Your Guide to Peer to Peer Fundraising!

We are so excited that you will be planning a fundraiser in support of Big Sister Boston. We hope this guide makes it easy for you to bring your community together to support Big Sister’s mission to ignite girls’ passion and power to succeed. Below you’ll find resources to fully plan your fundraiser, from tips and tricks to fundraising resources to language to share with your network about Big Sister’s impact in the Greater Boston community.

If you need any additional support, please feel free to reach out directly to me!

All the best,

Erin Barfield, Vice President of Development Contact: ebarfield@bigsister.org, 617-236-8079

Step 1 - Set Up Your Page!

You can set up a Big Sister Boston-branded page to easily collect donations from your friends and family. Go here to create your page and start raising funds to support Big Sister’s mission.

Step 2- Set a Goal and Share your Story!

Set a financial goal for your fundraiser and make it Big Sister specific! Here are some example of how donations will help support the girls and women in our programs.

$150: Provides one "Big Sister in a Box" kit for a new match to start their relationship
$250: Creates one monthly activity for Big and Little Sisters to build skills and strengthen bonds
$500: Supports resources for Little Sisters to pursue post-secondary education
$1,000: Provides volunteers with training on how to be an effective mentor to a girl
$2,500: Helps make & support one Big and Little Sister match for a full year

Step 3 - Earn Big Sister-Branded Incentives!

Once you start fundraising, you can earn Big Sister-branded incentive items. You'll receive an automatic email once you reach each fundraising level with a link to redeem your token of appreciation from us!

$250 - Water Bottle
$500 - Coffee Mug
$1,000 - T-Shirt
$2,500 - Tote Bag
$5,000 - Fleece Blanket

Step 4 - Thank your donors!

Making sure your donors know you are recognizing their donation is an important step. Thank individuals after their donation as well as thanking your entire network as you update them on your progress towards your goal!

Here is some sample language you can use:

Thank you so much for joining me in support of Big Sister Boston! Together we have raised XXX to support Little Sisters in our own community! My goal is to raise XXXX. If you haven’t already, I hope you take the time to donate. Each and every dollar makes a BIG impact on the lives and emotional well-being of the girls Big Sister serves throughout Greater Boston!

Peer to Peer Fundraising Toolkit

Need ideas to raise funds? Get creative!

Walk or Run: Invite your network to participate in a virtual walk or run in support of Big Sister! Create a page, set your entry fee, set your distance and then invite friends and family to join you! Encourage them to share their photos and progress on social media!

Trivia or Game Night: Invite your friends and family for a virtual trivia or game night. Ask for a suggested donation to play!

Bar or Restaurant Night: Is there a bar or restaurant that you frequent? Ask them if they would host a night to benefit Big Sister Boston and donate a portion of their proceeds to your fundraiser.

Social Media: Use your Instagram stories to share your support of Big Sister and create a poll - "Can I request a $10 donation from you on Venmo?" Answers: Yes! or Make it $20!

10 Tips and Tricks to make your campaign a success!

Make it personal – Share your personal connection to our mission and why our programs are important to you to inspire your friends and family to give!
Spread the word - Communicate in the ways that you are most comfortable with or that you think will make the most impact. You can post your fundraiser on Facebook but if you know that you connect with more people on another platform or by phone, share, text and give people a call to spread the word about your fundraiser!
Make a self-donation - Show you're committed to Big Sister and get the ball rolling by making a donation to your own campaign! You can even use this as a challenge as you are reaching out to your friends and family: "I donated __ to start this campaign because I believe in its importance. Will you join me?"
Send regular updates and requests - Post updates regularly thanking your network and updating everyone on the progress you have made together. Remember to mix it up and make each post different!
Make it interactive - Tag people, thank people for donating, get involved in comment threads.
Keep increasing your goal – Set an attainable goal to start your campaign (maybe $500) and then once you reach it, raise it and continue to ask for support. Don’t forget to share with your network that you’ve hit your initial goal because of their support and that you’ve been inspired to keep raising more.
Ask for a specific amount - Encourage your friends and family to donate a set amount! You can try $20, $30 or whatever you think is a realistic donation for the people you are asking.
Get creative - Rather than just setting up a fundraising page and asking for donations, think about interactive ways to raise the money. Check out our ideas below or come up with your own!
Send personal thank you notes - You can keep these brief but it is important to recognize each donation that is made.
Have fun! – You are hosting this fundraiser to benefit an organization you are passionate about, but it shouldn’t feel like work! Communicate in a way that feels natural to you and share your joy with your community.

Photos & Videos

Here are some photos and videos of our Big and Little Sisters in action! You can share them with your audience, on your fundraising page or attach them to your updates to show people what their donation is supporting: connection, sisterhood, community.

Don't forget to share on social and tag us in your posts so we can see the amazing work you are doing! @BigSisterBoston on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Seat at the Table

What Big Sister Means to Me

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Need more information about our programs? Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do at bigsister.org