How to promote a fundraiser
Promoting your fundraiser can be the difference between meeting your goals and falling short. When you promote fundraising efforts for St. Jude, you help make it possible for us to continue our lifesaving mission – Finding cures. Saving children.®
St. Jude patient Micah
Fundraiser marketing spaces and media
Your promotional material can live in two places: online and in the real world. To maximize your potential reach and impact, consider using both spaces.
Digital promotion
Sharing high-quality, professional-looking digital content can be a heartfelt and effective way to connect with a wide audience quickly. Almost any type of content can help promote your fundraiser. Think about creating:
- fundraising websites, donation pages and blog articles
- infographics
- marketing emails and texts
- media interviews and press releases
- promotional videos
Once your digital content is ready, share it through online spaces like your website or social media accounts. Depending on the content, you might also reach out to local businesses or media outlets to help spread the word on their social media and websites.
Physical promotion
Just like with digital content, creating high-quality, professional-looking physical materials will show that your fundraiser is trustworthy and credible. You have many options for promoting with physical media, and these can have a broad impact, reaching those who might not spend much time online. Consider creating:
- printed materials like informational pamphlets and flyers
- written letters, print mailers and newsletters
- promotional window posters and billboard displays
- stickers, buttons and other merchandise
Once you create your physical promotional material, decide which method of distribution makes the most sense for your campaign. For example, if you’ve created a flyer or informational pamphlet, consider asking community information centers and local businesses if they would be willing to share your materials.
Additional fundraising resources
Explore our fundraising resources page for a variety of tools to help you succeed in your efforts to support St. Jude. Whether you’re looking for templates to craft the perfect message, guidelines to ensure your campaign is effective and compliant, or post inspiration to engage your audience, we’ve got you covered. Discover everything you need to make a meaningful impact!
St. Jude patient Nora Kay
Fundraiser marketing tips
To help you make the most of your fundraising efforts, we’ve put together a few fundraising promotion tips.
Build momentum to your campaign
One of the best ways to boost your campaign’s success is to create some buzz and excitement before the launch. Try sharing teaser posts or sneak peeks on social media or setting up a digital countdown clock to keep potential supporters in the loop.
These strategies can really help increase your fundraiser’s visibility and participation, potentially leading to higher donation rates.
Create strong messaging
Generally, people love stories they can relate to. Sharing compelling and engaging stories is a fantastic way to help your audience see the importance and impact of your fundraising. This can really drive more support. Learn more about storytelling for fundraising.
Partner with local businesses
Partnering with local businesses for pledge fundraisers, matching-donation fundraisers, fundraising event sponsorships or to help distribute your promotional materials is a great way to extend the reach of your efforts. Doing so helps create a win-win situation both for your cause and the business you are partnering with. For example, partnering with a local business can:
- create positive PR for both the local business and your fundraiser
- enhance community engagement
- widen your fundraiser’s audience base and visibility
Use word-of-mouth marketing
The power held by everyday conversations can be massive when used for the greater good. Share the news about your fundraiser when talking with friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and other community members. Then encourage them to share with their communities. Word-of-mouth marketing can quickly:
- increase your fundraiser's trust and credibility
- increase your charity’s brand awareness
- lead to donations
St. Jude patient Aria
Fundraising helps support patients like Aria
In early 2024, at 2 years old, Aria seemed to have a rash. She also had so much bruising that her mom took her to the pediatrician to check for anemia. Bloodwork led to a shocking diagnosis the same day: cancer. Specifically, Aria had acute myeloid leukemia. She was referred to St. Jude right away.
“We were really nervous when we learned we had to move six-and-a-half hours from our home with no job, no income,” said her mom. But they soon found out “how much St. Jude supports the families. Anything we needed here, they made sure we got.” Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
At St. Jude, Aria began receiving chemotherapy and quickly achieved remission. She has now returned home to Oklahoma.
Why support St. Jude kids?
Families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer.
Every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment. When you support St. Jude, you help give kids with cancer around the world that chance. Together, we can save more lives.
St. Jude patient Hayden
Make an impact on children with cancer
Unlike other hospitals, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from generous donors. When you raise funds, volunteer for or make a donation to St. Jude, you're making a real difference in the lives of St. Jude kids. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer.
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