We received a question Lynda:

“How can I get the word out that my daughter is in need of financial help with medical bills other than it being told by the media? I don\’t have any friends or family that is well off to help more than they already have. Any suggestions will be appreciated.Thanks Lynda.”

Thank you Lynda for asking your question. We understand that as a parent, you want to do as much as possible for your daughter. We have 3 suggestions that might be useful for you and anyone else who may be in a similar situation.

1) Look Outside Your Immediate Network:

Although you have mentioned that you have already exhausted donations from your friends and family for your daughter’s medical bills, have you tried reaching out to other contacts that you might have? We suggest to contact:

– Your daughter’s school. This is a great way to create awareness and also get financial assistance. You can try to speak at a parents night or perhaps organize to be in the newsletter.

– Your workmates and office. Sharing your daughter’s story may help get support from fellow workmates.

– Think of any of the community groups, societies or clubs your daughter might be involved in. These are the networks that you might be able to contact and organise a fundraising event or at the very least, share your daughter’s story to drive more donations for medical bills.

2) Social Media

By creating a People Pledge page, you will be able to help validate your daughter’s medical illness and help explain the medical costs associated with her treatment. It will be much easier to receive the donations especially, if you plan to reach out to the general public for donations. There are no fees in setting up your People Pledge account.

You can then reach out to your networks online using social media. Here are a few examples and tips that can help you get a better reaction online:

– Try posting a comment on Facebook fan pages of charities and support groups that you think might give you more donations.

– Ensure that you place relevant hashtags on your tweets to get more views by the general public.

– Be creative in promoting your People Pledge page. Add photos, updates and videos on your People Pledge fundraising page. This will give you the best results.

3) Thank You Gifts

One of the biggest benefits of using an online fundraising website such as ours is the ability to provide ‘Thank You Gifts’ for individuals who make a donation.

You determine what kinds of gifts you are willing to provide to show your appreciation. This could be personalized Thank you card for every $20.00AUD donation you receive from a person. Your Thank You Gifts can increase in value and time depending on how much a person donates. This provides a small incentive for donors to make a donation and to feel a personal connection with your story.

We hope these suggestions will be useful for you and ask if you have any other questions or would like support in creating a fundraising page, to contact us directly.