Here’s all you need to reach your Bowl-a-thon goal!

Fundraising for the Bowl-a-thon is simpler than you think…

Fundraising may seem complicated, but simply asking is really the best way to reach your goal.

Sending individual personal messages to friends, family, colleagues, etc. has been found to be the most effective way to encourage giving. Asking them three times is even more successful.

Adding sincere personal touches goes a long way and it helps show your potential supporters that you are truly committed and passionate about this cause.

To help you out, we’ve included a couple example emails that you can feel free to customize and use!

Good luck and look out for more handy fundraising emails coming to you weekly!

Hello Friend,

I know it may be hard to do, but can you imagine what it would be like if you were unemployed, had only $100 to your name, and a $600 bill for your upcoming abortion. Think of how it hard it can be to feel like you have to choose between food and making your appointment. Sadly, many people in New York are facing choices like these despite their legal right to abortion care.

This year, I have committed to raising $[x] for NYAAF, an organization that works to provide funding for every person who needs financial assistance to abortion care in New York through their annual Bowl-a-thon. In 2013, they pledged nearly $100,000 and this year is slated to be even bigger. Without a successful Bowl-a-thon, NYAAF cannot do this work.
Help me strike down barriers to abortion access and guarantee that one’s right to health care isn’t determined by how much money they have. Donations of $15, $10 or even $5 really make a difference! [link to your personal page]
Thank you,
[Your name here]
The below letter is courtesy of Jill Greenberg, who sent it to 22 family members!

Hi _____!

As you may or may not know, I [volunteer for/support/am friends with X board member of] the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF). It’s an all volunteer run organization that runs completely on donations from individuals (they don’t receive any grants and the donations go straight to those in need.) I am participating in their annual Bowlathon, where they raise the majority of their funds for the year! Last year, NYAAF pledged $96,716 to help 364 people access the abortion services they desperately needed. Please support me in NYAAF’s biggest year ever by donating to my Bowlathon page here: [link here]

Did you know?:

  • In 2013, the average cost of a procedure NYAAF sponsored was $906, and the most common was $500. The average grant size was $303. Could you afford that out of pocket?
  • “Back-alley” abortions cause 68,000 maternal deaths each year in the 33 countries where abortion is not legal or available, according to the World Health Organization in Oct. 2006.
  • 87% of US counties do not provide abortion services. In 2008, 39% of New York counties had no abortion provider.
  • Abortion is a common experience: At current rates, about one in three American women will have had an abortion by the time she reaches age 45.
“The decision to become a parent is one of the most important decisions people make in their life. As a mother and an obstetrician-gynecologist, I don’t believe pregnancy or parenthood should be forced on anyone.” -Lisa Bayer, MD, Physicians for Reproductive Health

What NYAAF Does:

  • Provides funds to those in financial need who are seeking an abortion
  • Makes sure that the health centers/clinics for those who seek abortions are safe, non-judgemental spaces
  • Provides one-on-one support for those who call NYAAF seeking abortion services
  • Works to eliminate the stigma around abortions to eradicate shame and judgement around ones’ personal healthcare choices
  • Strikes down barriers to reproductive health choices because everyone has their right to live a self-determined life!

Please support me by donating to my Bowlathon page here: [link here]

Thank you!

P.S. We’re Behind! In anticipation of our biggest year ever, NYAAF has set a Bowl-a-thon fundraising goal of $100,000. So far, we’ve raised $17,720. At this time last year, we had raised $30,000.

That means we need to pick up the pace to meet the demand for our biggest year yet! We’re so glad to have you on board to help us & we’re positive the Bowl-a-thon is gonna be amazing!

P.P.S. NYAAF is looking for three amazing people to join our Board of Directors. Find out more info here & let us know if you’re interested!

Your #NYAAFbowl14 page is AWESOME!

(and if it’s not yet, it WILL be!)

As the Bowl-a-thon season comes into full swing, we wanted to talk to you a little bit about personalizing your fundraiser page. The more engaging your page is, the more people will be enticed to support. And luckily, it’s VERY easy to customize your page!

Here are some starters to help inspire your page’s amazingness:

  • Start by checking out the landing page where you log in. Simply log in to the Bowl-a-thon site and check out the menu on the left & theCustomize Your Page options in front of you. You can edit your page message, change your goal, add photos, and more!
    • If you need more help, there’s also this handy guide created by the National Network of Abortion Funds that goes over the basics of embedding images, animated GIFs, videos, etc. onto your page.
  • Get some inspiration from NNAF’s “Bowl-a-thon Page of the Week” blog series or by simply clicking around the Bowl-a-thon homepage and perusing the pages of other teams/bowlers.
  • Find some imagery to use on your page! Some examples:
    • selfie of you with a sign saying why you support abortion funds (check out Lauren Rankin’s “I Fund Abortions” Tumblr for examples!)
    • A series of animated GIFs telling a compelling AND hilarious story (may we suggest giphy.com as a good GIF search engine?)
    • Custom memes via memegenerator.net (examples above created by Katie of the High Roellers!)

More than anything, make your page a reflection of yourself. People that may pledge to you are interested in knowing WHY this work is so important to you. Get creative in the ways you express this! Your page is your canvas!

As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions and happy funding!

Many thanks,
Dana
NYAAF Bowl-a-thon Coordinator

P.S. You can find our Bowl-a-thon FAQ here.

P.P.S. NYAAF is looking for three amazing people to join our Board of Directors. Find out more info here & let us know if you’re interested!

Let’s BOWL!

Past NYAAF Bowl a Thon participants

Come bowl with us!

Hello New Yorkers! We wanted to remind that our annual Bowl-a-thon fundraiser is happening RIGHT NOW & there’s still time to register! 

Whether you want to bowl with us, support an existing team, or simply find out more about the Bowl-a-thoncheck out: bit.ly/NYAAFbowl14

Most importantly, the Bowl-a-thon is what allows NYAAF to do the work we do. Without a successful Bowl-a-thon, we’d have to scale back our services & refuse help to those who need it most.

This year, we’re aiming to break Bowl-a-thon records & raise an amazing$100,000! 

Will you help us achieve that goal?

To motivate you to join us, we’ve compiled a handy list of FAQ, which can be found below. We’ve shared this info with our already-registered bowlers, but we know it’s useful for everyone!

More after the jump…

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