Register Online and Fundraise for the 2009 Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility in NYC

The Hope & Possibility Walk/Run/Roll is for everyone! The goal is to encourage people of ALL abilities to come be a part of the experience while meeting new friends along the way. Being a participant of the Hope & Possibility Walk/Run/Roll offers a running experience like no other. You will create such great memories for yourselves and for others! Come out and be a part of making NYC inclusive, engaging, and fun!

Click here to Register Online and for Flyers and Forms for the Walk!

Fundraising Tips

• Make your personal gift first. 
• E-mail, E-mail, E-mail! - Send e-mails to your friends, family, neighbors, your medical team, and co-workers.  Let them know that you'll be participating in the 2009 Achilles Walk for Hope and Possibilities on June 28 in Central Park, and tell them why our cause is so important.
•  Personalize your page. Share your story, put up pictures. People who visit your page are there because they care about you and what you’re doing.
• Share what the funds will be used for: 100% of funds raised from the Achilles walk for RSDSA will help fulfill RSDSA’s mission to promote greater awareness and earlier recognition of CRPS, fund critical research, and provide support to people with CRPS and their loved ones.

Facts about RSDSA

Program Services: 93%
Administration and Fundraising: 7%
For more details please see our annual report.

RSDSA is committed to encouraging research into the cause and cure of CRPS. Since 1992, RSDSA has funded $1,255,740 in fellowships and grants. In 2008, we funded $65,896 in grants. Recent RSDSA-funded Research

Creating Fundraising Pages with Firstgiving

At the end of the day, fundraising is all about maximizing contributions for a cause. By telling your story through the website—and using basic techniques to maximize publicity opportunities you can bring in more funds in for your cause.

Through the use of personal fundraising pages, Firstgiving gives Achilles participants a resource to raise funds and awareness for RSDSA and CRPS.

After registering to participate in the Achilles Walk (onsite or virtually), you will be given the opportunity to create a unique fundraising page to raise funds, awareness, and support for your participation in Achilles, and for RSDSA and CRPS.

Click here for information on Registering for the Achilles Walk in NYC, as well as Participating Virtually through Virtual Walker Registration.

What do I do first?

After registering for the Achilles Walk, the next step is designing your Firstgiving.com Fundraising page.

The more you personalize the information and make it your story, the stronger your case for people to donate becomes. Tell people why you are raising funds for RSDSA, how their assistance impacts those that are in need of charity and what your goal is for the fundraising effort. Once you have this set up and you have sent the invite to your personal acquaintances via e-mail, Facebook, and other social media.

How do I tell people I don’t know?

The best way to do this is by reaching out to local newspapers and publications that write about where you live. Research who writes either general human interest or philanthropy for the publication—pick up a paper or check online to see who is writing about fundraising in your community.

Once you identify an individual to speak with, look up the general editorial contact information online—and either email them with details about your fundraiser or call with some basic details about the fundraiser.

Try to do calls earlier in the day—most papers are on a 3 pm deadline.

You may get a response–or get directed to others at the publication–but it is the best way to tell your story. If they are interested, they may write something by adapting what you wrote in your fundraising page—or they may want to do an interview.

What should I know about doing an interview?

If an interview is scheduled, there are a few basic tips that can help you. These are:

• Start interviews with a very brief overview of what you are raising money for and the “Who, what, where” details of the particular fundraiser.
• Brevity rules. Try to think sound bites and headlines. You will likely have only 15-30 minutes for most of these discussions, so you should be aware and prepare a list of the few points that are critical for you to discuss prior to the call. This will also serve as a guideline for the how to keep the interview on track.
• Check in with the reporter throughout the interview to see if points are resonating with him/her. Listening to what they need is as critical as what you say during an interview.
• Work with the reporter to coordinate any other information that is needed (pictures or other people involved in the process) and help finalize the information in a timely manner. Once this is complete, all you need to do is wait to see the article appear.

Added April 30, 2009