and encourage them to share with their network of friends.
- In person: You can use your custom link to share your fundraiser over text message, on posters or on print outs. There are countless ways to get the word out using your link! You can find your fundraiser link in your Dashboard under Manage > Share Fundraiser
Remember, sharing is the key part to getting donations on Gift of Parenthood. If you aren’t sharing your fundraiser with your friends, family, and community, then it’s not likely to get donations. Using your personal network can help get you closer to your goal, and you can read more about the different options for sharing here: Tips for gaining more exposure for your fundraiser
Ready to get started?
or
Start a fundraiser for a family member or friend