NYSA can’t solve youth homelessness alone. We need champions, messengers, and storytellers to help us move our mission forward. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way to reach new networks of people and gain new donors. You are now a part of our organization’s narrative and your outreach on our behalf will bring new attention to our cause.

Be brave with your fundraising goal – try raising $500 towards your goal in less than a week!

• Day 1: Sponsor yourself for $50
• Day 2: Ask three family members for $25
• Day 3: Ask three friends to donate $15
• Day 4: Ask three co-workers to sponsor you for $10 (don’t forget to also ask your company if they have a matching gifts program). “Co-workers” can be interchanged with volunteers or other leaders if you are involved in an association.
• Day 5: E-mail 10 personal contacts and ask for a $20 donation.
• Day 6: Ask 10 people in your social network for a $10 donation. Social networks include Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. If social media isn’t your thing, try texting your contacts and asking them to help you.

• Group 1: The circle of people closest to you
• Group 2: Friends, family, and colleagues whom you see often and with whom you share common values
• Group 3: Everyone else on your contact lists

Making your “asks” is the most time-consuming part of fundraising, so we recommend starting with your Group 1 contacts. You can practice on them since they are your most captive audience and they’ll give you some starting gifts to get you going. Then move to Group 2 (after some donations have come in from Group 1) and use your best message that generated a response from Group 1. Lastly, your messaging to Group 3 can build on what you sent to Group 2, and what seemed to resonate with most people.

You can call people, or ask them in person. You can write a letter by hand, send an email, or post on social media, or you can try all of these approaches depending on how you usually communicate with your contacts.

We have included information on this website about how the event will help address youth homelessness.

You can also view the pages on the NYSA website for additional information. We encourage you to copy and paste any text that resonates with you. A personalized message from you will open people’s eyes. By participating in this event, you are showing your friends that you care enough to do something out of your comfort zone for homeless youth.

The funds raised by your event help run the programs and services provided to youth-at-risk in the Nanaimo area. NYSA depends on private funding for many of its homeless initiatives so support from the community is crucial to youth who are seeking our help.

Always be sure to take time to thank people for their gifts and for their investment in homeless young people. We would suggest that a two-step thank you plan is the most effective. First, thank your donors immediately after you receive a donation. And then, you can also periodically send updated thank-you’s to your supporters throughout the fundraising campaign to keep them engaged in the event and share your success.

Ask again! If someone doesn’t respond the first time, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are not interested in helping. Life moves quickly and sometimes a reminder email is all it takes to prompt them into action.