Today we bring you another fundraising Best Practice in Action from our weekly series. Each week, we'll highlight an organization that has done an incredible job of promoting its online fundraising efforts with FirstGiving and show you how to do the same. This week's Best Practice is. . .

Encourage your fundraisers--give them some tips on how to be successful. Our friends at the Autism Center of Tulsa were getting the word out to their supporters and asking them to join their annual fundraising event, the Ready. . . Set. . .Run! 5K/Fun Run. Knowing that the fundraising process might be daunting for some participants, they set out to dispel any anxieties by sending all their fundraisers some fundraising strategies. Here's what they said:

Fundraising strategies: The Ready. . . Set. . .Run! 5K/Fun Run is a great way to raise funds for the Autism Center of Tulsa. Each registered team member makes a contribution with their registration, but much more is raised from team members who are at our event "in spirit." Encourage everyone on your team to be an active fundraiser. Each team member should raise his or her own donations, using the online donation system.

Each team member should send an email to a group of contacts and letters to those without email, explaining their participation and their connection to autism. These personal messages are the key to success. People give because they are asked. People give because they are personally touched by the cause. Visit www.autismtulsa.org for more information about how the Autism Center of Tulsa helps those affected by autism in our community. Your Team Hero(es) can also decorate a collection box or jar for funds at your office, social group, meetings, church, etc.

Guess what? They are exactly right. . . people give because they are asked and because they are personally touched by the cause. Autism Center of Tulsa highlighted several reasons why donors give and even encouraged supporters who couldn't attend the event to fundraise anyway and participate 'in spirit.' How inspiring!

So, to recap: Your fundraisers will really surprise you when you equip them and empower them. Offer up some tips and fundraising strategies to inspire them to raise money online, even if they can't actively participate in your fundraising event. Happy fundraising and best wishes for success!

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Share your own success stories of fundraising Best Practices in Action! Send us an email: bestpractices@firstgiving.com.