Whether you’re running an online fundraiser with us, or someone else, here are 4 tips for how to make the most of it.

1 – Share, share, share.

Do you feel like you’re annoying people with your requests? If you’re sharing it on a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram, it’s likely your friends aren’t seeing it each time you post anyway. And if they do see it more than once, that’s ok. They can choose to scroll past.

Or maybe they scrolled past last time because they were rushing to get kids from school, or the phone rang and they forgot to go back to it. So they’re glad to see your post again. It’ll have a link to where they can purchase, keeping things easy.

Not everyone is on social media. You can put up a poster and order form in your work place, school or sports club. And email is always good as you can add a link to the ordering website. Do you ever change your email signature? You could alter it just for your fortnight of fundraising - a subtle, low-key way to spread the word!

2 – Let people know exactly what you’re fundraising for.

It makes your efforts less generic, and your supporters will understand exactly how they’re helping you. For example, if your child’s sports club needs new equipment because things are falling apart, tell your supporters:

Every $25 we raise will buy a new training netball for the squad. Our goal is to buy 20 balls. We’d also love to get 4 new sets of bibs so we don’t have to keep sending them home for mending! This will cost $260. Thank you so much for your support of your child’s team and the rest of the ‘ABC’ netball club.

3 – Give feedback during your fundraiser.

We will let you know how things are progressing during your fortnight. For example, at the halfway point you can give an update on how much you’ve already earned. If you’re still at the 20% level, this can be a gentle push for your supporters to make their purchase and jump you up to the 32% tier.

If you have a dollar total goal in mind, you can keep your supporters updated with this. They might be inclined to help with a final push if they know you’re 90% of the way there. Another good time to post an update is just before the end of your fundraiser. Some of us like to live by deadlines!

4 – Get competitive!

If a few of you are fundraising for one purpose, arrange a small prize for the person who earns the most.

There doesn’t have to be only one winner. Maybe everyone who sells over a certain amount gets a gift. For example, everyone who sells more than 20 bath soak pouches (which potentially earns you $92.80) gets a big bar of chocolate; everyone who sells more than 40 bags (which potentially earns you $185.60) gets a $10 Prezzy card.

What incentives would work for your group? Team versus team or class versus class could really be effective!

You can have a bit of fun with tip #1 here as well. For example, see who can get the most shares on social media. Or run a ‘tag your fundraiser in a creative way’ competition. I’m a bit old and past it for TikTok, but I’m sure if you’ve got youngsters involved, they’ll find a creative way of using this platform to help your fundraiser.

We really, really, really want your fundraiser to be a success. If you have any other top tips for us that can help other teams and schools around NZ, please share them with us on Facebook. We’ll give your cause a shout out for your help.

We have a limited number of Salt & Oil bath soak fundraising slots each month. If you've got a specific date in mind, the sooner you apply the better.