Get involved
Light the world with Unite to Light
Fundraising is an amazing way to light the world
Spread awareness of the importance of solar light and power, and have a great time with friends and family!
You don’t have to be an expert or give up loads of your free time – click the “Start Fundraising” button to get started, or follow the steps below to make a huge difference to those in need of light
Student Fundraisers Santa Barbara Middle School, California, USA
Fundraising Ideas
Facebook Birthday Party
This is—by far— the easiest way to fundraise.
Dinner Party
*Top Tip: having some entertainment for your dinner party can make it seem like much more of an event! Think about whether you could hold some after-dinner games or karaoke to keep the evening going.
Sponsored Challenge
Bake Sale or Coffee Morning
Do you know someone who works in a large office that would be willing to let you come in? Or is there a local community group or faith group where you could sell some baked goods?
Raffles
Quiz Night
Consider what prize you’d like to offer the winning team. If you’re hosting in a bar – see whether they might be willing to donate a bottle of wine? Additionally, ask local restaurants and businesses for any prizes they’d be willing to donate.
Next, ask for help with both setting a good range of questions and running the night itself. Decide on a date, set an entry fee, and invite people to organize their own team!
Yard Sale
*Top tip: this could work great in combination with a bake sale and/or raffle!
Give A Talk
You don’t have to be a skilled public speaker, just think if there’s a community group (e.g. church/mosque/school/Rotary) that you could speak to for 5 minutes. It can be an amazing way to engage people with UTL’s work and raise funds.
Once you’ve decided how you want to raise money for Unite to Light, we want to make sure you have the resources and advice you need to make your event the fundraising success it deserves to be.
Step 1 – Set up your fundraising page
Step 2 – Publicize your event
Step 3 – Keep your event safe and legal
Step 4 – Send us the money!
Set Up Your Fundraising Page
Set up a Givelively fundraising page.
This takes less than 5 minutes, and is the perfect place to gather donations and share what you’re doing. You can choose to either fundraise for one of Unite to Light’s existing campaigns (such as Solar Light and Power for Midwives), or create your own campaign and raise money for all of Unite to Light’s work.
Set up a Facebook fundraising page.
Facebook makes it easy to fundraise with simple step by step instructions, enables you to share with your network, gives tips on successful fundraising, and collects donations in the app. Facebook also charges no fees!
Publicize Your Event
Local Press
Local media are always looking for feel-good stories about local people – why not send a press release to a local paper and try raise awareness of your campaign? Just include the what, when, where and why you’re fundraising. It’s also highly recommended to include a photo of yourself or the event, and remember to include a link to your Givelively page to encourage potential donors!
Social Media
Using social media can be one of the quickest and simplest ways of gaining donations for your campaign. It’s important not to simply share your Givelively page and hope for the best, however. Here are some simple tips:
- Be creative
Think about what you can post about. If it’s a sponsored challenge, could it be photos of you training? If it’s a raffle, tell people what they could win by donating to your page! - Use photos/videos
Social media works best when using images and short videos, and this also makes your fundraising more personal. People are more likely to donate if the campaign to the person they know. - Use your networks
Ask friends and family if they’d be willing to share your campaign on their social media – the more networks you can reach, the more likely someone will donate. - Don’t be afraid to be repetitive
In today’s busy world, it’ll often take people several posts to finally donate to your cause. Don’t be afraid to post an update on your efforts every week or so, and remind people that they can still donate! Thank people for their donations It might seem overkill, but posting a simple ‘thank you’ to whoever donates really helps keep your campaign’s momentum going, and makes other people aware that they could donate too. It’s also just a nice thing to do!
Keep Your Event Safe & Legal
Insurance and Licenses
Please remember that although we’re here to help you organize and plan, you are responsible for your activity or event and Unite to Light is unable accept liability. We also recommend that you ask your local authority whether or not you need to obtain any special license for your event.
Raffles
Holding a raffle is a great way to raise funds, but it’s important to be aware of the legalities and whether you’ll need a license for your event. Every state is different. In California please go her: https://oag.ca.gov/charities/raffles and talk to your community fundraiser.
Food hygiene
Whether you’re selling cupcakes or putting on a spread, food safety laws will apply. Check with the food safety agency in your state, just to be safe. (California’s is here)
What we accept
We appreciate all types of gifts and donations but some types of gifts add logistical or legal hurdles. Please review our Board’s Gift Acceptance Policy.
Send Us the Money!
Online Platforms
If you use Facebook or Givelively, the funds will be sent directly to our account! No need to do anything further. Thank you!
Send It!
We can accept checks by mail. Please include the check, directions on where you would like the funds to go (a specific project or general support), a note on how to best contact you (email and phone number) as well as anything you’d like us to know about your fundraiser.
Our Address:
Unite to Light
1117 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Website
We can take credit card donations on our donation page
Call Us
If you raised funds offline give us a ring and we can help you figure out the best options! +1 (805) 617-0590
What to say to your donors
Tips for encouraging people to contribute to your fundraising
Making people aware that their donations are going to a great cause is a crucial way of making your fundraising a success, so it really helps if you can inform them of the work Unite to Light does.
Feel free to use this section below on your Givelively page or Facebook fundraiser, or in any emails or press releases you send out:
‘Unite to Light works to increase access to clean and affordable light and energy, with the aim of helping to improve health, education and prosperity globally. As a not-for-profit 501(c)3 we manufacture and distribute efficient, durable, low cost solar lamps and solar chargers to people without access to electricity. Since 2011 we have delivered 115,000 solar lights to people in 77 countries. We focus on projects that help children learn to read and study at night, equip midwives with the tools they need to do their job, and to offer relief to those suffering from disasters.
