Fundraising and training zone

Upload a profile photo

People want to know who they are giving to! A profile photo makes your page more authentic, helping people feel more connected to you and your cause.

Fundraisers who upload a profile photo raise 10 times more on average than those who don’t.

Tell your story

Let people know what motivated you to start fundraising and why you chose to support Samaritans. Also, when possible, let people know what their donation can achieve. Eg, £46 could help train and support a Samaritans volunteer for a year. Check out some more stats here.

Fundraisers who tell their story raise up to 74% more than those who don’t.

Be the first to donate to your page

By donating to your own page, you’re showing your commitment to your fundraising and setting the benchmark for family and friends who come to your page to make a donation.

Those who donate to their own page raise over 120% more on average.

Connect your page to your favourite fitness tracker

Not only will this help you stay motivated but your supporters will be able to see how hard you’re working and are more likely to make bigger donations. Find out how, here.

People who actively share their fitness activity raise on average 57% more than those who don’t.

Share your page and ask people to support you

The number one reason people give is because they were asked to. So what are you waiting for? Share your page via email and social media.

People who share their page within an hour of creating it generally raise 52% more than everyone else.

Update your fundraising page

Keep your family, friends and colleagues updated with your training and fundraising progress. How is it going? What obstacles have you come across? What are you really enjoying?

By keeping them updated you are helping to build deeper emotional connections with your supporters, which can motivate people to give more.

Get in touch

We would love to hear from you! Let us know your story, and get in touch if there’s anything we can help you with.

Increase your target

If people think you’re close to meeting your target they might donate less than they intended to!

They may not donate the £50 they were planning to if you are only £15 off your goal. So remember to increase your target to encourage more donations.

Thank your supporters

Let them know their donation has been noticed and appreciated. The simple act of saying thank you goes a long way, especially if you plan on asking them again at a later date.

Ask the boss! 

Find out if your employer offers matched giving or would like to give a donation. Remember to add your donation page link to your email signature (see our Resources page) or see if you can publicise your story internally to help generate sponsorship.

Finally – ask again

People often need reminding. If you asked them once and they haven’t donated – ask again. They may have just forgotten and won’t mind a friendly reminder. Also, don’t be afraid of asking after you’ve completed your challenge/event. Almost 20% of donations come in after the challenge is over!

People who raise the most share their page at least 10 times on average.

We’re here, day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. Your support is invaluable and we can't thank you enough.