Fundraising, if you haven't ever done it, can seem daunting. It just seems so difficult - maybe even a bit scary - asking people for money. And yet, there are successful fundraisers all around you. Every year individuals just like you raise upwards of a half-million dollars for the Trek Tri Island and a similar amount for the Climb for Clean Air. Many raise well over the minimums - five and six thousand dollars. And many of them do it year after year.

There is a secret to successful fundraising. It is not a trick, a technique or method. Successful fundraisers all know one very important thing that makes all of the difference.

Here it is:

It's a very personal thing.

You might even say it's a contact sport. There is no substitute for looking someone in the eye and asking them for their support. Letters are good: phone calls a little better. But meeting someone face to face and saying, "I'm doing this, it is important to me because...and I am asking for your help" is as good as it gets - it's the way money gets raised.

So now you know the deep secret that all successful fundraisers know. Everything else, all of your strategizing and planning, is merely laying out the steps you need to take to get face to face with the people who can help you, and then taking those steps.

Working on Yourself

Now, this "secret" may not seem all that helpful to you. Particularly if you're feeling a bit nervous about sitting down and asking for donations in the first place, telling you there's no substitute for it, that in fact it is the very key to success, probably doesn't feel very comforting. If this is true for you, you are not alone. So your first task may well be to work on yourself - to get you mentally and emotionally ready to ask.

While there are no "techniques" or gimmicks to help in this, there are a few simple ways of getting started that will prove very helpful in getting you over some of your nervousness.

Focus on the cause. It is far easier to ask for support for the work of American Lung Association®, than it is to ask people to pay for your bike ride. You may feel as if that's what you're doing, but the fact is these events and the funds they raise are absolutely vital to the American Lung Association®. The Trek Tri-Island and the Climb for Clean Air raise nearly a million dollars each year between them. This is serious fundraising that just happens to have some fun and adventure attached. So think of yourself as a fundraiser on an important mission first and as a cyclist or climber second and it will be much easier to do.

Develop your commitment. The most important "tool" at your disposal is your own commitment to and excitement about what you're doing. It's much easier to ask for donations to a cause you believe in. And the more you believe in it, the more convincing you will be. People who have a direct experience with lung disease, who've lost a loved one to lung cancer or grew up with Asthma for example, have an immediate and very personal interest in raising funds for the American Lung Association®. And they are very effective at it. Go to the section of this guide that has sample letters and read some of them and you'll see what we mean.

Now, if you don't have a personal experience with lung disease (yet), it is still possible to understand and communicate the importance of the work of the American Lung Association®. Learn all you can about lung disease. But even more important, learn how the programs of the American Lung Association® are helping everyone breathe easier. The more you learn about our programs, the better you'll feel asking people to sponsor you. If you have a personal interest in any of our programs, research that and focus on it as you fundraise. Call us at 1-800-732-9339 for information, or visit our Asthma, Lung Disease, Air Quality, and Tobacco Control pages.

Start with people you know. A personal "ask" starts with a personal connection. Generally you'll find it easier to talk with people you already know and like. And you have a greater likelihood of success with people who know and like you - just the fact that you asked will make them want to help. And if this is your first time fundraising, early success is important. You'll feel much more like making your second contact if your first says "yes."

The vast majority of the contributions to Trekkers and Climbers come from individuals. It may seem as if corporations might have more money to give and for the most part they do. But they represent some real challenges (we'll talk about those in a minute) and statistically your chances of success are much greater with individuals that you know personally. In the pages on Six Degrees of Separation, we show you how to improve your chances of success with people you don't know well. But the place to start is with the people you're already closest to.

Set a good goal. It helps to have something you're reaching for, but it also helps to have a goal you can accomplish. Setting a good challenging but accomplishable goal will help you move forward and give you a good talking point when you ask for donations. "I'm going to raise $5,000 for theAmerican Lung Association® by climbing Mt Rainier" is a pretty wonderful start to a conversation about what you're doing and why. And if you say it with a committed gleam in your eye (and a little passion in your heart) you're well on your way. Once you set a goal, practice saying what it is. Make a brief sentence, such as the one above, and practice saying it until it comes naturally. Don't be afraid to say, exactly, in dollars, how much you want to raise.

With this fundamental secret at the ready, go on to assess your resources and develop a fundraising strategy that will work for you.