Medical bills can pile up exorbitantly in the case of serious illnesses. This grave situation especially affects those from less privileged backgrounds due to a lack of funds, resources, and other amenities. One of the ways to meet the expensive medical bills is through medical fundraising, which is done in various ways.
Fundraising or donation based crowdfunding is an approach where the aggrieved patient or their friends/family members can reach out to the public through various sources and raise funds for the medical treatment. There is both an online and offline approach to it. Strangers can make donations and this creates a pool of funds to pay the bills of the patient.
If you are looking for a way to get started with medical fundraising, you might be confused about where exactly to start, who to approach, and which crowdfunding websites to use. In this guide, we’ll break down the steps for you to equip you with knowledge for a medical fundraiser.
1.Pick Reliable Platforms:
There are multiple platforms available online that help you raise funds for your monetary needs. They are sometimes tailored to your specific requirements; like crowdfunding for social needs, medical needs, educational needs, etc. If you want to start a crowd funding initiative for a medical reason, look for websites that mainly focus on that.
Next, since this platform will be used for monetary donations, carefully research and verify the credibility of the website. Go through their previous success stories, read reviews online, and make yourself familiar with the transaction process and fees, if any. This will help you avoid any hassle later. A robust customer care service is also a positive sign of a trustworthy website.
2.Keep Supporting Documents Ready:
Once you have found a trustworthy platform among the plethora of crowd source funding sites, you need to prove your legitimacy and build a trust factor. Strangers who will be donating to your fundraiser should feel a sense of trust and credibility while donating. Keeping all the documents, medical bills, hospital bills plus other expense receipt intact will help you provide credibility to your story.
3.Write A Compelling And Clear Story:
Now that you have your documents ready, use them to write a clear, detailed, and accurate story about the situation. Make sure that you include all the important information, like the patient’s name, condition, doctor’s comments, monetary requirements, and other details that might be required. Being as transparent as possible will help your cause. The supporting documents will also help you make your story more reliable. It is also advisable to add a call to action for potential donors.
4.Add Relative Visuals:
People might not always read through your whole story and just skim through a few main points. To grab the attention of the donors and help them understand the situation, some visual insights could go a long way. Take consent of the patient before taking their pictures and if they happen to be too graphic, you can add a trigger warning describing the image for the viewers. The aim is to make the donors understand the importance and urgency of the situation.
5.Reach Out To NGOs:
Crowdfunding sites can help you reach an audience through online portals, however, you must seek out other ways to reach donors as well. For example, take the traditional routes of approaching NGOs. Take time to research NGOs, their geographical reach, and the causes they specifically target. There are NGOs that help you raise funds and awareness for specific medical conditions, so look out for those that match the patient’s situation. NGOs can help the word spread faster and connect you to potential donors.
6.Keep In Touch With Donors:
This is not a must-do to raise funds, but it is a good practice to follow for accountability. After you have employed the above-mentioned steps, you should be able to reach potential donors and raise the required funds. Once the fundraising activity is done and the financial needs have been met, you should send a follow-up mail/ SMS or somehow reach out to the donors to let them know how their funds were utilized or how their money had a positive impact on the patient. This appreciation will help you maintain good relations with the donors.
Raising funds for medical situations is difficult but not impossible. If you use these tips and persistently work towards your goal by deploying all the channels to spread the cause, you will reach your goal in a matter of time. Follow ethical crowdfunding practices and always be transparent to the donors.