Raising money to change peoples lives is awesome! But fundraising can be hard! It can be nerve-wracking and exhausting to keep asking people to give money to a cause. If you’ve been trying, but finding nothing’s working, we have some tips for you!

Gather a team. We say this a lot, but seriously, it’s the best. Our Safe Water September website doesn’t just have teams for show! We think that the Safe Water September challenge is best undertaken as part of a community. Your team can work out a plan, help each other connect with people to ask for donations, and even direct donations to each other.

If someone in your team is struggling to get donations, think about how you can help! If you’re approached by someone in your church who wants to donate, why not suggest they donate to someone who is having trouble?

You could also start a group chat. It can keep everyone on the same page about how your Safe Water September challenge is going. It’s also a great way to have fun and share jokes and memes! (Make sure everyone is 18 years old or older, or has a guardian’s permission to join the chat)

Share on social media. If you use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or any other social media platform, you can use that to share how you’re going and ask for donations. Post about the things that you care about. If it’s the facts and figures, post about those. If it’s how much water you’re slamming down each day, post about that! Your Safe Water September profile has an easy to remember link that you can include in all your posts, for example: safewaterseptember.org.au/yourname. You can find your unique URL by visiting your profile! And don’t forget the hashtag, #SafeWaterSeptember.

Practice your pitch. Walking up to someone and asking them to give money to a cause is a big deal. It’s not something everyone is naturally good at! But you can get more confident by practicing. Make sure you can explain what the Safe Water September challenge is all about. If you know the basic outline of what you want to say, it makes it easier to engage in a conversation and ask for donations.

Think beyond asking. Asking for donations is great! Most people are happy to give money to a cause they understand and know will have an impact. But if that isn’t your speed, there are other ways to raise money.

Do you and your team have any special skills you could put to work? Are you green-thumbed-gardeners who could do some weeding in exchange for a donation? Are you an artist who could do portraits or caricatures after a church service or community gathering? Do you love baking, and could smash out some cookies to sell? Could you organise an afternoon of footy, Mario Kart, or board games with a donation for entry?

Grab some friends or family members, and brainstorm ways you can make the things you’re good at work for you!

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much you raise. The Safe Water September challenge is as much about standing in solidarity with people without access to safe water as it is about fundraising. You’ve taken on a challenge, and raised your voice to advocate for people around the world who don’t have access to safe water close to home. You’re a part of a national network of people who care about making the world a better place for everyone. That’s awesome!

Thanks for taking the challenge, wherever you are and however much you raise. It’s great that you are a part of this challenge. Because every person deserves safe water.