March 2022 - Empire State Ride Long Island

6 Ways To Use The ESR Fundraising App

Posted on March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 by Matt Kianka

Fundraising can be a challenge. But with the right passion, hard work and tools, anyone can do it. Download the Empire State Ride fundraising app, which makes reaching the fundraising commitment easier. The app is available for both Apple and Android devices. Head to either the App Store or Google Play, search Empire State Ride Fundraising and select download – it’s that easy.

Everything you need to be a successful fundraiser will be located in one place on your mobile device. Features of the app include:

Monitoring your fundraising progress
Sharing your page using social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) and SMS
Viewing and managing donations
Updating your page with a personalized story and photo
Integrating with Facebook to start a fundraiser
Easily importing email contacts and sending emails

Take a Tour of the App

With this new tool, there’s so much you can do. Here are 6 ways to make the most out of it.

Monitor Your Fundraising Progress

Once you log in using your credentials from registration, you will see your fundraising progress. Here, you can:

Track your goal
Adjust your goal
See your team’s progress (if on a team)

Share Your Page

Now that you’ve made the commitment to fundraise for cancer research, it’s time to spread the word. The Empire State Ride app makes it easy to share your personalized page across many platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and SMS. You can share your page from three different locations on the app:

Home (right under your fundraising progress)
Donors
Page

View and Manage Donations

Keep track of your donations all under the Donors tab. You can see who’s donated to your efforts and how much they gave. You’ll be able to thank them right through the app, too. Additionally, you can opt to be notified via email when you receive a donation. This is a great option to make sure you never miss a chance to say thank you to a donor.

Update Your Page and Picture

Updating your page and photo just got easier. Instead of needing a desktop or laptop, now all you need is your phone and the app.

Make sure to update the story of why you’re participating in the Empire State Ride Long Island. This will help donors understand your drive and passion, which can ultimately lead to donations.

Integrate with Facebook

Facebook fundraising is an incredible tool to reach more donors than ever. Integrating your personalized page with the social media giant is one of the best things you can do. Now, you can do it through the app with one simple click. Simply scroll down on the home screen and click “Connect to Facebook.”

Send Emails to Contacts

If you have your email contacts stored on your phone, you can easily import them into this app. It automatically syncs with your address book, making it that much easier to reach out to your contacts to spread the word about your #ESR21 fundraiser.

Fundraising Made Easy: Connect Your Dashboard With Facebook

Posted on March 31, 2022February 3, 2023 by Matt Kianka

Fundraising is a challenge, but when armed with the right tools and attitude, it’s easier than you think. One of the best tools to help with your fundraising is integrating your online fundraising dashboard with your personal Facebook page. This utilization allows you to easily spread the word about your fundraiser and track your progress right on Facebook.

You can also quickly send updates on your progress, making it that much easier to reach your goal. Additionally, your friends and family can donate when scrolling through their newsfeeds. The best part? Your progress will be reflected in your fundraising thermometer, both on Facebook and on your Empire State Ride Long Island fundraising page.

HERE'S HOW TO CONNECT YOUR FUNDRAISER TO FACEBOOK

1. Log in to your fundraising dashboard

Access your dashboard through the Empire State Ride website, by clicking “log in” in the top right corner. Open Facebook in a separate tab and log in.

2. Scroll down and click “Edit Fundraiser Content”

Locate the blue box in your dashboard that says, “Raise Money Directly on Facebook.” In that box, click, “Edit Fundraiser Content.”

3. TIPS

If mobile doesn’t work for you, try connecting on a desktop and make sure that pop-ups are not blocked in your browser.
Edit your Facebook content, including your title and story, before connecting to Facebook.
When you’re ready, click “Save and Connect Fundraiser to Facebook.”

4. After being redirected to Facebook, follow the prompts.

If you’ve used Facebook fundraising for the Empire State Ride Long Island before, you will not receive any pop-ups. Instead, you’ll receive a notification on Facebook saying your fundraiser is live. On your fundraising dashboard, the blue box button will change to say, “Go to Facebook Fundraiser.”

6. Promote your Facebook Fundraiser by sharing or inviting people to your fundraiser to start getting donations!

This tool will allow you to spread the word about your fundraiser, engage directly with donors and reach more people than you ever thought possible.

Seven Creative Ways to Fundraise

Posted on March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 by Matt Kianka

Empire State Ride Long Island will be here before you know it!

One critical part of a successful charity bike ride is the ability to raise funds and make an impact. Check out our favorite tips to help you reach and exceed your fundraising goals – and have fun while doing it.

Get social. They don’t call it social media for nothing. Share your fundraising page on all your social platforms to spread the word that you’re raising funds to end cancer.
Tap into tech. When it comes to fundraising, there are tons of ways to use technology to your advantage. Try going live on social media and talking about fundraising, make a video asking for donations or share a link to your ESR Long Island fundraiser on your Twitch stream.
Be daring. Use your fundraising as an opportunity to challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone. Do a pushup for every dollar you raise. Make an origami swan each time someone donates. Whatever you choose, make it a challenge that will get people buzzing.
Play to your strengths. Everyone’s good at something. By playing to your strengths — be it crafting, singing, running or anything else — you can take your fundraising to the next level.
Make it an event. Fundraising can really bring people together. Try hosting an event like a dinner, jam session or art class where the proceeds go toward your fundraising goal. Just be safe and follow recommended COVID-19 precautions.
Find a community partner. Visit local businesses and ask them about ways they can help raise funds for your Ride. They may donate, match your donation or offer you a space to promote your Ride. Click here to see if your business has a matching gift program.
Tell a friend (or 10). Nothing beats word of mouth. Tell your friends and family what you’re doing and ask them to spread the word! You can also talk to other riders for more inspiration.

Follow any of these 7 tips and you’ll exceed your fundraising goal before hitting the road on ESR Long Island.

Facebook Fundraising 101

Posted on March 30, 2022March 31, 2022 by Karen Cincotti

Now that you’ve officially signed up for Empire State Ride Long Island, you may be wondering how to reach your $200 fundraising minimum.

Facebook is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reach people, share your story and ask for donations. Through the platform, you can choose to do an integrated or organic fundraiser. If you don’t know the difference, check out Facebook Fundraising 101.

Regardless of the fundraiser you choose, here are six tips to make your efforts on Facebook even more impactful.

Personalize it. Be sure to include your story when you share your fundraising link with your followers. Tell your followers your reason for doing ESR Long Island and your reason for wanting to end cancer. Write from your heart — people respond to authenticity.
Get creative. Pay attention to the overall look and feel of your post. You can get creative (and boost engagement) by adding pictures, using emojis or including memes.
Ask friends to share your fundraiser. Identify trusted friends or family members and ask them to share your fundraiser on their Facebook pages or other social media platforms. This increases your audience and may land you donations you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
Go live. Livestreaming is one of the fast-growing ways to communicate online, and you can do it right on your Facebook platform. Start a Facebook Live session to talk about why you’re riding in ESR Long Island and engage directly with your followers.
Consider using an incentive. People are motivated by incentives. Consider incentivizing donations by offering to do something entertaining when you hit a certain fundraising goal. For example, try doing 20 pushups for every $20 you raise and then livestream your pushup session!
Show gratitude. One of the most important things you can do when someone donates to your fundraiser is to thank them. Make sure you send a digital thank you card or drop a friendly note in Messenger. If someone posts on your fundraiser, respond. Sharing gratitude shows people you appreciate their support.

That’s it! Follow these easy tips, and your Facebook fundraiser is sure to be a success. For more fundraising tips, check out Seven Creative Ways to Fundraise.

Month: March 2022