7 Tips To Recruit People For Charity Walks

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I’m thrilled that summer is finally just around the corner! This means excitement is building for several walks and runs coming up in our area to raise money for charities. So I decided this is a good time to re-post a popular article from last year. I’ve also added a few extra tips I picked up along the way.

Besides raising money for our own nursing home, we feel it’s important to support other organizations that help our residents. Over the years, we’ve taken part in walks and runs to raise money for a variety of causes. This includes helping people living with diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Taking part in fundraisers for charities benefits your nursing home in several ways:

1. You’re making a positive difference in the lives of other people.
2. Employees feel good about working at your nursing home.
3. It promotes teamwork.
4. Employees have fun together outside of work.
5. It promotes your nursing home’s reputation in the community.

Even though these events are a lot of fun, do you sometimes find it difficult to recruit people to participate? That’s why I’m sharing several tips we’ve found helpful over the years:

• Promote the importance of the charity.

If people are going to get excited about your event, they need to understand and believe in the organization they’re supporting. Be sure to share details of how the money will be used and who it will help.

If you know someone who benefits personally from the charity, invite them to tell their story during a staff meeting. You can also include brief personal stories in emails or newsletters.

• Make it a fun experience.

The first step is to recruit a personable and enthusiastic team captain. This person needs to be skilled at keeping the momentum going, so people stay fired up about the event.

Get your volunteers together and brainstorm how you can make the event more fun. You might wear matching T-shirts or silly outfits. Post goofy pictures from previous events. Provide prizes and awards for participation.

• Offer a variety of options for volunteers.

For some people, walking or running a long distance is too difficult. But don’t count these people out! Perhaps they’re able to help with registration, distribute water, or sit along the route to encourage the participants. Remember to include your residents in the event wherever possible, too.

• Spread the word.

Encourage everybody to share the event on social media and to personally invite people to join your team. Be sure to include everyone: employees in all departments and on all shifts, volunteers, board members, vendors, medical providers, family members of staff and residents, neighbors, friends—anyone you can think of. We’ve even had the facility dogs raise money and walk in events.

Set up a table manned by an enthusiastic volunteer where people can get more information and sign up for the event. This should be in a prime traffic area such as near the break room or reception desk. It always helps to pass out a little treat to anyone who stops by, even something as simple as a granola bar.

Another effective way we’ve found to spread the word is by posting information on staff & public restroom walls in the nursing home. After all, where else can you find such a captive audience?

• Set a goal.

People often work harder when they’re coming together for a specific goal. Set reasonable, yet challenging, goals for the number of participants and an amount of money to raise as a team. Post visible updates (such as a giant thermometer) to keep everyone posted on your progress.

A bit of friendly competition never hurts either. Challenge other local nursing homes and see who can outdo everyone else.

• Make fundraising less intimidating.

People often tell me they hesitate to take part because of their fear of raising money on their own. We hold group fundraisers and split the money among the participants.

I know you’ll find it helpful to read my previous post about how to ask for donations. You’ll also want to check out these awesome fundraising ideas.

• Don’t forget the follow-up.

What you do after the event is just as important as the event itself.  Be sure to thank all participants and let everyone know the results of the event. It’s been disappointing for me when I’ve participated in a charity event and then heard absolutely nothing after it ended.

Sharing the total amount of money raised helps people see that their individual effort makes an enormous difference when everyone works together. This sets the stage for people to come back and participate again next year. It also makes people more likely to share positive reports with their friends and inspire others to join future events.

I would love to hear how you recruit walkers and runners for fundraising events. Please share your ideas in the comment section.