Early fundraising is the ticket to much less stress, extra donations, and stronger engagement.
After recognizing a couple of key alternatives throughout their London Marathon 2024 marketing campaign, Scope made some adjustments for 2025 that unlocked earlier giving, stronger supporter dedication, and raised over £330,000 for his or her trigger.
Plus, they made much more enhancements for 2026 which have already introduced in over £34,000…and it’s solely October! Let’s speak about all of it.
Onboard quick, activate early
That is vital for fulfillment. Right here’s what Scope did to make sure folks had what they wanted to start out elevating cash right away.
Get folks the essential data ASAP
When new fundraisers signed up, Scope despatched them directions to organising a JustGiving web page, key marketing campaign dates, and a hyperlink to hitch their #TeamScope Strava Membership. Within the first 10 days, in addition they shipped banners, balloons, Letters of Authority, sponsorship varieties, working vests, and fundraising concepts to native members.
Maintain interviews to construct a robust crew
Interviews helped establish dedicated candidates, set clear expectations, and supply essential causes to start out fundraising early:
- You can begin serving to now: JustGiving transfers donations weekly, so the sooner you increase cash, the earlier we can assist folks.
- Coaching takes extra time after Christmas, so ramp up your fundraising early to take off strain later.
- Locations are costly, so we want your dedication up entrance.
Use WhatsApp to get folks speaking
WhatsApp is a rising channel for fundraising, with London Marathoners rating it of their high two charity communication channels. Scope arrange a WhatsApp group for his or her 2025 members, which was massively helpful: 75% of their members joined, engaged, and shared with one another! Try the group’s phrases and circumstances.
Create a robust JustGiving Marketing campaign Web page
Scope created a free JustGiving Marketing campaign Web page because the central hub for his or her marketing campaign’s donations and fundraising. They customised the default title, cowl, story, and goal for all related pages to assist folks rise up and working sooner.
“Charity runners had JustGiving pages, permitting [the London Marathon platform’s] computerized pages to be ignored.”
Sophie Maggs, Scope
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Maintain folks shifting with milestones
Scope set a minimal fundraising goal of £2,000 for every participant. This gave them a significant objective for making an actual influence. They break up this up into 4 milestones between October and March to maintain folks on observe.
You are able to do this too by setting mini targets alongside your marketing campaign. For instance:
- Get your first donation by Christmas
- Elevate 50% of your objective by January
- Elevate £1,500 by March
Then, assist your fundraisers rejoice their milestone achievements, particularly calling out their effort.
Talk commonly
Scope sends common emails with these high fundraising ideas:
- Donate to your self to lift 42% extra. It additionally acts as an anchor for web page guests, suggesting the most effective quantity to present.
- Personalise your web page. Including pictures, customising your story, and saying thanks leads to more cash raised. See our high 10 fundraising ideas.
- Right here’s the way you’re serving to. Share how donation quantities assist attain particular targets. For instance, “£20 funds one name to our Helpline”.
- Share, share, share. Use JustGiving’s built-in sharing choices like social media, QR codes, printed posters, and Add to Cellular Pockets to succeed in extra folks.
And don’t neglect to easily test in in your supporters. On the finish of the 12 months, Scope despatched all their supporters a festive card and a KitKat, reminding them to “take a break”!
Elevate extra with match funding
Match funding is when a participant’s employer agrees to match the quantity they increase for charity, both pound-for-pound or as much as a set restrict. For instance, if a runner raises £500, their employer matches it with a £500 donation, doubling the influence!
Scope gave members data they might share with their employers about this, then noticed a transparent improve in corporations matching funding forward of race day.
What’s subsequent for 2026?
Scope is constructing on what labored to make the expertise even higher for supporters:
- Goal and milestone refinements: Scope is upping their minimal fundraising goal to £2,300 whereas adjusting milestone dates to accommodate.
- Extra consideration on their waitlist: they’re placing extra into bringing their London Marathon waitlist members alongside the journey too, by sharing different occasions in addition to the precedence notification for 2027 purposes.
- Leaving Fb: Attributable to low engagement, the charity’s dropping Fb for 2026. They’re serving to to advertise platforms like TikTok to succeed in youthful audiences.
- Extra dynamic messaging: They’re working to align their emails with key milestones like “100 days to go”.
- Working smarter with information: Scope’s Incapacity Map exhibits the variety of folks with disabilities in a given constituency. They’re aiming to make use of this to assist runners visualise how their efforts straight assist their local people.
And extra! Watch the complete webinar for the complete story of how Scope raised £330,000 towards their trigger and the way they’re bettering even additional for 2026.
Watch the complete webinar
Discover ways to maximise your London Marathon fundraising, good your timeline, and ship stellar stewardship to assist smash your 2026 targets.
