Need help with wording for fundraising page...

amother

Tue, Feb 04 2020, 11:06 am

Not sure if this is the right forum for this, but my ds's special needs school is having a fundraiser and asking parents to try and raise some funds - as most people do, I really feel uncomfortable asking people for money. but it IS my son's school, and I am so grateful to them for all they do.

I am looking for some help, with wording etc that doesn't sound too pushy, but would love to raise some funds for them..

any suggestions???

thanks!

amother

Indigo

Tue, Feb 04 2020, 12:29 pm

often times the school will be willing to give you a "form" letter to use or adapt. you might want to ask them for one to get you started.

Are you asking people who know your son? is his "diagnosis" known? if if yes I would make it personalized. talk about what he's learning in school and how its so amazing for him because you never thought he'd be able to do that, a regular school wouldn't have been equipped to give the a,b,c he needs...

ora_43

Tue, Feb 04 2020, 12:37 pm

Is this for an appeal on a fundraising site, for a testimony you'd be putting on the school's site, or looking for what to say in conversation?

In any case, I'd keep the focus on 1. what makes the school special + a good cause, 2. what the money will go to. For people who don't have much money, emphasize that every little bit helps. For people you know personally, mention something about your child.

Eg,
Shlomy's school is having a fundraiser this week, and I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about the school. (School) is a truly amazing place, and I don't know what we'd do without it. The staff is professional but warm, and they really do their utmost to help each and every child. When Shlomy was diagnosed, I was afraid that we would never find a school that could deal with his special needs - but at (School) he's not only learning more than we thought possible, he's excited to go to school in the morning!

(School) is the only school in (region) with the resources to help kids with (issue). Without (School), dozens of kids would be left without the help they need to (whatever).

The money raised in the fundraiser will go to paying for speech therapy and social skills therapy for any child who needs it. This is so, so important, because intervention at this young age is critical. It will also be used for scholarships for kids who desperately need these services, but whose families can't afford to pay.

I can personally testify that this is a wonderful cause.

If you're interested, you can go here (link) to check out the fundraiser website. Every little bit helps!

ora_43

Tue, Feb 04 2020, 12:42 pm

Honestly it all really depends on the target audience. Eg if it's family, you can talk about your child's individual progress.

If the target audience is frum and the school is frum, you might emphasize that without this school these kids might not have the option to attend a Jewish school, and you could go ahead and use terms like "mesirut nefesh" and "yiddishkeit," etc.

For a broader audience, stories are always good. Especially success stories. Eg, Yossi used to cry in the mornings before school and say he was too stupid to learn because he couldn't read or do math like the other kids in class; now he loves learning and is the first to volunteer to solve a math problem at the blackboard.