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Fundraising Resources

Use these downloadable tools and guides, and sample social media messages and images, to help support your Walk to Cure Arthritis fundraising efforts.

The Walk to Cure Arthritis flagship event is the largest arthritis gathering in the world. It is so much more than just a walk. It’s where we join together to see the power of LIVING YES in action. It’s where we celebrate Arthritis Warriors and connect with others in the community – while raising funds for research, resources and a cure.

We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without you and your support! Whether you’re participating as a volunteer or a walker, this Participant Toolkit is filled with information, ideas and tips to support your Walk to Cure Arthritis fundraising efforts.

Fundraising Resources

Download the Walk to Cure Arthritis Mobile App
Download the mobile app from Google Play or the App Store and fundraise on the go!
Fundraise from your mobile device with the Arthritis Foundation's Walk to Cure Arthritis app! With the mobile app, you can manage your personal or team fundraising efforts from your phone.

The app:

  • Provides suggested fundraising and recruitment messages for social media, email, text, and phone calls.
  • Easily sends messages to your contacts and posts to social networks asking for donations or to join your team.
  • Enables you to fundraise and recruit wherever you are. Manage your fundraising progress from anywhere!

Social Media Toolkit
Social media plays a key role in helping participants like you fundraise and raise awareness online. Invite your friends, family, and community members to join your local events and get active on the event pages of your state-level Arthritis Foundation Facebook page.

Here is everything you need to start conversations, answer questions, tell people how you're involved with the Arthritis Foundation and the Walk to Cure Arthritis, and why they should care about our cause.

How You Can Help
To facilitate local involvement in Arthritis Foundation signature events like the Walk to Cure Arthritis and the Jingle Bell Run, the centralized AF social media team will create a Facebook ‘Event’ within corresponding state Facebook pages for each event. Facebook ‘Events’ pages can act as a discussion board where key AF staff, volunteers and constituents come together to foster community and build excitement.

So how can you help?

  • Identify yourself as a volunteer or walker on your local event page!
  • Let your friends know you’re interested in attending the event by clicking the “*Interested” or “✓Going” button near the top of the event page.
  • Invite your circle of friends to the event by clicking “Share” at the top of the event page and selecting “Invite Friends.”
  • Ask your friends to invite their friends! The more people who are invited, the more the event will grow.  You will be amazed at the difference this can make.

What are some other tips?

  • Ask! Post an update asking your friends to donate. The #1 reason people donate is simply because they were asked.
  • Add a link to your team or personal fundraising page.
  • Thank and tag each of your friends after they donate.
  • Have fun and make it personal.
  • If you have teammates on Facebook or Twitter, post updates challenging your teammates to a fundraising competition.
  • Make your language specific to yield better results.

How do I find my Arthritis Foundation Facebook page and local event page?

  • All Arthritis Foundation pages follow the same naming format (Arthritis Foundation STATE). In the Facebook search bar, type in "Arthritis Foundation" plus the name of your state of residence.
  • Be sure to "Like' and "Follow" by clicking the buttons right below the profile picture.
  • To find your local event, click "Events" on the left-hand side of the page.
  • There, you'll find a list of upcoming events. Click on your local event and start getting involved! Let people know you're interested by sharing the event and posting on the event wall as often as possible!

What should I post about?

Post about things that are going on in the community relating to the event, as well as personal fundraising activity, updates, etc. Here are some ideas for posting:
  • Suggest fundraising ideas
  • Share photos from last year’s event to build excitement.
  • Give recognition to new teams or individuals who have joined, or the top fundraisers for the week
If you’re a volunteer you can also share:
  • Kick-off event details
  • Packet pick-up information
  • Contests/Promotional information
  • Day-of logistics
  • Sponsor recognition
  • Recognition of your honorees
  • Photos of what you’re working on.
  • Questions, like: “Did your t-shirts arrive?”
  • Invitations for discussion: “Is your team hosting a fundraiser?  Tell us how you’re raising money and share fundraising tips for those of us who haven’t met our goal!”

What if I have important information I want on the Arthritis Foundation State Facebook page?

  • Reach out to the Arthritis Foundation staff person hosting the event. They can submit this information to the centralized social media team through our Samanage support system.

Suggested Facebook and Twitter Messages

Use these sample status updates and tweets to fundraise using your social networks.


“JOIN MY TEAM AND FUNDRAISE”

  • I’m walking [or volunteering] to cure arthritis! Join my team today at [insert link to team page]
  • Fundraise with me for #Walktocurearthritis! Join my team today at [insert link to team page]
  • I’m all about a cure for arthritis! Help be a part of the cure and join my team! #walktocurearthritis [insert link to team page]
  • I’m so excited for #WalktoCureArthritis on [insert event date] ! Join my team and be a part of the cure! [insert link to team page]
  • I still need team members to fundraise with me at #WalktoCureArthritis! [insert link to team page]
  • Help! I need ten people to join my #WalktoCureArthritis team today! [insert link to team page]
  • Follow up: [insert friend’s name/@Twitter name] just joined my team! I’m still looking for 4 more cool people to register and fundraise. [insert link to team page]

Fundraising Messages

  • Support me as I walk [or volunteer] to cure arthritis! Please donate to my #WalktoCureArthritis fundraising efforts [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Your donation can help millions of families affected by arthritis. Support me as I walk [or volunteer]to cure arthritis. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Your donation makes a big difference! Please support me as I #WalktoCureArthritis . [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • 54 million Americans are living with arthritis. Please make a donation and help us find a cure for this devastating disease. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Arthritis is the #1 cause of disability in the U.S. Please make a donation to help us find a cure and provide resources for those living with arthritis. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • One in four adults has been diagnosed with arthritis by their doctor. You can help support the efforts to find a cure. Please donate to my #WalktoCureArthritis page: [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Did you know that kids get arthritis too? Make a donation to help find a cure and make a difference. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Do you want to make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans? Support me as I #WalktoCureArthritis! [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Even small donations make a big difference in the fight against arthritis! Please donate to help cure this disease. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Do you want to help people with arthritis live more healthy and productive lives? Please donate! [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Please support me as I participate in #WalktoCureArthritis. Your support makes a big difference. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • I need to raise [insert personal fundraising goal]to reach my #WalktoCureArthritis fundraising goal. Donate today to help me reach my goal! [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Follow up: Thank you [insert friend’s name/@Twitter name] for helping those affected by arthritis. I still need [insert amount needed to reach goal] , please donate today! [insert link to  personal WTCA page]

Thank You Messages

  • Thank you [insert friend’s name/@Twitter name] for supporting me in #WalktoCureArthritis! Your gift makes a big difference! [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Thank you [insert friend’s name/@Twitter name] for supporting me in #WalktoCureArthritis! Together, we can help the millions of families affected arthritis. [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • Thank you [insert friend’s name/@Twitter name] for your donation to #WalktoCureArthritis! Because of your donation, I’m closer to reaching my goal of [insert personal fundraising goal] ! [insert link to personal WTCA page]
  • I reached my #WalktoCureArthritis fundraising goal! Thank you [insert friend’s name(s)/@Twitter name(s)] for your support! You can still donate to help find a cure for arthritis [insert link to personal WTCA page]

Facebook LIVE: How-to and Best Practices
Facebook Live is a popular and effective tool to engage audiences online – live videos see 3X the engagement of traditional videos shared on the platform. Using Facebook Live allows you to share video instantly, add comments and a description, engage with followers and answer questions live, and saves an archived copy of your video for use on other platforms!

Best Practices
Live video is a great addition to Facebook, but we do ask that participants who go live at AF events or on AF-brand pages keep a few things in mind:

Best Practices

  • Make sure the content is relevant to the arthritis community. It is generally a good idea to make sure you give a post context and add a description telling how we’re involved/how this benefits the arthritis community. There is an area to add a description before you start filming.
  • Keep videos short and cut unnecessary pre/post event roll. This will make the videos more accessible to our audience, and they will have a longer shelf life after the event is over.
  • Shoot the video in landscape mode (hold your phone in a horizontal position, not vertical).
  • It’s often good to post a day or two before the event letting people know that you are planning to broadcast live. You can even mention that people can like and follow your page and get an alert for the live broadcast. This is also a great place for a quick context about how the event is relevant to the arthritis community.
  • Loud events can cause problems if you are trying to capture specific audio. It can be better to pull someone aside away from any loud areas at the event to get a quote from them.
  • Make sure you have decent lighting when shooting. Dim areas can make it hard to see people.
  • Have fun and keep an up-tempo, positive attitude.

For even more information and tips on Facebook Live you can visit the Facebook website at https://live.fb.com/ .


Downloadable Social Media Images
Save these images and share them on your personal Facebook and Twitter pages to raise awareness about your recruitment and fundraising efforts for Walk to Cure Arthritis!

Click to download the fullsize image















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