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Fundraise for SIMS

I live here, I give here. Amplify Austin Day

In 2023, SIMS provided almost 10,000 counseling sessions to more than 600 music industry workers, and with your help, we plan to double our impact this year. Starting on March 6th at 6:00 pm, for 24 hours, the SIMS Foundation will be amplifying the voices of our music industry workers to raise $20,000.

None of that is possible without you.

We at the SIMS Foundation are so thankful for your incredible support of mental health care for Austin’s music industry. We hope that this year, you will choose to AMPLIFY the voices of our Austin music community by becoming a “friend-raiser” for SIMS.

 

If this is not your first rodeo, we’d like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for your dedication to SIMS and Amplify Austin.

If this is the first year you’ve decided to make an even bigger impact by becoming a “friend-raiser” on our behalf, we celebrate you in this huge step. By raising funds for the SIMS Foundation, you play an integral part in helping our community access the care they need to thrive.

Thank you!

To ensure you’re equipped with all the right tools, tips, and tricks, we’ve created this Fundraising Toolkit.

Recommended Amplify Austin 2024 Timeline
Amplify Austin Timeline
Today: Create your fundraising page and make your donation.
March 1st: Post a save the date to your social media, send your email asks.
March 6th AM: Launch your fundraising campaign on social media and other channels.
March 6th PM: Share the SIMS Amplify Austin Announcement to your social media.
March 7th AM: Update your followers and contacts with your goal’s progress.
March 7th PM: Final ask for donations on your communication channels.
March 8th: Send your thank you notes and final fundraised amount.

Step 1: Create an Account

Amplify Austin Day officially kicks off at 6 pm on March 6th and ends at 6 pm on March 7th, but early giving is already underway! Any donation made on AmplifyATX.org between January 24th and March 7th at 6:00 pm will qualify for Amplify Austin Day prizes and incentives.

Go to www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/sims-foundation and click “Fundraiser” create an account.

Amplify Austin 2024 Account Creation Step by Step

Image of Amplify Austin Fundraising Dashboard

Step 2: Tell your Story

Customize your page with images, text, video, and your fundraising goal. This is your opportunity to share why you are passionate about your cause and why you decided to sign-up to fundraise on Amplify Austin Day.

Within the first tab of your peer-to-peer (P2P) Fundraising Dashboard, you can tell the story of why you are a P2P fundraiser for SIMS Foundation! Here you can add your Campaign name, personal story, upload a custom image, (or even swap it out with a video link) and set a goal for yourself.

  • If you have both a custom image and a video link entered in, only the video will appear on your profile.
  • Notice that there is also a section to add your phone number. This is optional and will only be shared with authorized group administrators.
A note about fundraising goals:

We encourage our friend-raisers to aim for $250 or higher!

To reach our goal, we need 80 people (that’s all of you!) to raise $250 each, but Amplify Austin has also announced several prizes for folks that raise more.

 

Fundraising Champion Prizes through I Live Here, I Give Here

 

  • Fundraising Champions who raise $500 or more will be entered into a drawing to receive another $500 donation to their cause
  • Fundraising Champions with 10 or more unique donors to their campaign will be entered into a drawing to receive another $500 donation to their cause
  • Fundraising Champions that raise at least $1,000 will be entered into a drawing to receive 2 ACL Festival passes
  • Fundraising Champions with 20 or more unique donors to their campaign will be entered into a drawing to receive 2 ACL Festival passes
Learn more at: drive.google.com/file/d/19ttwUQqtw4OEPhLgJ_TU1MbfweU2zA-o/view

We also recommend that you plan how you will thank your donors when you receive donations. Saying thank you is the most important step in fundraising and a personal thank you note goes a long way to ensure that donors feel their contribution is valuable and impactful.

If you want to get inspiration, we have templates for thank you notes in Step 5.

Step 3: Make A Donation

 

Within the second tab of your P2P Fundraising Dashboard, you can add a “seed” donation to your campaign. Setting an example for other donors by donating shows you’re committed to the campaign so they should be too.

Step 4: Share Socially

Now that your fundraiser is all set up, it’s time to spread the word! Share your story and your fundraiser page with your family and friends by email, social media, posts, or text message. Don’t forget to use our hashtags #AmplifyIndustryVoices and #ILiveHereIGiveHere on your social media posts to join the community-wide conversation.

 

Identify Potential Donors

Using your own words or the templates below, reach out to your friends and family members to see if they’d be interested in donating. The more personal the ask, the better!

 

Use Diverse Communication Channels

Fundraising requires using your own social network to raise money and spread awareness. To be successful, you have to know what to share, who to share it with and how.

Templates

Email

Emails – are good for more professional contacts. They make the ask feel more personal, but still have a more formal tone.

Within the third tab of your P2P Fundraising Dashboard, you can send personalized emails in plain text to your friends and family asking for donations. You’ll even have the option to upload your contacts from popular services such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail and send them an email right from your page!

Sample Email Messages

Template 1

Dear [POTENTIAL DONOR NAME],

I have [NUMBER] days to raise [GOAL] and I need your help!

This year, I’m helping to raise money for the SIMS Foundation to support their work in providing mental health and substance use disorder care to Austin musicians, music industry workers, and their families.

SIMS Foundation has been a long-standing partner in the Austin music scene, serving musicians and industry workers for almost 30 years. With your help, we can continue to provide care to our community in the face of rising costs and inaccessibility. For many in the music scene, SIMS is like an old friend and help is just a phone call away. You can become a vital part of our music community by making a donation to the SIMS Foundation today.

You can use this link to donate to my fundraiser: [LINK to your fundraising page]

I only need 10 friends to donate $25 each to reach my personal goal of $250 [or use a different number if your personal goal is different]! Sharing the fundraising link with your network will help me reach my goal even faster.

So what do you say?

Thank you for your support,

[YOUR NAME]

Template 2

Dear [POTENTIAL DONOR NAME],

I hope this email finds you well!

I’m trying to connect with those in the community to increase the impact of the SIMS Foundation’s Amplify Austin fundraiser.

This year, I’m helping to raise money for the SIMS Foundation to support their work in providing mental health and substance use disorder care to Austin musicians, music industry workers, and their families.

SIMS Foundation has been a long-standing partner in the Austin music scene, serving musicians and industry workers for almost 30 years. With your help, we can continue to provide care to our community in the face of rising costs and inaccessibility. For many in the music scene, SIMS is like an old friend and help is just a phone call away. You can become a vital part of our music community by making a donation to the SIMS Foundation today.

The support from the community thus far has been incredible. With the help of [NUMBER] people in the community, I have already been able to raise [AMOUNT] for SIMS. It would be great to have your support as well.

To read more about the fundraiser and to donate to my fundraising page, click here:

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Social Media

Social Media – is good for asking relatives and acquaintances. You can send a link from our page on your social media of choice and a few words explaining why you’re supporting SIMS. You can also use the templates below to create a post and encourage others to join in.

Within the fourth tab of your P2P Fundraising Dashboard, you can cast a wider net and share your page on Facebook, Twitter, or other Social Media sites with a direct link.

Sample Social Media Posts

[GRAPHIC #1 Generic Amplify Austin Image]

[GRAPHIC #2 Link to Canva image: “Frame” for social media that allows the person to add their picture and why they love Austin’s music community]

[VIDEO #1 main video for Amplify Austin]

[How to film and what to say in your own video for fundraiser]

Hashtags:

SIMS Foundation Social Media usernames:

Social Media Post Template

Friends and family, I’ve committed to raising [GOAL] for @simsfoundation. 100% of the proceeds donated through my link will go towards providing mental health and substance use disorder care to Austin musicians, music industry workers, and their families.

So what do you say? Will you help me make a difference? [LINK to your page]

Calls and Texts

Phone Calls and Text Messages – Sending individual messages or making personal phone calls to a few people in your contact list is likely to bring in multiple donations.

Elevator Speech

  • Austin’s musicians and music industry workers face many unique challenges such as working under the stress of an unstable income, a skyrocketing cost of living, erratic tour schedules, distance from family and support, and near constant proximity to drugs and alcohol.
  • SIMS Foundation has been providing mental health care and substance use disorder support to our music family for almost 30 years.
  • SIMS is unique in how their small but dedicated clinical team provides comprehensive case management for each client and their loved ones. Such as:
    • Providing psychoeducation to help the client make educated decisions about their own behavioral healthcare
    • Offering support to the loved ones of clients as needed
    • Assisting the client in navigating other complex service systems such as resources for homelessness and physical healthcare
    • Coordinating care of each provider to ensure that the client is receiving the best care for their particular set of circumstances
  • With your help, the SIMS Foundation will be able to continue offering a full array of services including counseling, substance use disorder support, and psychiatric care. Every dollar counts when it comes to mental health care and crisis recovery.

Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth – is the most powerful way to spread a message. In fact, 90% of people trust a personal recommendation, even from strangers!

Recommended Graphics

Step 5: Give Thanks

Within the final tab of your P2P Fundraising Dashboard is one of the most important steps you’ll need to complete as a P2P fundraiser – thanking your donors. Let your donors know how their contribution made an impact, by sending them an email right from this page or mark them as thanked if you showed your appreciation another way.

Thank You Template 1

[DONOR NAME],

We reached our goal!

Thanks to your donation, I met my [GOAL] fundraising goal to support the SIMS Foundation provide mental health and substance use disorder care to Austin musicians, music industry workers, and their families.

It is inspiring to see our music community come together to support mental health. Thank you for all you’ve done and all that you continue to do!

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Thank You Template 2

Dear [DONOR NAME],

Thank you for your donation to my fundraiser for The SIMS Foundation.

Together we raised [AMOUNT] to support the SIMS Foundation provide mental health and substance use disorder care to Austin musicians, music industry workers, and their families!

If you have any questions about your donation or want more information about The SIMS Foundation, please feel free to reach out!

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

General Tips

 

Dos
  • Shoutout Donors: Acknowledging donors ensures that they feel appreciated. It also shows other people in your network that you’re already receiving donations.
  • Ask More Than Once: Follow ups and additional asks can help increase the probability of securing donations.
  • Make the First Donation: This is a good way to get the ball rolling. It’s also a good way to show people that you are passionate enough about the cause to donate your own funds.
  • Be Enthusiastic: All of your communication about the fundraiser should show your passion and enthusiasm. Showing your commitment to SIMS Foundation means people will be more inclined to donate.
  • Be Creative: You may find that other people in your network are fundraising or showing their support for other organizations. Use your creativity to make your fundraising efforts stand out. Make a short and fun video, pose for a photo, or customize your email signature. Find new and creative ways that make your fundraiser stand out.
Don’ts
  • Get Discouraged: Cold calling and emailing donors may seem like a daunting task at first. Sometimes the rate of success is not as high as we’d like it to be, but don’t get discouraged!
  • Overdo It: Be sure to stagger your posts, emails, and other correspondence about fundraising. After all, your friends and family follow your social media for posts about your life and interests, so make sure they can still find those posts. Here is our suggested communication schedule:
    • Launch/Initial Communication
    • Midway Point
    • Final Push
    • End/Goal is Reached

Additional Resources

 

Support Articles

Need help?

If you need assistance creating your fundraising profile or accessing your shareable fundraising link, please contact GiveGab’s Customer Success Champs in the blue chat bubble at the bottom right-hand corner of AmplifyATX.org. They are available from 8 am – 4 pm CST or can be reached at CustomerSuccess@GiveGab.com.

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