How to Create a Great Donor Page for the YEA Camp Volunteer-a-Thon

Hey Hey YEA Camp!

Have you heard about our first ever YEA Camp Volunteer-a-Thon? It’s a fundraiser we are launching that will support YEA Camp AND help our community get more involved in activism while making a bigger difference! 

We are here to set you up for success so that you can create an awesome page and garner as much support as possible.

Here’s how it works:

          • Each person chooses a way that they want to volunteer for the month of November and then  creates a donor page, sharing a bit about their activism and what they are going to be doing to make the world a better place.
  • They encourage their friends and family to “sponsor” them in this activism by making a donation to YEA Camp. All proceeds will go toward the YEA Camp scholarship fund, making this important activist training available for others, regardless of socioeconomic status. 

You can read more about it and check out some of our camper’s and staff member’s pages here. 

But what does it mean to actually “create a donor page?” And how can you do it most successfully? We’ve compiled a list of best practices to help you make and maintain an effective online fundraising page. 

How to make the most of your Volunteer-a-Thon page:

  1. Personalize it! Make your donor page, well, your donor page. Your friends and family are reading your page because of you and they need you to tell them why it matters. Your page should tell your story. You could start with something you learned at camp that changed the way you see the world or how YEA Camp made a difference in your activist journey. Then, tell us what volunteering you will be doing this month. Just like typical online fundraisers have people sponsor friends and family to train for a marathon, you are asking your loved ones to sponsor you in your own activist race to make our world a better place! Tell them what you will be doing. Click here if you need some ideas.

    YEA Camper Mia personalized her page so people recognize it wasn’t just copied and pasted from everyone else’s.

  2. Set a goal. Our fundraising platform, Act Blue, gives you the opportunity to set a goal (and add a thermometer graphic where you can track your progress). Set a realistic goal for what you hope to raise over the course of your campaign. Donors like to see that they are part of something bigger than themselves and you will love seeing that little thermometer fill up!
  3. Donate yourself. If you are able, give that funding thermometer a boost by being the first person to donate. This shows others that you are committed to the mission of YEA Camp and are really serious about the activism you are doing this month.

  4. Your Volunteer-a-Thon project could be eating vegan for a month, or encouraging your friends and family to do the same by hosting vegan dinner parties.

    Update and post regularly. Whether you post on social media, via email, or word of mouth, keep talking about your campaign. People who donate to you want to hear how your activism is going. Follow-up with them about your progress. You can even update your donor profile itself. What if every Friday, you posted an update about what you did that week for the campaign and how much money you raised? Let your donors feel like they are included in this process by keeping them informed. At the end of the campaign, be sure to follow up with your friends and family about the final results of your activism and how much money you raised.

  5. Say thank you! This is perhaps the most important thing any fundraiser can do. You asked and you received. Now be sure to thank your friends and family who made a donation on your behalf. Call them, text them, write a post on social media – whatever makes the most sense for you and your donor. A little bit of gratitude goes a long way.

Now… are you ready to make your donor page for the YEA Camp Volunteer-a-Thon? 

You can create a page at this link. Want to participate but not sure where to start? Check out this blog post with more ideas about activism you can work on this month to make our world a better place.

One last thing! We just finalized the dates for YEA Camp 2020 and will be opening up registration next week. Mark your calendars now! 

  • Youth Camp: in Ventura, California (July 5 – 12) and Charlton, Massachusetts (August 1 – 8)
  • Adult Camp: in Lanoka Habor, New Jersey (July 18 – 24)

We look forward to seeing you next summer. Do you know someone who would love YEA Camp? Nominate them here.