Three-step game plan to raising money with easyfundraising

Swim England is encouraging its affiliated clubs to take advantage of a unique way to boost funds.

By shopping online, clubs can gain a much-needed cash boost through the easyfundraising website.

Easyfundraising has created a three-step plan to show how simple it is to raise funds throughout the coronavirus pandemic when traditional money-making ventures can’t take place.

Claire Coleman, Swim England Head of Development, said: “During lockdown, running costs, overheads and financial commitments have continued for a lot of clubs and facilities and many are feeling the impact of Covid-19 on their finances.

“Plus traditional means of funding like club events and galas, membership fees, sponsorship and face-to-face fundraising may not be possible for some months yet.

“That’s why we’re recommending clubs use the summer to make the most of online fundraising platform easyfundraising to keep funds coming in at this difficult time.”

How easyfundraising works

With easyfundraising, your entire community – supporters, staff, coaches and members – can generate free donations for your club simply by shopping online with their favourite retailers like Amazon, Sky, Just Eat, Trainline, eBay, Screwfix M&S and Booking.com.

They just use the easyfundraising website or app to access these retailers and 4,000 others and when they buy anything, the retailer sends your club a free donation at no additional cost.

It’s completely free to register and use and very simple to manage.

All you need to get started is register your club as a cause with easyfundraising then follow the three-step summer game plan below.

Three-step game plan

1. TELL your club community that you have registered with easyfundraising – and WHY

Your club will be given it’s own easyfundraising page so share that page with your community and ask them to sign up to support you.

It’s also important to tell them WHY their support is needed so explain how you have been impacted by lockdown and what a difference their support can make to the future of your club.

Top tip: easyfundraising provide pre-prepared wording and images for your social channels, emails and website to help you get the message out easily and quickly

2. Show them how EASY it is to support you

There are over 4000 retailers so your supporters can raise donations with all their favourite online stores.

They can raise on everything from groceries, travel and mobiles to DIY, fashion and insurance and much more. They can even raise a donation from their Friday night takeway from Just Eat!

Top tip: Look out for emails from easyfundraising with retailer offers and share them with your supporters

3. REMIND your supporters – and THANK them too

Our top raising clubs regularly remind their supporters so they don’t forget to use easyfundraising when they shop.

People are busy so it can sometimes slip their minds but if you make sure that you regularly post on Facebook, send a Whatsapp message or drop them an email, you’ll keep raising funds for you at the forefront of their mind.

Top tip: It’s just as important to thank the supporters who are raising for you – easyfundraisinglets you easily send personalised messages to supporters when they hit an important milestone such as raising their first donation.

FAQs

Our club isn’t a charity – can we still use easyfundraising?

Yes – you don’t need to be a charity to use easyfundraising.

Will it cost us anything?

No – easyfundraising is completely free to register and use for both you and your supporters. And your supporters will not be charged anything extra on their shopping either.

How do we get our donations?

Providing you have raised over £15, easyfundraising total up all the donations raised by everyone supporting you every three months and send them to you by bank transfer or cheque.

There is no charge for this. If your club hasn’t raised over £15 in the previous three months, the amount simply rolls into the next payment instead.

How does easyfundraising make money?

Like price comparison websites, easyfundraising makes money through affiliate marketing. This means that retailers pay them commission each time a sale is made through their site and they pass at least 50 per cent of this on to your club.

The donation rate shown on the website is what’s paid to a cause when one of their supporters buys something from a retailer.