National Smile Month is a great time to raise funds and awareness – Ben Atkins explains how to get started.
Fundraising can seem like a very daunting endeavour, but it can be incredibly fun and have a tremendous impact on how much people understand about looking after their oral health.
If you are looking for a team building activity for your practice team, fundraising can be a great step forward to gain more solidarity and raise greater awareness in your local community.
From choosing your event to promoting your efforts, the Oral Health Foundation will be there to support you. It is quite easy to get started with fundraising – all it takes is a little planning.
Choose your audience
The first step is to choose your audience and think about what type of people will be involved in your fundraising activity. Maybe you are targeting family and friends, work colleagues or children? Certain events will be better suited to different groups.
If your fundraising event is a personal challenge (like a run or cycle ride), how can your supporters track your progress and are they able to join you?
Choose your activity
Next on the list is to pick what you want to do. This is the fun part. We have lots of fundraising ideas for you to choose from on the National Smile Month website, but you do not have to stick to them. Be creative and let the event match your personality and reflect any personal goals you may have.
Whether it is a traditional event like taking part in a race, or something more out of the box like a simultaneous toothbrush event, make sure you have fun and are able to engage people in positive messages about oral health.
Setting your goals is also important. Have a think about how much money you would like to raise. You might find that your supporters are more engaged with your efforts if they see you are working towards a certain target. While reaching and exceeding your goal is important, be ambitious and trust in the generosity of those who support you.
Consider your budget
The next step is to think about your budget. Many activities carry no cost at all but sometimes, a little investment can do wonders for increasing your donations. Some things to think about include the costs of raffle prizes, and food and drink. Events like races may also charge an entry fee.
You might need to find a venue, which could incur further cost to hire.
Do you have a place where you can hold your event? Offices, workplaces, community centres and schools are natural choices. Your venue needs to be big enough for your activity and any supporters that you invite to come and watch.
Decide a date and start working towards it as soon as possible in your planning and promotion. Again, it will need to be suitable for your audience.
You should then make a list of all the provisions you will need. For example, a charity run will require correct clothing (get in touch – we may be able to help you here), a training plan, water bottle, first aid supplies and different nutrition.
Hosting a quiz night on the other hand, may need you to hire tables, clipboards, paper, pens, as well as buying food and drink. What you need will be very specific to your event.
Promote your National Smile Month fundraiser
Once you have all the details for your event, you can create your very own fundraising page on the National Smile Month website. Creating your page is really easy and takes a matter of minutes. Once you have done this, share your page with friends, family and colleagues to get involved and support you in your cause.
From here, you will also be able to monitor your progress on how much money you are raising while keeping donors updated on your progress.
An effective event is one that people have heard about and engaged in the story you are telling. This is why promoting your fundraiser is so important.
Write about your efforts for local newsletters, daily papers, radio stations and television. Local press are always keen on covering events for a good cause, so make them aware of the details of your event in good time.
Some added advertising of your own can be a great way to increase your amount of donations. If you would like a little help, our press team can help put your events into words and even contact the local press on your behalf.
A cheap, effective way of promoting your event is to hand out flyers a few weeks in advance. Make your event flyers as interesting as possible and be sure to include all the key information such as the date, venue and type of event you have planned. You could even send a digital copy of the flyer to some of your contacts who might be able to print them for free.
Social media
Keep your supporters up to date via social media and remind them about your event, how they can support you and how they can donate. Keep your posts fun and engaging – that way, they will be more likely to share them, and your event could even go viral! Don’t forget to add #smilemonth into your post, too.
By following these simple tips, your fundraising events can be the talk of the town. Not only could you raise a lot of money for the Oral Health Foundation, but the oral health messages shared as part of your event could have a positive impact for those in your community.
For any help fundraising, or with oral health promotional events during National Smile Month, contact our team at the Oral Health Foundation. They would be delighted to hear from you.
