Promotion & Fundraising
Your main task as a One Blue Earth Ambassador is to promote and fundraise for One Blue Earth's projects. We believe that developing these qualities is something that will be useful throughout your life. Which is why we want to provide you with as much support as we can! Below you will find a series of useful tips and ideas to get you started and/or broaden your promotion and fundraising skills. We will continue to update this information as we develop more resources for you, so make sure to keep this toolbox at hand!
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
Harriet Tubman
A Simple Guide to Promotion & Fundraising
1. Brainstorm
The first step towards a successful campaign is brainstorming. First, make sure you are clear on the objectives that you and/or the campaign has. To do this, start by asking yourself:
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What is my campaign's focus and goal? (When promoting & fundraising for One Blue Earth, this one will be answered for you!)
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What is my goal? (Do you want to get as many people involved as possible? Do you want to fundraise as much as possible? Feel free to have a specific target!)
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Once you feel confident on your responses to these questions, start thinking about how you want to undergo this process. DO NOT plan your exact steps just yet, simply jot down ideas on what you want to do and who you want to involve. To help you out, consider the following questions:
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What type of fundraiser could I conduct?
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How/where could I promote my campaign?
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Who could I contact as part of my promotion efforts?
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In terms of who to contact, make a list of...
Here are some more ideas of key people/groups to reach out to when promoting One Blue Earth's projects:
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Schools (rally the power of the youth!!)
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"Green" clubs, service clubs
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Science or environment-related teachers
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Administrators (as a last resort, if no more specific contacts are found)
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Stores
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Companies
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Gyms
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Any other social forum
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Also make sure to think of possible promotion options. How can you actually spread your message? Try to think of both digital and physical means (social media, email, flyers, letters, word of mouth, etc.)
2. Plan
Once you have a clear vision and and a few key ideas, it's time to create a step-by-step plan outlining the actions you will take to achieve your goal. Designing a detailed plan is key in your strategy for success. ​The work you put into your plan will pay off in step 3 ("Act"), believe us! The more details you have planned, the less time and energy you will waste once you start setting your campaign in motion, since you won't have to constantly be thinking "What's next? " A quick look at your plan will let you know!
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So please, create a plan! The more detailed, the better.
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"A goal properly set is halfway achieved."
Zig Ziglar
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We know it can be hard to know where to start, though, so we'd like to provide you with some quick tips on how to create your action plan.
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Decide exactly who you will be contacting and how. Make a detailed list! This will help you move faster when the time comes to actually do so. Feel free to add on to this list as you find or think of more contacts.
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Your message will be different if you are reaching out to someone on a more personal circle or if you are contacting a stranger (for example, a contact you found online). The way you spread your message will also differ if you are employing digital tools (social media, email) or physical ones (flyers, posters, postcards), so make sure to take this into consideration!
We recommend taking the time to create a main format that you will use for every outreaching method in order to minimize the effort you will have to put in later. For example, if you will be writing emails, create a specific body that you will use for all messages. Same for texts. Calling on the phone? Have a script. Planning on putting up flyers in your neighborhood streets and stores? Take the time to create one (or more!) designs that you can later copy or print.
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Also consider how educating your community plays a role in raising awareness about the issues you are promoting/fundraising for! We encourage you to create Educational Resources and share them with other ambassadors, so we can all benefit from and support each other.
Finally, plan how you will use education in your campaign. Will you set up webinars for anyone interested? Give a talk at a school (virtually or in-person)? Distribute brochures? Be creative in your Brainstorming! But remember, whatever you choose, make a plan for it!
3. Act
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, it turned into a butterfly."
It is now time to act. Take your step-by-step plan and make it a reality!
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The most important part of this step is to stay positive and excited, and commit yourself to seeing your plan all the way through. Beware: there will be steps on the way in which you might get stuck, and possibly misfortunes you did not foresee. During those frustrating times, it is very easy to simply give up, stop trying. But you must remember that these will be the defining moments of your campaign. What you choose, or how you act in regards to the roadblocks can prove your willpower and drive, and make your success even sweeter.
Before deciding you are tired of failure and letting it all go to waste, take a moment to remember your goal! Stay motivated by imagining how you will feel when you have successfully accomplished it. Let us give you a hint: it will be amazing! So keep going, we believe in you.
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Here's another tip. When faced with unplanned for events, do not panic. Breathe. Then go back and repeat your steps: brainstorm on the possibilities of your next moves, plan for those next steps, and then take them! Always remember these first 3 steps can be re-started at any point during your campaign: they will help you adjust your strategy accordingly to any circumstance you may encounter.
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So remember: when it is time to Act,
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Maintain a positive mindset and keep your excitement high. Motivation is the key to success.
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Be prepared to face difficulties
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Remember your goal and imagine your final satisfaction in achieving that goal
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If necessary, modify your strategy by repeating steps 1 ("Brainstorm") and 2 ("Plan")
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Give it all you've got!!
4. Collaborate
Throughout the process outlined above, you must remember to lean on and collaborate with others. Having a support system to cheer you on or lend you a hand will be crucial during those seemingly unsurmountable roadblocks you may encounter in step 3. Most importantly, being able to exchange ideas, advice, or suggestions with others who are undergoing or have undergone a similar challenge can be extremely useful! Knowing what has or hasn't worked for them can save you (and them) useful time and energy!
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That is why we encourage you to share your experience and advice with your fellow Ambassadors!
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Some ideas to share:
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Overall strategies that have worked well for you
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Overall strategies that have NOT worked well for you
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Specific ideas that have worked well for you
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​Specific ideas that have NOT worked well for you
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Suggestions on who to contact
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Suggestions on how to contact them
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Anything else you think might help others in their effort!
* 5. Repeat
HOORAY! You have successfully completed your campaign! Take the time to celebrate and enjoy your accomplishments.
We want to encourage you to not be afraid to repeat (or maybe, recycle?) this process. The more you do so, the easier it gets (or the better you get?), trust us.
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So take that gust of energy you're feeling and use it to propel your next project! Or consider expanding/developing the one you just finished! There is almost always more you can do.
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Regardless of when you decide to complete this step, know that when you are ready to do so, you will already have the necessary tools and confidence to drive your next success to a new level.
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments."
Jim Rohn