It’s easier than you think. Here are a few tips from the Carr Educational Foundation Staff and Crowdrise.com.

1. Donate to your own page: “It’ll be so much easier to get your friends, family, co-workers and people you don’t like that much to donate if you set an example and make the first donation to your project. You should expect everyone to donate the same amount you’re donating so if you want people to donate $50 don’t donate $15 yourself.”
2. Send an email to you friends and family explaining why YOU are so passionate about the academy. Including the “Girls of Daraja” short documentary is always an excellent way to share the Daraja story. Share real stories. The  more you speak from the heart, the more people will listen. Just as important: let people know about your partner in Kenya! Share her story. YOU are her advocate.
3. Post your page on your social media, include it in your email signature, include it anywhere, everywhere. Re-post it frequently to remind people to donate.  Hey, you are doing a good thing for this world, so be proud and ask for some support!
4. Put donations into perspective for your donors by showing them examples of where the money goes.
5. Tell them about the prizes that they can be automatically entered to win.
6. Change your profile picture to show the “Daraja Race for 77” logo. It will get people asking questions and inquiring about what you are up to!
7. Ask friends to send your page to their networks. Last year, a college student was struggling to get his peers to donate. He asked his mom to send his page to her co-workers. This led to $1500 in donations in ONE day. People were so happy to help! So be sure to get your friends and family to help you spread the word. Their networks can be a very powerful tool.
8. Any time someone donates, send a big thank you via social media. (Be sure to tag them by using the “@” symbol before their name). A little recognition often goes a long way in motivating people to donate.
9. Let them know that you only need 10 people to sponsor. Keep people updated on your goal. Let them know even small donations make a difference.
10. Third times a charm. People are extremely busy so even if they want to donate, it’s easy for people to put it aside and forget. “Message everyone in the world by Email, Facebook, and Twitter. You can use the Share button on your project page to make it happen or just use your own email program and include a link to your project page. Send at least 3 messages to everyone you’ve ever met. Your first email should be asking people to donate. The second two can be about updating everyone on how your project is going, thanking everyone for supporting you, and then be sure to explain how if everyone just gives $25 more (or whatever number is right for your project), you’ll hit your goal and you really need everyone to help.”