All Cyclists are required to raise a minimum of $3,200 in donations. Even if this is not your first time raising money, it can seem a little overwhelming; but don't worry, most people feel the same way! The good news is that there are many different ways to fundraise. The Alaska Ride will be able to provide you with a great many fundraising ideas and options. Additionally, The Alaska Ride will have staff available to assist you throughout the process.

Also remember that The Alaska Ride offers you an opportunity to designate the organization where you want to see your fundraising dollars used. This is accomplished through our administrator, The Patricia Manning Foundation 501(c)3. We hope this option incentivises all participants and makes the fundraising process more successful.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind While Fundraising:

Set a Goal. We encourage participants to examine the minimum fundraising requirement and set a goal for themselves. What will your fundraising goal be? Will you choose to go beyond the minimum? Raise $4,000, perhaps? Double the minimum? Once you establish a goal then you are ready to move forward.
You are not asking for money for yourself. Remember, you are not asking people to fund your next car payment or exotic vacation. You are asking for money to help provide AIDS and HIV services.
Know what you are talking about. Be informed about why you are doing this event. Know your facts about AIDS and HIV. Make yourself familiar with the current issues, particularly in your community. You may decide to carry around a little card with notes, or a brochure. There are many reasons to support your endeavor to raise this money and you should be able to share them with your donors.
Be prepared to talk to anyone. Always carry The Alaska Ride donation forms, pledge letters, and rider information. Always.
Talk to everyone. A donation could come from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Even if someone can not donate themselves, you may have won them over to the cause and they can help you find other donors.
ASK!!! Tell everyone you know that you are raising at least $3,200 and riding a bicycle over 500 miles to help fund and AIDS and HIVE organization that is important to you. Ask them to help. You just may be surprised to find how many people are willing to donate.
Thank your donors. There is more to it than saying "please" when asking for donations. Thank your sponsors too. Send them a simple note, a photo of you wearing your Alaska Ride t-shirt, or a training update. Make your donors a part of your experience. Send them a postcard from Alaska. They will feel even better about contributing when they see what you have committed to doing, and they will enjoy watching you every step along the way.

Details and Dates to Remember

Details
Donors can choose to make a series of payments with a credit card -- make sure to mention this when you ask for donations. Sometimes it is easier to give if the donation can be spread it over 6 months.

All donations must be sent directly to the address on the donation form. All donations go directly to the beneficiary. There may be a short delay in posting to your donation account. This is to ensure that the money is processed correctly.

You will be able to check your fundraising progress on our website very soon. Totals will be updated frequently, but as we said before, there will be a short delay between receipt of the donation and posting to your account, so please, be patient!

Monday, July 19, 2010 - Pledge Deadline for pre event accounting
We recommend that you have your minimum fundraising pledges in by this date to avoid standing in line on The Alaska Ride check-in day. We cannot guarantee that pledges received after this date will be credited to your account by the time you arrive to Check In. If you have not reached your minimum, or to collect incentive goals, we recommend that you bring pledges that you receive after this date with you to Check In.

Sunday, August 1, 2010 - Check In Day and Pledge Deadline
Sunday, August 1, 2010 will be the date for The Alaska Ride check-in. This will be one day prior to the start date of the event. You will need to have reached the minimum of $3,200 by this date to participate in the event. The Alaska Ride pledge office will be open during check-in to receive any final pledges you may have. The Alaska Ride will announce additional important event dates to remember as we continue to get closer to the event in 2010.