Money Talks

Big ideas start small, and raising money for a cause can seem both exhilarating and daunting. Where do you start? How do you promote a campaign, for example, let alone find one you want to support? Who will you target for donations? How do you make a video? As the saying goes, it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. To help break it down, we quizzed a few successful fundraisers for tips on getting started and how to accelerate your drive to success.

Brave the Truth

Shannon McMahon (above) sings like a dream. A recent college graduate, she lives in New York City and works for a radio station, pursuing her passion for music. At 16 she had a seizure while auditioning to perform the national anthem-, missing a chance to sing in front of hundreds. She spent years experimenting with medication to control her seizures, and her parents spent thousands to help their beautiful, talented daughter become healthy enough to realize her potential.

You wouldn’t know that Shannon is an adult living with epilepsy, unless she told you and now she has. This year, Shannon created an online video sharing her family’s story as part of an effort to raise funds for the Epilepsy Foundation. “It might be embarrassing to talk about at first,” says Shannon, “but it was a story that needed to be told.” She along with her sister, Meaghan McMahon, who also has epilepsy, raised $1,416 more than doubling their previous year’s contribution while participating in the National Walk for Epilepsy, the annual event in Washington, D.C. Together they are known as the Synaptic Sisters, a catchy name they came up with to brand their campaign. (A common word in epilepsy medicine, a synapse is the junction between nerve cells where signals are passed.)

Shannon credits additional planning and preparation for making the difference. She created the video a month in advance, and Meaghan actively posted engaging updates, such as a family experience or a note about a celebrity who has epilepsy, on social media channels. Also, they contacted everyone they knew. “The personal storytelling as well as the online communication and word-of-mouth outreach are what captured attention,” Shannon says. “That, and Grandma was a huge help. Every year she donates, but this year she sent our video to all her friends.”

Passion Is Key

“We got a call from a friend down the street,” says Jon Scheinman, father of 10-year-old Olivia (Livy). The friend was a child who had heard about Livy’s expensive medical care and wanted to donate the $80 she’d made selling lemonade in their neighborhood in Clearwater, Fla. That was five years ago. Today, Lemonade for Livy, a campaign to raise funding for epilepsy awareness and research, has gone global, with plans for a lemonade stand in every state as well as in 10 other countries to raise $100,000 for the Epilepsy Foundation. Anyone can register a stand, then gather donations on Crowd-Rise, an online social media site devoted to fundraising.

For a successful campaign, Jon suggests having a clear goal and building the appropriate framework around it, including a stellar team. “Let go of control, and let people help,” he says. In addition, adequate planning, establishing a timeline, setting deadlines and sticking to a budget (expenses shouldn’t exceed 20% of your gross projected revenue) are crucial components.

Fundraising can be demanding, especially if, like Jon, you have a full-time job, caretaking duties and family obligations. The Scheinman family makes their own videos and maintains their own website, livyshope.com. He doesn’t get much sleep. Jon advises setting aside time to work on the campaign, infusing it with passion and maintaining motivation. “Your reason for doing it drives how much effort you invest,” he says. “For me, it’s Livy’s life.”

Focus First

Say you start small: a themed cocktail party, a team 5K run or a vintage prom dress boutique for girls who can’t afford new ones. The options are as endless as your imagination. But unless you plan on starting a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, you must identify the organization you plan to support. First, research mission statements online. Then decide whether to focus on a specific disorder or on an umbrella organization with a broad reach. Will you sponsor a college scholarship for an adult living with epilepsy or would you rather fund scientific research? Will you launch an awareness campaign or fund a conference for families? Will you further a global campaign or focus on a region? Look for a demonstrated track record in the area in which you are investing to be sure the funds are put to work in a reasonable amount of time and in an effective way. Ask questions, and accept help. Stay organized with your research, and you’ll set yourself up for success.

Last but not least, don’t forget to look into foundations that promote epilepsy awareness or help fund research. Some foundations can set you up with a website, provide thank-you letters that double as tax receipts and even connect you with others who have similar goals. When raising money, community—and spreading news of your mission—is helpful. If you’re putting together a team, remember that some corporations match charitable contributions made by employees. Check all your donations. You don’t want to miss free money!

Originally printed in EpilepsyAdvocate, Fall 2015