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The Shropshire Historic Churches Trust (SHCT) has now registered with Just Giving for this year’s Ride and Stride and, indeed for any other fund-raising events for the Trust.
This time it is something of a trial run, which has involved setting up my own Just Giving page and e-mailing a few family and friends. You will see the steps clearly spelt out at the Just Giving web site www.justgiving.com.
The Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, now in their third year of using Just Giving, have learned that fundraisers need some support, guidance and encouragement from someone within the Trust to make the best use of the facility, such as advice on writing effective emails (and reminders, as sponsorship very often comes only you’re your second or third message!) However, the Just Giving team do provide general support, for instance sending a weekly email to each fundraiser commenting on how much their page has raised and offering guidance for doing better.
The standard Just Giving service is fine for straight donations, or membership subscriptions, to the Trust but with the Ride and Stride we have the added complication of passing half the sponsorship money to the churches nominated by the fundraisers. Thus each fundraiser MUST mention the church they are supporting in the text on their Just Giving web page so that Stephen Winwood, the Ride or Stride Treasurer, will know where to send the half share. As he will have the bank account details of most churches in Shropshire he should then be able to pay the half share to the correct church.
You might like to see the Shropshire Just Giving pages, from which you might like to base the design of your Just Giving pages. To see them follow these steps:
1. Go to www.justgiving.com/shropshirehct/raisemoney
2. Click the ‘CREATE YOUR PAGE’ button at the bottom of the page.
3. Make sure you select ‘for a sporting event’ in the ‘I am raising money:’ box.
4. On the next page select ‘Cycling’ in the ‘What sort of event are you doing?’ box. Enter the date of the Ride and Stride (13 September 2008).
5. On the next page (About your event) you may not see the ‘Shropshire Historic Churches Trust Ride and Stride’ in the list yet. No problem; just enter it in the ‘Can’t find your event?’ box and select ‘No’ for ‘Is this an overseas event?’
6. On the next page enter your e-mail address and a password and you are then on the way to creating your own page, which you can personalise as you wish, including the thank-you message to your sponsors.
7. E-mail as many family and friends as you dare, and wait for the donations to come in! You may have to follow up a couple of days later to spur people into action.
8. Remember, the important thing from the Ride and Stride point of view is that the fundraiser states which church is to receive the half share of the money raised.
Good luck with your Ride and Stride on 13th September!
Martin Locke
