There’s a good chance you’re fundraising for a cause that is serious, not “sexy”. From global warming to poverty to cancer to kids rights….let’s be honest…these aren’t topics that people reallywant to hear about…let alone talk about with their friends.
And, yet, it’s your job to draw attention, inspire action and build a community of support around your cause. But how?
Try this: Make it fun!
Squatty Potty, the recent YouTube phenomenon, can serve as some great inspiration. They took the serious (and disgusting) issues surrounding constipation and raised an incredible amount of awareness (over 9 million views in only 2 months!) with a rainbow ice-cream pooping unicorn…
Without a doubt, Squatty Potty is over-the-top funny… which is why it’s so effective at raising awareness. The same applies to some of the most successful peer-to-peer programs out there…
Remember how Movember started? Back in 2003, two Australian friends came up with the idea of bringing back the moustache…and dared 30 of their friends to take on the challenge of “growing a mo” during the month of November. Why? Because it was fun….and funny. Since then, Movember has made the moustache sexy again…and, in the process, has engaged over 5 million “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sistas” and raised over AUD $700 million for not-so-sexy men’s health issues.
Many peer-to-peer events have leveraged the “fun factor” to raise a serious amount of awareness and revenue. The dirty (and brilliant!) copywriting innuendos found on the MuckfestMS website make it clear that this5K muddy obstacle run is all about having a fun experience! Even their tagline “Built for laughs” drives the point home…while the event itself has raised over $21 million for the not-so-funny cause of multiple sclerosis.
Another great example is the ironic Nazi’s against Nazi’s campaign. They used actualNazi’s to participate in an event againstthemselves…raising millions of YouTube views and thousands of euros to fund a Nazi Exit Program…not to mention earning the IFC Global Award for Fundraising from the Resource Alliance and the prestigious Cannes Gold Lion.
So, regardless of how serious or un-sexy the cause is that you are fundraising for…the more fun you make it, the more likely you will be to attract attention, engage participants and create a supportive community around it.