GiveForward

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but with the myriads of out-of-pocket expenses for aspiring parents it may take a village to afford one!  Whether you are welcoming your new family member the old fashioned way or adopting, there are many financial concerns to take into consideration.

Fertility Treatments
Average out-of-pocket costs of treatment can range from $1,000-20,000 depending on your insurance coverage, but the cumulative cost increases significantly with repeated procedures and use of medications. Parents trying to conceive will face unexpected out-of-pocket expenses such as consultations, tests, lab work, anesthesia, and the costs associated with third party help such as medication for a donor or surrogate.

These are few tips from No Baby On Board for paying for fertility treatments. (Click here to read them all) :

• Pay Cash:  Paying out out-of-pocket could mean discounts, especially if you pay up front.   How you accrue the money is up to you. (psssst….we suggest fundraising.)
• Loans: There are several companies that offer treatment loans such as the ARC Affordable Payment Plan and the IntegraMed Financial Services that allow you to make monthly payments. However, moms- and dads-to-be should be aware the interest rates tend to be very high.
• Shared-Risk Program: A number of clinics allow you to pay a large amount up front for about four cycles of IVF, if you don’t conceive, you are refunded a percentage.  Since there has been some controversy about safety and the ethics of these programs be sure to consult with your doctor and the Better Business Bureau before proceeding.
• Non-profit Organizations: Numerous non-profit organizations exist to help aspiring parents. They offer grants and other forms of assistance. From INCIID the Heart, Fertile Dreams, Madeline Gordon Gift of Life Foundation, Angels of Hope, FertileHope are a just a few.

If you or your partner is a cancer survivor there can be further expenses, and oncofertility is rarely covered by health insurance. (Click here to read our blog post  on fertility after cancer.)

Maternity Costs
Having the baby may be the easy part!  Average costs for childbirths in a hospital or birth center range from $1,500 for an uncomplicated birth to over $20,000 for a C-section.

A BabyCenter survey found that 39% of fully insured parents paid $1,000 or more for out-of-pocket medical bills related to childbirth, and 9% had expenses of $5,000 or more.

From prenatal vitamins to anesthesia, there are many expenses you might not even think of: Prenatal care: $0-$2,000, prenatal vitamin: $15/30-day supply, maternity clothes, childbirth classes: $50-$200/class, hospital nursery costs and anesthesia to name a few.

“One mom from our survey was hit with a $4,800 bill for her epidural. ‘We were surprised to learn that only 25 percent of it was covered by our insurance,’ she says.”

Home births can be less expensive ranging from $1500-3000, but are rarely covered by insurance.  If you go this route you will have to consider the costs of the midwife and equipment needed for the birth.

Web MD offers these tips to help pay for maternity costs:

• Get gently used maternity clothes from friends, resale shops and other sources like Craigslist. You are only going to wear these clothes for a couple months and quickly grow out of them.
• Comparison Shop for Vitamins: As long as your prenatal vitamins contain the recommended amount of folic acid,  600 mcg., you can shop around.  Sometimes you can get a prescription for the vitamins from your doctor, so all you need to worry about is the copay. Other times it is better to buy over the counter.
• Don’t Over-buy Baby Supplies: It is easy to get overwhelmed in the baby section of your department store.  Focus on the fundamentals; a car seat, a crib,  a changing table, some baby clothes, and a baby monitor.  Babies do not need many of the luxury items marketed to starry-eyed parents.   Watch for bargains and don’t exclude hand-me-down and resale options.
• Negotiate Birthing Costs: If  your insurance doesn’t cover the whole bill, talk to your health care provider about childbirth costs.  Often the hospital will give you a negotiated rate.  (Dr. Leslie Ramirez from Leslieslist.org, a website for comparison shopping for diagnostic tests and prescriptions, has some great advice on how to accomplish this.)

Adoption Costs
The average cost for both U.S. and international adoptions range between $15,000 and $35,000. This includes (but is not limited to): the home evaluation fee, legal and immigration fees, travel for both you and your child-to-be, medical expenses for the child, donations to the agency or orphanage, etc. Not to mention all the stuff you will need to make your new family member feel at home such as clothing, car seat, baby monitor, crib, etc. (Look above for tips on affording all the accoutrement of parenthood)

Fortunately there are many resources for prospective adoptive families.  A publication on adoption expenses from the National Endowment for Education suggests the following:

• Tax Breaks:  Talk to your accountant about writing off the costs associated with your adoption.  There are also subsidies available for military families, tax credits, and provisions of the Family Medical Leave Act that may apply to your situation.  You should explore all these benefits.  (Click here for more information)
• Employer Programs:  Many employers offer grants or some other form of assistance for adoptive families.  Talk to your HR department for more information. (Click here to view a fact sheet on this topic from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Non-Profit Organizations:  There are thousands in grant money available for families looking to adopt from dozens of organizations if you know where to look.    The National Adoption Foundation is a good place to start.  (Click here for a large list of adoption resources from Christian Family Adoptions.)

GiveForward and Your Village Can Help…
A new baby is a joyful event for family and friends. Whether you are trying to conceive, already expecting or seeking to adopt,  the whole village can offer advice, words of support and donations to help prepare for baby’s arrival with a fundraising page from GiveForward.

Film evokes emotions like no other media can. Whether the video is funny, inspirational or heartwarming, viewers can’t help but relate.  The warm and fuzzy feelings brought on by watching a video often translate into action, and for a fundraising website, that means donations. Fundraisers with photos and videos are 41% more likely to reach their fundraising goals than pages without media.

Still need convincing?  Check out this video from Cate, our Director of Marketing, on two reasons why you should use video in your fundraising:

Why you should fundraise with video

Creating & Posting a Video

Video gives you a chance to speak directly to donors and express why this fundraiser is so important to you.  With cameras being built into smartphones and laptops, it has gotten much easier to take a few seconds and record a message to people visiting your GiveForward page.

When creating a video, take a minute and jot down some notes on what you’d like to say.  Don’t worry about reading from a script, the best videos are messages that come from the heart, but it is important to make sure you know what you want to say so that your video can be short, sweet, and to the point.

The best place to start with your message is by explaining why this fundraiser is important to you and why you think visitors to your fundraising page should give.

Check out this tutorial  on how to post videos on YouTube.

How to Post a Video

Share a video is just as easy as recording one.  Check out this tutorial  on how to post videos on YouTube, and here are the steps to adding a video to your GiveForward page:

1) On the “Photos, Videos & Links” tab  of your create a fundraiser dashboard, scroll down to the second option: Embed a YouTube Video
2) Write a description in the box labeled: “Enter a title for your video”
3) Copy the url link (ie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=your_video_id) from your YouTube video website into the box labeled: “http://www.youtube.com.”

3) Click “Add Video.”  A screenshot and description will appear at the bottom of the section.

4) People can now watch your video!

Video Fundraising, GiveForward Style

Need some inspiration?  Here are some videos GiveForward fundraisers have used to tell their stories, make us laugh, and inspire giving.

• Bella Blows a Kiss:  A precious one-year old girl, who has a cancerous neuroblastoma in her abdomen blows a kiss to the camera. (Raised $67, 507)
• Breathless Mom:  A friend appeals to the community to help a mom with Cystic Fibrosis afford the double lung transplant that will save her life. (Raised $60,166)
• Hot Dogs & D’Backs: Riley a four-year old trooper comes out of tumor resection surgery demanding water, hot dogs and her favorite sports team, the D’Backs. (Raised $7, 491 and counting…)
• Help Hannah Breathe:  A beautiful baby girl,  born with a rare congenial abnormality known as tracheal agenesis (her trachea failed to develop) struggles to breathe  with a machine’s help while soft music plays. (Over halfway to their goal of $50,000)

Adding a video to your personal fundraising page can be a great way to connect with donors. If you’ve got a good sense of humor, a funny video can be very effective. If humor is not your shtick, a video that is heartwarming or inspirational works equally well. Remember that the video doesn’t have to be fancy in order to be effective. So if you’re not exactly Steven Spielberg, don’t sweat it. Simply standing in front of the camera and telling people why you are raising money can be very compelling. In the end, whatever you end up doing, remember it’s best to keep it short (1-3 min) and to the point. Check out the GiveForward Fundraising Bootcamp for more tips on using media like videos to maximize your fundraiser’s success.

Fundraising online can be a little overwhelming at first, so our head fundraising coach and Director of User Relations, Erica Trzeciak, put together her top 5 do’s and don’ts of fundraising online to get you started.  Take a look and add your own in the comments!

Do:

Don’t:

What would you add to the do’s and don’ts?  Add yours in the comments below!

When it comes to telling people about your fundraiser, think outside the box. After you’ve shared your fundraiser with your friends and family, why not reach out to local press to tell your story?

Often, the story associated with your fundraiser is very personal and moving.   We know it can be tough to talk about such a personal  story but by talking with the media you are now reaching out to people in your community who may want to help, but don’t know about your fundraiser.   If you are comfortable talking with the media, this can really benefit your fundraiser.  Remember, if the media is interested they will probably want to interview you and the beneficiary so be prepared!

Now, lets get down to it, here are some steps you can take to reaching out to media groups in your area:

Step 1. Do your homework!

Take a moment to research some local media outlets.  The Today show might not be interested in your story, but your local ABC station might be because it is a story that appeals to its local demographic.

Put together a list of some of the local media groups in your area including TV stations, newspapers and local bloggers.  Make note of their area of interest.  For instance, You wouldn’t want to email a sports blogger about a fundraiser unless it has an angle that fits in with what they normally write about.

Step 2. Get the contact information.

First, think about how you prefer to reach out to people.  Do you love talking on the phone?  Then make a phone call to your local station.  Are you better over email? Put your writing skills to good use (check the next step for more on writing a press release) and collect email addresses to send over your story.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to more than one organization in your area.  Some groups may not be interested but others might be.

Step 3. Write your press release.

Just like your fundraising page, the press release is where you really get to tell your fundraiser’s story.  We’ve attached a press release Word document template that you can download to use as a starting point.  Download this template and fill in the first section with information about your fundraise.

Take time to think about what makes this story special.  Here are some examples of story angles that may make this stand out:

• Does the person you are fundraising for have a rare disease or have they beaten the odds?
• Are you fundraising for a person who has made a big impact on their community?
• Have you raised a lot of money in a creative way?
• Do you have an upcoming fundraising event like a spaghetti dinner or motorcycle ride?

Be sure to include this information in your press release, and explain why this story will resonate with the media group’s audience.

Step 4. Send over your release and FOLLOW UP.

Email or call your contact and share your story.  Often calling a local newspaper or TV station can be very effective if you are prepared to give a short 15-second explanation of your story, and then offer to email over your press release.

Do you have a favorite reporter or blogger?  Why not reach out to them specifically.  Tell them why you their there work and why you thought this story might be of interest to them.

Follow up your initial contact with a phone call a few days later to touch base and find out whether there is any interest in your story. Keep in mind, getting press is a lot like fundraising – you want to walk to fine line of being persistent without annoying your contact.

Above all, don’t get discouraged if the groups you reached out to don’t immediately call you for an interview.  These things can take time, and sometimes, unfortunately, people just aren’t interested.  It doesn’t mean your fundraiser isn’t awesome, it just means it might not fit their audience.

OK, I know this may seem daunting but remember, this is just one more outlet to tell your fundraiser’s story.   So get out there and share!

Template for press release

Promoting your fundraiser with a widget can really help increase traffic to your page.  What is a widget and how is this magical creature supposed to help your fundraiser?  Good question.  A widget is a little box that you can paste in your blog or website that gives people a sneak peek at your fundraiser.

If you don’t have a blog, ask your friends to post the widget on their blogs or websites.  This is an easy way for them to show you support and help spread the word about your fundraiser.

Actually getting the widget into a blog or website may seem a little scary to those who aren’t very familiar with ‘code’ or the language that tells your computer what the widget should look like, but I promise it isn’t as bad as it seems.  Don’t worry, until I started working with GiveForward widgets and their code kinda scared me too.

So how does it work exactly?  Well first go to a fundraiser page and click on the link that says “Grab this fundraiser’s widget!”.  That link will lead to a window that looks like this:

Once this window opens, copy the code on the right.  Next, go to your blog or website and paste it into your main text entry box.  Once you’ve pasted this code, preview it to ensure it looks correct.

Not sure where your main text entry box is?  Check with your blogging service.  Here are a few links to some of the main blogging services and what they say about adding widgets:

• WordPress
• Blogger
• Tyepad
• Live Journal

If you’re anything like me you are bolting out the door right about now in order to try and get your taxes post-marked by today.

Once the anxiety and adrenaline has subsided I have an idea to make you feel better; take a tip from one of our donors and use the refund you get to make a difference by donating it.

GiveForward has so many amazing fundraisers on our site that could use any extra help, whether $5 or $50.  Need some inspiration?  Head over here and browse some of the extraordinary people raising money for everything from chemo treatments to medical equipment.

Happy tax day!

(Important note: you can’t claim these donations on your taxes but you can claim them for good karma.)

On World Autism Awareness Day, we thought it would be a great time to appreciate that even though there is no cure for autism, the iPad  and its apps are becoming a welcome addition to the repertoire of learning tools for autistic children. One of the most prominent characteristics of children diagnosed with autism is their impairments in communication.  Although traditional methods of therapy will always be crucial in developing better communication and verbal skills, a recent technological advancement is changing the scene.

Since an extra  iPad is not typically incorporated into a family’s budget, many parents of autistic children are seeking other ways to be able to welcome this life-changing tool into their child’s life.  GiveForward allows these families to achieve this dream; and here’s how: read more…

Fundraising doesn’t have to be tough.  GiveForward’s team is here to help you get started with a few easy steps to get your fundraiser up and going.

Here are the best of the best from our Fundraising Coaches:

1. Personalize your fundraising page. People want to know the person behind the cause.  Explain who or what you’re fundraising for and why it is so close to your heart.  If your friends and family see that you are passionate about your cause they are more likely to give generously.  Need inspiration?  Check out these ideas on how to personalize your page.

2. Get the word out. The more people you tell about your page the better it will do.  Talk about it with everyone you meet, you never know when someone might be interested.

• Email everyone you know!  Even if you haven’t spoken to them in years you’ll be surprised how many people will decide to donate.
• When you reach out to your friends and family, ask them to share your cause with their friends and family.  We have an easy to use “Tell-a-friend” button on your page, encourage them to click away!
• Set up a Facebook group that includes a link to your GiveForward fundraising page.  This is another easy way that friends and family can spread the word to their networks as well.  Tell people to invite others and get the word out there.

3. Send updates. This ties into personalizing your cause.  By keeping friends and family updated on the progress of the fundraiser and the cause, people will be much more invested in the outcome and will be inclined to encourage others to get involved.  Plus, while some people may donate the first time around, for most people it takes 2-3 friendly reminders to get them to make a donation.  It is OK to be respectfully persistent.  Read more here about how and when to send out email/Facebook updates.

4. Be strategic. While it is important to let everyone know about your efforts, we suggest emailing your closest friends and family first.  This is a great way to build momentum.  Your inner circle of friends and family will tend to be the most generous donors and if they donate first they can set the tone.  If colleagues and other acquaintances head to your fundraising page and see donations from others, they will be more likely to follow suit and make similar sized donations. Read more about strategic fundraising.

5. It is OK to adjust your goal. Again, building momentum can really impact how successful your fundraiser ends up.  People love watching how their donations bump that little needle up on your fundraising meter.  But if your goal is too big, donors may feel like their contribution didn’t have much of an impact.  By setting a modest goal for yourself and quickly reaching fundraising milestones like 10% and 25% of your goal you can build a lot of momentum and get your donors excited about helping you reach your goal.  If you end up flying through your fundraiser and think you need to increase your goal – go for it! Read more about why people who set modest goals end up raising more money.

6. People like to win stuff. A great way to get people to donate is by offering them a raffle prize.  For instance when you email your contacts you might include a note that you will be raffling off a $25 Starbucks gift card to the first 25 people who donate.  This creates extra incentive and encourages people to donate sooner rather than later.  Check out more tips here.

7. Tell your story. Local media is usually more than happy to write about your efforts, particularly if you are holding an event such as a fundraising dinner or bake sale.  Check out our simple tips to learn how to get your story in the paper.

8. Make your campaign go viral. The most successful fundraising campaigns are the ones that go “viral” on the internet.  The results can be incredible with hundreds of people donating across the country and raising thousands of dollars for a cause.  Although not every campaign will go viral, here are some tips to help get you there:

• Make sure to get off to a good start with a big donation off the bat.  This will give you great momentum and get people talking about your campaign.
• Ask friends and family to spread the word.  When you send out your email appeal, make sure to ask everyone to forward the email to others or share the GiveForward page by using the “Tell-a-friend” button.
• Start a Facebook group with a link to your fundraising page.  Invite all your “Facebook friends” and ask five “real friends” to invite everyone they know to your group as well.
• Create a 24 hour Facebook Awareness Campaign where everyone donates their status message for one day.  Learn how here.
• Get bloggers involved.  If you know anyone who blogs, reach out to them.  Bloggers are always looking for new content but make sure it fits in with the theme of their blog (ex. if they’re a mom who blogs about parenting, make sure to highlight how your fundraiser is helping kids).

9. Thank your donors. Make your mom proud by displaying your good manners and thanking people who have supported your fundraiser.  When you create your fundraising page you can draft a thank you message that automatically goes out whenever someone makes a donation.  Additionally, you can send a thank you email to each donor individually by logging into your account and clicking on the “My Donors” tab.  From there you can send a personalized thank you email.  For those who go the extra distance by spreading the word to others or making a big donation, make sure you go the extra distance for them as well and send a hand-written note.

10.  Have fun! Last but not least, always remember to have fun.  Fundraising shouldn’t be a chore but a way to spread the word about something you care about.  If you’re excited and positive about the fundraiser’s progress your friends and family will be too.

One of the best ways to spread the word about your online fundraising page is to create a Facebook group where you can quickly share information among friends and ask people to donate.   The bigger your Facebook group, the more potential donors you have.  So here’s a useful tip on how to get lots of people to join your Facebook group.

Step 1. Find a donor ahead of time willing to match up to $500, $1000 or some similar amount.  If you don’t have a single donor willing to contribute this amount, try asking 5 friends to each donate $200 and pool the money for a total of $1000. read more…

Though GiveForward users are clearly hip to the advantages of online fundraising, we’ve seen a great number of them also throw offline fundraising events to help a loved one pay for medical expenses. These users have proven that offline fundraising events can be a great way to supplement online fundraising efforts.

read more…