How to fund raise for a Mountain Trike wheelchair

23rd March 2017

General News Grants and Funding

Self Funding Options

So, you’ve explored the various charities or funding grants available for you and either you’re not eligible or the grant only covered part of the funding needed. What comes next could be some self fund raising to help you reach your target.

We’ve put together a few tips to help you with this process.

First ask yourself, ‘are you ready to fundraise’?

A strong story helps make fundraising successful - are you ready to share your personal life with the general public? You should be sure you are comfortable with this before starting fundraising.

Raising funds isn’t always easy so share the work if you can. There are lots of ways you can fundraise: from bake sales to sponsored silences, from bucket collections to bag packing in supermarkets. It’s important to understand the law and regulations in these areas before you begin: If in doubt, seek professional advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

For sponsored events and activities you can create your own sponsorship forms. Make sure they state:

• What the event is
• The date
• What you’re raising funds for
• The contact details of the organisers

Crowdfunding - small contributions from many people

Crowdfunding is a way to fund something specific, via the internet, by getting a large number of small gifts. Crowdfunding campaigns are a popular way to fund for a Mountain Trike product.

There are lots of Crowdfunding sites so read The Crowdfunding Handbook to decide the best approach for you.

Why You Should Try It:

We know that it can feel strange to share financial struggles or ask for help through a website, but remember, your friends and family want you to be happy. Creating a Crowdfunding site in order to purchase a piece of adaptive sports equipment provides a specific goal that they can help you achieve, and that will make them happy too. At Mountain Trike we believe that money, or lack of it, shouldn't prevent anyone from getting the adaptive equipment they need to pursue a more fulfilling life - we bet your friends and family feel the same way.

Tips for a Successful Campaign:

GoFundMe makes it easy to create and share campaigns in a positive way. Have a look on their site for tips on what makes a successful campaign, here.

Another site to try is the Just Giving Crowdfunding website.

Share with Friends and Family on Facebook:

Sharing your campaign on Facebook increases donations by 350%. It really is that important. If you do not have a Facebook account, consider asking a close friend or relative who does to share your campaign to their Facebook for you.

Share your link through email, text messages, and other social networks. Building a strong sense of community and awareness around your campaign will go a long way with maintaining consistent donation volume.

Make Your Campaign Look its Best:

Use a great photo or make a video. This is your first impression and it should create a strong reaction, like 'Wow!' or 'Aw!' or 'I need to know more about this…' Try to use photos of the people involved whenever possible. They get stronger reactions than a graphic or some text. Try to avoid blurry or low quality images.

Keep Your Donors in the Loop:

Donors and followers love to know how their donations are working for you. Keep your story fresh and interesting by posting frequent ‘Update Messages’ to your campaign. Thank your donors! They’re spending their hard earned money to help you do something that is special and important to you.

Learning by Example:

The best way to create a successful crowdfunding campaign is to take a closer look at campaigns that have been successful in the past, and learn from them.

Include the website of the product you're hoping to purchase:

It's important to get your network of friends and family just as excited about your adaptive equipment as you are! It allows funders to see exactly what their contributions are going towards, and read all about the design features that make the Mountain Trike products special.

Explain why this equipment will change your life for the better:

Share what having a Mountain Trike product will mean to you - for example how it will allow you to return to the activity you once loved. Regardless of whether you're crowdfunding to gain more day-to-day independence, return to a sport you loved, or simply try something new that will increase your fitness (oh and for the record, the Mountain Trike can help you do all these) sharing your motivation and the reason behind your desire to crowdfund will help others become just as invested in the success of your campaign as you are.

Groups and Organisations in your local area

Another area that we have seen successful funding is through groups and organisations local to the individual, such as rugby clubs, brewery’s, sports clubs, schools and even businesses. So it is worthwhile researching this in your area and approaching them. To start this process you could contact your local newspaper with your story - the coverage you get could have a positive effect through your community and an organisation you aren’t aware of could come forward with the offer of funding. Contact your local council too as sometimes funding for equipment for individuals in the local community maybe available.

Obviously, fund raising can be a slow process, but don’t give up - you will get to your end goal eventually. As an option we do offer 0% Finance Packages on our all-terrain wheelchair products. The flexibility of monthly payments might be an option for you while you continue with your fundraising efforts and the finance package can be paid off in full when you reach your target. For more information on this see our website, here.

Please also have a read, here, of our blog on Charity Fundraising which lists a number of charitable organisations who offer help with funding and grants.

For further information on each of our Mountain Trike products please visit our website, here.

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