How to Raise Awareness For A Cause

Before you start spreading the word about your cause, think about these three things:

KNOW: What are the most important things you want people to learn or understand about your cause?

FEEL: How do you want people to feel after learning about your cause or participating in your event?

DO: What actions do you want people to take next?

Start by answering these questions:

1. What is the goal or problem to be addressed?
2. What short term and long term goals do you want to achieve?
3. What are the root causes or reasons behind the issue you are addressing?
4. Why is the organization or cause important or worthy of support?
5. Why should someone care about this cause or problem?
6. What does the organization I’m supporting do?
7. Why should someone join or give to this effort?
8. How can someone join or give to this effort?
9. Who are the stakeholders that I need to engage?

Make Your Cause Part of the Event Experience:

• Give your miles, laps, stairs, goals or reps meaning. Connect a number from your cause to your activity. Examples: For every $11 I raise, I will go one mile. 11 represents the number of children who are diagnosed with cancer each day OR If 1 in 5 young people are affected by an issue connected to your cause, mark every fifth lap, stair, goal, or mile to represent that statistic and share what it means.
• Dedicate your movement. Dedicate the laps, miles, goals, etc at your event to people, stories or different aspects of your cause.
• Build in a Cause Moment Take a minute before, during or after your event to tell everyone why you’re doing it and why the cause matters to you. Here are some tips to help you do this.
• Create Calls to Action so participants can easily take the next step: sign a pledge, volunteer, donate, follow your cause, or find another way to get involved.
• Make an educational poster or flyer Get help here.
• Create a story to share on social media with pictures and quotes that are easily shareable. Check out canva.com for free resources.
• Create signs along the way. If you have an event that takes participants along a route or if you’ll have lots of spectators then share facts, quotes, or stories throughout the course, gym or field.
• Organize a service project
• Get creative with art. Incorporate an art project, mural, spoken word performance or another creative experience connected to your cause.
• Turn a statistic into something people can experience. Use cones, steps, laps, teams, minutes or another part of your event to bring an important number to life.
• Create a cause station. Give people a place to learn more, write a message, take a pledge, scan a QR code or take another action.
• Wear your cause. Use shirts, bibs, wristbands, signs or other gear to share a message, statistic or QR code.
• Invite your cause in. Ask someone from the organization you’re supporting to participate, speak, or answer questions. You can also offer them an opportunity to have a table at your event.

• Tell people why YOU care. Your personal story is powerful so share why you chose your cause.
• Choose one message you want people to remember. Repeat it in your posts, event page, signs and conversations.
• Share facts people will remember. Look for surprising or easy-to-understand statistics—and always use a trusted source. You can also offer prizes for people who can remember these statistics at the end of the event.
• Create content people want to share. Photos, short videos, graphics, quotes, polls and quick facts can help your message get out there.
• Give your team or participants something to post. Make a graphic, photo, caption, hashtag or key fact that participants can easily share with their own networks.
• Tag the organization you’re supporting. They may be able to share your content and help you reach more people.
• Reach beyond social media. Think school announcements, newsletters, community calendars, posters, local media, podcasts, clubs and community groups.
• Start a blog to share what you’re doing, what you’re learning and why the cause matters.
• Keep talking after the event. Share what happened, what you accomplished, what you learned and how people can stay involved.

• Connect your fundraising goal to your cause. Give the number meaning whenever you can.
• Use milestones to teach something. Each time you hit a fundraising milestone, share a new fact, story or piece of information about your cause.
• Tell donors what their support can do. Instead of only asking for a donation, explain the impact their support can have.
• Pair every ask with a little awareness. A fundraising post can also teach people something about the issue and why it matters.
• Create a movement-based fundraising challenge. “$10 = 10 push-ups” or “$25 = a mile” can connect giving directly to your athletic effort.
• Give people ways to help even if they can’t donate. Ask them to participate, volunteer, share your event, learn more about the issue or take another action.
• Celebrate impact, not just dollars. Share exactly what the dollars raised will do for your cause.
• Thank people with purpose. When you thank donors and participants, remind them what they helped make possible and give them a way to stay involved.