Many people are uncomfortable asking for money. That's normal -- and can also be overcome. You may even be surprised to discover that, with a little help, you are quite good at it! The resources on this page will help you get comfortable, set and achieve higher goals for yourself, and ultimately raise more money for WCRC and the women we serve.

A good thing to remember is that people give money to people. People will give money to you because they trust your judgment, because you support the cause, and because you asked.

Get to know WCRC

Before asking people to sponsor you, it helps to know all the services of WCRC. View a quick synopsis of WCRC's services to the community (pdf).

Get support through our Lifesaver Program

Whether this is your first or fifth or seventeenth Swim A Mile, if you would like some one-on-one support from an experienced participant around fundraising, training, or other aspects of the Swim A Mile, get more information about the Lifesaver Program and to request to be paired with a Lifesaver.

Develop your fundraising list

Create an email/mailing/phone list of people you want to ask to support you. Select people from your…

• family
• friends
• Facebook friends
• classmates
• associates
• neighbors
• religious group
• community businesses
• Clubs/member organizations

Send your letter or email

Write a letter or email that shares your personal reasons for getting involved in advocacy for women with cancer and their families and friends. Provide a link to your giving page, which you can also personalize with your own reasons for swimming.

Sample Letters:

• Letter 1 (doc): Informative, factual perspective
• Letter 2 (doc): To mark Rosh Hashanah perspective
• Letter 3 (doc): Cancer survivor perspective
• Letter 4 (doc): Friend affected by cancer perspective
• Email to Work Colleagues (doc): Letter to leave in the break room at the office.
• Email to a Friend (doc): Individual letter sent to each friend (specific).
• Email to all Friends (doc): Group letter to everyone.

Fundraise on Facebook

Facebook is a great way to let your friends know you are swimming a mile for women with cancer. You can post a note and tag your friends in it. Your status updates can alert friends to your fundraising and swim training progress.

Sample Status Updates:

• Original Facebook posting (png)
• First Facebook update (png)
• Second Facebook update (png)

Ask in person

Again, when you ask for contributions, share your personal reasons for getting involved. Carry your donation tracking sheet with you at all times. Remember, it really doesn't hurt to ask. You will find donations and generosity in some unexpected places. Sample Script (doc). 

Get creative!

Here are some more ideas for you to try.

• Ask local community groups (e.g. churches, professional organizations) if you can make a brief presentation and pass out donation forms at their next meeting, or print an announcement in their newsletters.  
• Find out about the Matching Fund Program at your job or that of your sponsors. Employees will donate by matching the amount of money donated by an employee. If your employer doesn’t have a matching program, simply ask them for $50. Many corporate cultures encourage employee participation in charitable causes and are more than happy to support them through monetary contributions.
• Hold a bake sale at work. Ask friends to bake goodies for you so you don't have to do all the baking yourself.
• Ask the waiters in your favorite restaurant if they will donate a percentage of one day's tips. Or, if you work in a restaurant, ask your colleagues to donate tips to a donation jar.
• Hold a dinner party with a special theme for 10 of your friends. Donation: $50 a head. Spend no more than $20 a head on food and you'll have over $300 in donations!
• Delegate. Give 10 friends 10 donation forms and ask them to get donations for you.
• Send letters to the parents of children on your child's sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) teams.
• Contact the national chapter of your college fraternity or social organization to ask for a big donation. If you did not belong to a fraternity or sorority, ask someone who did to make the contact.
• If you are interested in a quick and easy way to raise your $350, throw a house party! The House Party Manual (doc) describes how to organize a successful house party, a useful and FUN fundraising tool. If you are unable to have a house party at your home, or a friend’s home, we might be able to offer the Women’s Cancer Resource Center’s facility located at 5741 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. And don’t worry – a staff member from WCRC will be there to talk about WCRC! Additionally, if you decide to put together a house party, WCRC's house party liaison will be available to help you along the way. If you would like to talk this option over, please call Pat Bregant at (510) 601-4040 x 105 or email pat@wcrc.org.

Follow up and thank your supporters

When you have a sponsor's support, be sure to follow up. This will let your sponsors know you are committed to this event. Send updates or newsletters about your training and/or fundraising progress. Make phone calls or send email updates.

Be sure to send a thank-you letter after the Swim thanking your sponsors for their support and letting them know how you did. WCRC will send an acknowledgment letter too, but sponsors would love to hear from you directly. We have created Swim A Mile thank-you stationary (doc) for this specific use.