Featured, Fundraising

EJ’s $1 Million Fundraising Goal for the CRF in 2014

1million2014

The Choroideremia Research Foundatoin, (CRF) has never raised $1 Million Dollars ever in a single year. Id like us to change that in 2014. But I need your help!! Only a couple dozen people actively fundraise for the CRF (to my knowledge). The most I’ve ever heard the CRF has made is $500,000 in a year. If we can get twice as many people to help fundraise this is a very realistic goal.

If I’m emailing 50 people. If each person raised an average of $20,000. We will reach our goal. If 100 people can raise $10,000 we will reach our goal. I will make a goal for next year for myself to raise $50,000. I’ve been able to raise that much the last 3 years so I think I can do it again. I have fundraising ideas for my area.

WHERE TO START?

  • I think first set a goal for yourself. Even if its $500, $1,000, $10,000, etc. Go for it! If by the end of 2014 you dont reach your goal, nobody will put you down for it. You set a goal and you went for it and thats already more than most people. (I may not reach my $50,000 goal but I’m gonna try).
  • Get friends and family involved. Reach out. Let them know what we as a Choroideremia community are doing. I bet a lot of people will step up with ideas and offer help.
  • Take advantage of social media. Reaching the masses is literally at your finger tips. Youcan get donations from around the world! Theres no way I wouldve made what Ive made the last few years without Twitter and Facebook.

ANYTHING CAN BE AN IDEA!!

  • If you have done a previous fundraiser maybe you can do that fundraiser again or try a new idea. If youve never done a fundraiser before and dont know haow to get one going, you dont have to over think it.
  • I now have a 32 minute short documentary about my 12 marathons I ran last year for the CRF called RUNNING BLIND. Id be happy to send copies to people that would like to screen it as a part of a fundraiser. Tod and Justin Purvis have also done a documentary about 75 minutes long, that Im sure they would be willing to send out copies for fundraising purposes.
  • Do you play the piano? Maybe offer lessons for donations, or dog walking, or house sitting, baby sitting, for donations. I sell stuff on ebay. Ive made approx $30,000 selling stuff on ebay. Ask your friends and family if they would go through their house and garage and donate things to you to sell online. People offer me things all the time to sell for the foundation. I also use Crowdrise.com to do online raffles and the money goes to the CRF.
  • Its getting cold out. Maybe rake leaves or shovel driveways for donations. My cousin organizes a yearly 5K run around her neighborhood. Theres food and drink and fun times and she usually makes a few thousand dollars for the foundation. Just by having a fun time.
  • Raffles and auctions always go great at live events. A big chunk of money can be made by including these in your live events.
  • Do you know any bands? How about a night of music in someones back yard or bar or another venue? Do you have a local church? Reach out to them. Im sure they would allow all sorts of fundraising there.
  • Do you have a local Lions Club in your area? They are HUGE supporters of the visually impaired and they are all over the country.
  • Heres their website — http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.php
  • The King family in Chicago had a sports centric fundraiser that made $35,000 very quickly in 2012. Maybe they can help give advice to others that would want to do that.
  • Do a marathon, triathalon, mud run, bar crawl, whatever. And ask for sponsorship from friends and family. Simply sign up for an organized event, email frinds and family, tell them what youre doing and what for. Donations will come from it. Post about it online.
  • in 2009 I lost 70lbs and was sponsored by friends and family and starngers. I raised $14,000 and got healthy! That lead way to my marathon ideas.
  • What is available to you? If you cant think of anything and none of these ideas work for you, talk with your friends and family in your area. Brainstorm and come up with something. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

I’m going to look into having a countdown clock for 2014 and a money meter. It will keep track of what is raised and how much we have left to go. It would be great if the CRF can get behind me. It won’t cost the CRF any money and can only lead to good things. In the CRF newsletter they often say who is fundraising and what they raised. Ill be asking for updates like that maybe ever couple of weeks or so.

I’ll be emailing everyone in my email list and encouraging them to email everyone they know and so on. Local press would be great. National press is even greater. The more people that know about this the more awareness and money will be generated. I hope you guys will email everyone you know and encourage them to spread the word.

This can be a really great way to not only raise money but raise morale and awareness for the cause. This is a genetic disease and will continue through the generations unless its stopped. And we can stop it. But we have to work together and encourage others to help. I think this could be a very infectious year. If we reach our $1,000,000 in 2014 I bet it’ll be easier to reach every year. Feel free to contact me with questions.

The new year starts in about 5 weeks, so start thinking about it. When you’re around the Thanksgiving table, maybe you and your family can start brainstorming ideas. This can be the nest year for the CRF yet.

I hope I can count on everyone’s support. Thank you so much for your time.

Best to you and your family this holiday season.

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