If you’re active on Facebook, you’ve probably seen a post or two on your feed asking you to support a favorite charity for a friend or colleague’s birthday. With #GivingTuesday coming up on December 3rd, we hope you’ll support Tandem on Facebook during this national day of giving and throughout the year to come!

Set up your Tandem fundraiser on Facebook

1. Log on to Facebook and visit Tandem’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tandembayarea. Click the Create Fundraiser button just below Tandem’s profile cover photo.  On the next screen, click on Tandem, Partners in Early Learning to start creating your fundraiser.

2. On the following screen, you’ll be prompted to provide more details about your fundraiser. Choose how much money you’d like to raise – choose an amount that is meaningful to you, and one that you feel you’ll be able to achieve. Then, click Next.

3. On the next screen, you’re prompted to tell your story. If you can think of a clear, catchy title, go ahead and use it! If not, that’s okay. Facebook provides you with default language to use. We suggest keeping the default second paragraph about Tandem, but rewrite the first paragraph to let your friends, family, and colleagues know why you are care about this cause. A little personalization goes a long way! Is there a person or an event in your life that has led you to become a passionate supporter of quality early learning? Perhaps you have a favorite childhood memory of sharing children’s books with a beloved family member, and you want to ensure that other children have the same opportunities?  Here’s my story:

I’ve been a huge fan of books and learning since my first day of kindergarten with Mrs. Key. She read to our class every single day and showed me how to fall in love with books and learning. Help me raise money to get more children’s books into classrooms so awesome educators just like Mrs. Key can share the joy of books and learning with their young students! Please join me in raising $200.00 with Tandem.

Remember, keep that second paragraph as is. This section will introduce your friends to Tandem, and give them more information on who we are and what we do.  When you’re ready, click Next.

4. Time to add a photo for your fundraiser. You may want to choose a personal photo that supports your fundraising message. If you’re raising money to get more books into classrooms, maybe take a photo of you with your favorite children’s books. Not sure what to use? Consider using one of our ours! See our album below and feel to download and use any of these photos.  When you’re ready, click Create to publish your fundraiser.

5. Donate, Post, and Share! You’ve created your fundraiser, but don’t stop there…you need to spread the word. Make a donation to your own fundraiser to incentivize your friends. When they see you supporting your cause, they will be more likely to donate themselves.

Tips for running a successful campaign

You’ve created your fundraiser, and that’s awesome…but don’t stop there! Now it’s time to mobilize your networks and let them know that you’d like to share your passion with them for early learning.

• Check in often during the fundraiser and post updates. How close are you to reaching your goal? Do you have friends who you know would want to help your cause? Tag them in a post!
• Post updates often, but use different content. No one likes to see the same words and images on their feeds, so vary it up. Think about ways you can highlight the good work we do, while providing interesting, new information to your followers.
• Keep asking! Need another $25 to meet that goal? Just ask! Many people respond to a direct call to action, so ask for a donation in a specific amount. Try setting weekly goals throughout your fundraiser, and make direct asks for amounts that will help you meet those goals.
• Offer other ways for your friends to support you by asking them to share your fundraiser on their page, or inviting people they know to donate.  Many companies offer matching contributions, so be sure to ask your friends to check with their companies to see if their gifts could be doubled. You’ll be surprised at how much awareness (and donations) you can raise when you engage your friends and their networks, too!

What to do when the fundraiser ends

You created the fundraiser. You engaged your network and raised money for a cause you believe in. Now, it’s time to give thanks! 

• Throughout the campaign, shout out your friends on Facebook each time someone makes a donation. If you know who donated, tag them and thank them on your feed. Then, depending on your level of connection, send them an email or a private message filled with gratitude, or better yet, give them a call! Buy them a coffee! Make time to talk about the charities they are interested in and how you can support their causes in the future.
• Next, talk to us! We want to know about you, star fundraiser. Every donation counts. If you take the time to set up a Facebook fundraiser for us, we want to thank you too! 

When we all give, we can accomplish great things. Thank you for being part of our community. Have questions about setting up your Facebook fundraiser in time for #GivingTuesday? Contact us! We’re happy to help.