SWAM's Swimmer Fundraising Toolkit

S W I M M E R S F U N D R A I S I N G

Thank you for joining our dedicated team and Board of Directors on our mission for Veterans Your commitment and dedication to helping us raise the funds necessary to support the Veteran service organizations who provide the support to Veterans in need of mental health services, housing assistance, employment and education support, connection for therapeutic retreats, and service/support K9s

Enclosed in this swimmer’s fundraising toolkit are resources, talking points, and marketing collateral to help you in your fundraising efforts We are grateful for your willingness to participate, and are here to support your efforts to the best of our ability and capacity

Please let us know if there is anything missing in this kit and we will work to get it to you.

Sincerely, Christina Young

OUR MISSION FOR VETERANS

Our Mission is to be a sustainable and successful not for profit that harnesses the creativity and networks of its principal supporters to raise money to strengthen and support worthy organizations that service, support and honor our Veterans.

TALKING POINTS

VETERAN SUICIDE

22 Veterans a day in the USA take their own lives.

In New Hampshire, one Veteran every eight days takes their own life.

In the War on Terror, 95 New Hampshire warriors lost their lives in service.

In that same time period, more than 900 NH warriors have returned safely and taken their own lives.

SWAM’s IMPACT

Since 2017, SWAM has raised and donated almost $10 million to worth service organizations that provide critical services to our Veterans.

About 30% of what we donate supports the Special Forces community nationally.

About 70% of what we donate supports NH based service organizations.

Since starting in 2017, we have given away almost $10 million to support Veterans.

HONORING THEIR MEMORY

SWAM also honors our Veterans through the Honor Wall and Never Forget campaign.

VSO SUMMIT

SWAM recognized a disconnect in the Veteran service organizations (VSO’s) and created an annual VSO Summit as a chance to connect and coordinate as the New Hampshire Veteran support community.

RESULTS

SWAM’s efforts with the VSO summit resulted in the creation of the Easter Seals Military and Veteran Campus in Franklin, NH.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

SWAM is working on an effort to bring more Veterans to New Hampshire.

S

W I M W I T H A M I S S I O N

FUNDRAISING TIPS

HOW TO RAISE MONEY FOR SWAM::

SWAM is grateful for your willingness to fundraise on our behalf. As you start to plan your fundraising, make sure you know the story you want to tell.

REGISTER: First, you’ll need to register as a fundraiser. You can do this as a swimmer or as a fundraiser only here: https://www.runreg.com/swim-with-a-mission.

CREATE ACCOUNT: When you create your account, you‘ll be able to select if you are a solo fundraiser, or joining a team

PERSONALIZED LINK: Once your account is created, you‘ll be assigned a personalized link to use in your solicitations If you have any trouble, email info@swam org for assistance

MAKING THE ASK: STEP BY STEP

Once your account is created, it’s time to outline your “ask” to use when asking your network for support. Important elements to outline from the start are:

SHARE THE MISSION: Be ready to explain what the Swim is, why you are participating, and why you support SWAM

GET PERSONAL: Those in your network who are willing to support you will want to know why our mission for Veterans matters to you Composing 4-5 sentences that explain your personal connection can be all it takes to convince someone to support your efforts.

SHOW THEM: Gather any images or video that can provide the visual connection for your network to really show your audience your story.

MAKE THE ASK: Once you have all of those elements ready, push it out to your networks by email, text, and social media. Make sure you are tagging Swim With A Mission on Facebook and Instagram, and including the direct link to your fundraising page so all donations you solicit are designated to your page

AFTER THE ASK: NEXT STEPS

Making the ask is important, but what you do next can make the difference in how your friends and family feel about being asked to support your efforts.

FOLLOW UP: Whether you send a follow-up email, text-message, or social media outreach, follow-up can really make all the difference Everyone is busy, and so it’s important to not take it as a “no” Sometimes you just have to catch them at the right time, with the right excitement and ask

SAY THANK YOU: The gratitude at the end of any fundraising effort is the most important Typically if you match the effort in which you did the ask, you’re meeting the donor where they prefer; aka if they donated in response to your email, email them a direct thank you! If they came in person to your event, and you have their mailing address, send them a hand-written note. And if they gave in response to a social-media post, tag them in a special shout-out!

MESSAGING & OUTREACH

Utilizing personal networks to raise awareness and philanthropy for SWAM has created a foundation to grow on annually. As you reach out to your contacts, below are templated examples that highlight the importance of clear and consistent messaging, timely follow-up, and sincere gratitude.

T H E I N I T I A L A S K

Will You Join Me On Our Mission For Veterans?

Make sure to include our mission statement to explain what it is we do to your network.

Dear _____,

I hope this email finds you well! I write today to share with you that I’ll be swimming in SWAM’s 7th Annual Swim Race across Newfound Lake on Saturday, July 13th, and I need your help to make it my best race yet!

Swim With A Mission harnesses the creativity and networks of its principal supporters to raise money to strengthen and support worthy organizations that service, support and honor our Veterans. Since our formation in 2017, we have given almost $10 million to Veteran service and support organizations that provide critical services to our Veterans, including mental health services, housing, taking care of our homeless, supporting day to day services, providing service and support K-9’s, scholarships, food, jobs, equine immersion programs, recreational therapy and support art therapy programs.

They’ve done tremendous work, and are still going strong, but the suicide crisis among our Veteran community tells us that they need our help. Would you consider making a gift today to help me reach my fundraising goal this July?

Dear _____,

I hope this email finds you well! The countdown is on! I’m training each week to be as strong and steady as I can on July 13, when I race into Newfound lake for my (insert swim length here) but I’m just __(insert amount left to fundraise)___ shy of meeting my __(insert fundraising goal)___ fundraising goal, and I need your help.

Every donation makes a difference in the lives of Veterans. The work that Swim With A Mission does to support the Veteran service organizations who service our New Hampshire Veterans is saving lives and working to reduce suicide, but they cannot do it alone. They need our help.

There are only __(insert day count here)___ days left until the race. Can I count on you to join the mission with a gift of __(insert ask amount)__ today? If so, pleaseclickhere to make your gift now. (Link your fundraising page to “please click here”.)

Respectfully,

F O L L O W U P

Don’t be afraid to follow up periodically! Life is busy, and you never know which message at which right time will resonate.

S A Y T H A N K Y O U

The most important step of this process is to thank your donors in a timely and sincere fashion.

Dear _____,

I needed to thank you for your generous donation to support my participation in the upcoming Swim Race on July 13, 2024 for Swim With A Mission.

Since 2017, SWAM has donated nearly $10 Million to support our Veterans, and having you join us on this mission is so important.

In 2024, SWAM is working to fun the Veteran support programs that reduce Veteran suicide in New Hampshire, and your support gets us one step closer on that mission. Thank you!

May we never forget our freedom is not free.

Sincerest thanks,

The Countdown is On!

Sincerest Thanks!

SOCIAL MEDIA FUNDRAISING

When telling your story on social media, remember to use images and video whenever possible, utilize tags to push your post infront of a larger audience, and include the link to take your donors right to your personal fundraising page.

SAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Below are two sample posts, one from SWAM‘s Facebook page, and another from SWAM Advisory Board Member, Cheryl Alden‘s personal Facebook page These are two examples of ways you can use social media to share your story.

REMEMBER REMEMBER TO TAG US

DONATION INFORMATION

Every donation received makes a difference in the life of a Veteran. Whether it be a one-time gift, or a recurring gift through our subscription campaign, each adds to the greater success of the organization.

GIFT OPTIONS:

One-Time Gift: Donors can make their one time gift on https://www.swam.org/donate, or by check made payable to SWIMMING WITH A MISSION, INC” and mailed to: 1 Hardy Road, #127, Bedford, NH 03110

Enroll In Team SWAM: Those who commit to a monthly donation of $25 or more, are automatically enrolled in our Subscription Campaign as a member of TEAM SWAM. Team members gain access to discounts on event tickets and merchandise, insider information and quarterly updates, and an anniversary subscription box after the completion of 12 subscription payments. To be enrolled please provide this link: SWAM’s Monthly Giving Campaign.

Suggest a Matching Gift: 70% of companies financially match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations. When an employee makes a donation, they simply request the matching gift from their employer, who then makes their own donation. For assistance with matching gifts, please contact Christina Young, Director of Development, by email: christina@swam.org.

Sophisticated Giving: Contributions made through smart giving tools like Donor-Advised Funds (DAF), stocks and other securities, or qualified charitable distributions such as an IRA may provide a donor with significant tax-savings making the impact of their gift far greater. Donors that need help to make a gift in this manner can be sent to Christina Young, Director of Development, and she will reach out to coordinate the gift.

Our new website is a great resource to utilize in your outreach on behalf of SWAM. Below are key pages linked for your convenience:

CONTACT

For any questions please contact Julie Taub, Co-Founder & Executive Director: