Fundraising Tips

SAA is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Our Tax ID Number is 22-3248256.

Swim Across America participants continue to be amazing fundraisers year after year and it is our challenge to come up with new and interesting ways to help. Check out some of our fundraising tips and remember that the best tool you have is online fundraising. When you register for an event you will be given a personal fundraising page so be sure to utilize all of the tools at your disposal. You can use the page to explain why you are swimming, to send emails asking for support (and to track their success), post pictures, and send thank you notes.

The Right Attitude

The key to being a successful fundraiser is thinking big, remembering why you have made this commitment and reminding donors how important your swim is – as Dr. Jedd Wolchuck of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center once said, “I see the mark that Swim Across America makes on the lives of my patients every day.”

Start Fundraising Early. Try to start fundraising 2-3 months before your swim. The deadline for reaching your fundraising minimum differs depending on your event, but it is usually event day. If you start a little late, don’t worry…Just be sure to utilize online fundraising as much as possible. 

Don't be Afraid. Don’t be afraid to suggest an amount to a potential donor or tell people what your goal is. In addition, don’t be afraid to remind friends, family, and coworkers about your swim more than once. People get busy and, usually, a reminder is just the push they needed.

Make it Personal. This is about YOU! When your donors contribute, they consider themselves to be supporting YOU more than Swim Across America generally. Everyone has been affected by cancer so expressing your personal reasons for swimming may help people understand how important the cause is.

Knowledge is power. Know a bit about the beneficiaries your event supports so that you can answer questions and explain where the money is going. Check out our beneficiaries page here.

Every little bit counts. In 2009, over 90% of the donations Swim Across America received were in increments of $100 or less. We continued to grow despite the fledgling economy because our swimmers understand that every dollar is valuable. If your donors can’t be quite as generous this year, explain that it is ok. To make up for it, expand your outreach and ask them to pass your information along to friends and family.

Online Fundraising. When you register for your event, you will be given a personal fundraising page (if you are creating a team you will be given a team page as well). Personalize it, give it a URL, and start sending emails.

Fundraising Tips

Adjust Your Goal. Don’t be afraid to set a high goal and increase it as you reach it.

Make a Video. Film yourself swimming or telling people why you're swimming. The more they know about your story, the more likely they are to be touched and donate.

Make a List. Make a list of everyone you know and put friends and family at the top. Remember to include coworkers, customers, clients, suppliers, or people you go to school with, etc. Think about every avenue of your life: Where do you eat, work out, go to church/temple/mosque, and hang out?  You know more people than you may realize. Don’t forget to encourage people to tap into their resources as well.

Social Networking Online. Do you have a facebook / Myspace account? Most people accumulate hundreds of friends and barely call on them for anything. Send messages or create groups and ask for support. Include the personalized URL for your SAA fundraising page and drive people to it.

Answering Machine Message. Instead of a normal message letting people know you'll call them back, let them know you're swimming and give out your web-site info so they can consider a donation; this also acts as a reminder to those you’ve contacted.

Ask Large Donors First. If you are planning on asking large corporate sponsor for funds, ask them first.  Having a larger total on your page might help later donors to think bigger.

Dress Down Day. Dress down Friday – Ask your boss if you can host a dress down day, where employees pay to dress down on an assigned day.

Dinner Party. Host a dinner party/fundraising party /Block party, backyard BBQ: Host a fundraising party for friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Share your SAA experience and your reasons for swimming; ask them to support you. Even ask for a specific suggested donation amount to join in.

Your Parents Can Help.Your parents know a lot of people outside of your network. Ask them to help by sending out emails and including the URL of your personal page or calling their friends and coworkers.

Have a Dough Raiser. Uno Chicago Bar and Grill will give 20% of the proceeds from your meal at Unos towards your Swim Across America swim. Have a team dinner, eat some deep dish pizza, and raise money!

Bake Sale. Have one at work, school, church/temple/mosque and use a sign saying that all donations will go towards cancer research, prevention and treatment. Include a straight donation jar as well.

Matching Gifts. Remind your donors that they can double their donations by submitting Matching Gift forms to their companies.

The Change Jar. Leave a change jar on your desk at work and ask people to contribute loose change that is left over from lunch. A little bit adds up to a lot.

Ask for help. Do you know a person or business that may be interested in giving a large sum? Feel free to contact info@swimacrossamerica.org and ask us to help you close the deal.

Poker Night/Game Night. Host a poker night with a certain buy in. Proceeds go to your swim.