How to: Make the most of media and press for fundraising

These days, raising money isn’t just about shaking your collection bucket on the high street asking for donations. There’s a whole host of ways to make sure your local fundraising project gains attention. So, to help you make the most of all the tools at your finger tips, we’ve compiled a handy list of hints and tips to get your fundraising mission off the ground. Remember, we are a grant making charity for access projects. But we also are here to help you get that waterway project off the ground even if we can’t fund you directly!

How can media and press help with fundraising?

1. The local press can get the word out to a wider audience.
2. Local newspaper stories help local people know you are there and what you’re doing.
3. Getting yourself local publicity shows eagerness and commitment to the project: great for match funding opportunities through charities.
4. Local philanthropists and businesses can keep informed and find out about you.

How to make the most of media and press for fundraising

We know you can’t just click your fingers and get coverage for your cause. But, making the most of media and press when you’re fundraising is essential for connecting with your local audience. Ultimately, they’re going to be the people who can benefit from the new paddling access point, so it’s really important to keep them informed! So here are our top tips…

1.  Write a press release. In a press release, make sure you include the what, who, where, why, when and how. Who are you? What are you fundraising for? Why is it important for the local area? What’s the impact? How can people get involved? How can people donate? Is there a sponsorship option or event for people to attend? Make sure you also include your contact details for the Editor, a photo of your group, social media and donations links. This is your window to the outside world. Sell yourself to them!
2. Set up a JustGiving page or other way of collecting digital donations. Websites like JustGiving or Crowdfunding give people the opportunity to directly donate to your cause. It’s like having a digital collection bucket so when people see articles, they can donate directly to your cause.
3. Create a mailing list of local news desks. Once you’ve got your press release and donation page sorted, you need to send out your press release. Make a list of all the local newspapers (digital and print) and head to their websites. You’ll find a newsdesk@ email address on their website: that’s the one you need to send your stories to. Keep a list, as it helps to check where your story has been published. You can also update contacts as you go along too.
4. Join local Facebook groups. These are brilliant for getting local causes known! Tell people about what you’re doing and share local press articles too. This all helps to build your profile, and this will really help you with your fundraising.
5. Follow local hashtags. Whilst it might not directly help you with fundraising, following local hashtags allows you to communicate with local people and groups and form networks so you can all support each other. Invaluable and free too!
6.  Keep your social media channels up to date and shout about any press wins! Seems obvious, but make sure you’re keeping your social media channels up to date. It doesn’t need to be a full time job: a few times a week is quite sufficient.

We rely on donations to improve places to paddle across the UK. Please consider donating a one off or regular amount to our Foundation to help us continue with our work and ensure everyone has sustainable access to our waterways and coastline. Thank you. Donate here >