KSPS is member-supported, and that means we depend on your donations to stay on the air. Many viewers wonder if there are other inexpensive ways to contribute, and Facebook fundraisers are just one such tool.
Follow these simple steps to set up a Facebook fundraiser that benefits KSPS, magnifies your impact as a member, and informs your friends about a cause you hold dear.
- Go to facebook.com/fundraisers/ to get started, and click the “Raise Money” button.
- KSPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so select the “Nonprofit” button, where you can search for KSPS Public TV.
- Add a photo that you think will speak to your friends about the value of public television or use the one provided. (Click to enlarge, then right-click to save.)
- Customize the title and story with language that feels natural and meaningful to you.
- Set a reasonable and attainable goal amount and end date.
- Presume approximately 2% of your friends will give (10 donors for every 500 friends)
- The average gift will be between $15 and $25 dollars, even if you only ask for $5.
- At some point, more time isn’t better. Set an end date between 3 and 5 weeks away.
- Invite your friends to give. The Facebook fundraiser allows you to select friends to invite with individual messages to their private inboxes.
- Select the 10% of friends with whom you are closest.
- Don’t exclude anyone based on what you think you know about their finances or generosity. You’ll be surprised.
- Be brief and personal in your note. There’s no need to be exceedingly informative about the mission of the fundraiser, since you did that when you created the Story section. Just say something about how you invited him/her because you know you share many of the same values.
- Share the fundraiser on your own timeline with a simple fact or statistic, e.g. “You can make a difference for the cost of a cup of coffee.”
- Consider kicking off the fundraiser by making a small donation of your own. You’ll show your friends that you’re not asking them to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself, and you’re making that long, empty fundraising thermometer look a little more inviting.
- Thank each donor individually in a sincere private message, and consider liking and commenting on the notification that he/she donated. You’re amplifying the social proof of participating in the fundraiser.
- As the end date approaches consider sharing the fundraiser to your own timeline once or twice more a few days apart. Vary your language and the time of day to appeal to different groups of your friends.
- With only a few days left to go, send one last message directly to the people you’ve invited to tell them you have just a little time left to raise just a little bit of money for your cause.
- Select “Contact People” under the list of donors on your fundraiser page.
- Select only the “Not Donated” tab from which you can pick up to 30 people to send this individual message.
- If you hit your fundraising goal before the end date (good job!) consider increasing the goal by 10-20%. People will stop donating once they see the little thermometer fill up. Click “Edit Fundraiser” under “More” to increase your goal amount.
- If you didn't reach your goal, that's OK! Thank your donors, and know that every little bit helps support the mission of KSPS Public Television to provide programs and events that entertain, engage, and educate to enrich all the communities we serve.
To learn more about how KSPS uses your contributions, click here.