Your fundraising changes the world for people affected by MS by fueling cutting-edge research and critical services. Through Bike MS: Inside Out, we’re calling on our Bike MS community to raise $12 million to get us across the finish line for people affected by MS. It’s time to rally!
5 Ways to Get Started
1. Set a goal and aim high! People with MS need us now more than ever.
2. Personalize your Fundraising Center. Add a photo and tell people why you’re riding.
3. Make a self-donation to kickstart your fundraising. Show people why ending MS matters to you.
4. Fundraise With Social Media. Learn how to setup a Facebook Fundraiser and specific tips for making the most of your social media.
5. Get creative! Offer to pick up groceries or run errands for a donation. Host a socially distant dinner party or Zoom activity night. The sky is the limit!
Virtual Fundraising Ideas
Learn some tips and tricks to help you be a successful virtual fundraiser! Here are a few our favorite ideas...
Social Media and Email
- Facebook Fundraising
Link your fundraising page to Facebook. Learn how to do it on the Fundraising with Social Media page. - Fundraising Link in Emails
Remember to include your fundraising link on all outgoing emails, and texts. Also, re-record your voicemail to include a mention about participating in Bike MS and a request to contact you about donating. - Share on Social Media
Ask friends to share your posts on social media and forward your emails.
Online Activities
- Donor Incentives
Offer donor incentives. For each $50 donation, post a goofy video of you dancing in honor of the donor; for each $20 donation send your donor a handmade thank you card; or, for each $10 donation paint a picture and send it to your donor. - Virtual Dinner Party or Wine Tasting
Host a virtual dinner party or wine tasting. Send participants a link to a virtual party once they make a donation to your fundraising page. Everyone can bring their favorite dish or wine and share why it’s their favorite. Bonus: Invite an MS ambassador to share their personal story on the call. - Netflix Party
Host a Netflix party. Rally your teammmates, friends and family to stream a movie together using the new Netflix party app. Incorporate a fun game too! For example, every time the word “bike” is said in the movie, everyone donates $1 to your team. - Virtual Garage Sale
Have a Virtual Garage Sale. Go through your things and see what you can sell at a garage sale...then sell it online! You can host this sale via Zoom or Facebook Live, or simply email or text your friends pictures of items for sale. - Lip Sync Battle
Organize a Lip Sync Battle. Encourage team members to record videos of themselves singing and then submit the videos to you. You then set a time to showcase all the submissions and let donors vote on their favorite with their donation dollars. The person with the most donations wins! Variations of this event include a pet photo or kid photo contest. - Virtual Candy-Grams
Use a talent you have such as singing, playing an instrument, magic, or reading a children’s book, to deliver virtual candy-grams to friends and family stuck at home. - No-bake Bake Sale
Host a no bake, bake sale. Have people donate what they would spend on making baked goods for a sale. Instead of baking, they donate to you.
Get Moving
- Training Miles
Use your training miles to raise funds. Set a mileage or fundraising goal you’d like to achieve by a specific date. Then, share the goal with your friends. Encourage them to donate to your fundraiser (e.g. $1 = 1 mile) to help you get your training miles in. If you use Strava (or a similar app), make sure to edit the title of your ride to reflect your donor. For example, Darryl’s Donation Ride 50 miles! - Zoom Activity Night
Host a Zoom activity night. Encourage donors to contribute a set amount to participate. For example:
- Bingo
- Cooking Class
- Trivia
- Exercise/Yoga class
- Dance party
- Concert
- Game night - 24-hour Bike-a-thon
Host a 24-hour bike-a-thon. Get the whole team involved as you rotate shifts around the clock. Donors can pledge money for each hour ridden.
Around Your House and Neighborhood
- Grocery Pick-up or Delivery
Offer to deliver or pick up groceries in exchange for donations to your fundraising page. - IOUs
Offer “IOUs” for future things such as dinners, errands, chores, cleaning services, or crafts in exchange for a donation. - In-Home Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of everyday objects you and your friends might find at home (a pink highlighter, wrapping paper, an old teddy bear, etc.). If someone doesn't have an item on your list, they can make a donation to bypass the item and move on to the next. Whoever gets through the list fastest gets a special written thank you message. - Favorite Things
Create lists of your favorite things like books, movies, crafts, school worksheets for kids, distraction techniques and share them for a donation. - Orange Ribbons
Cut orange ribbons and sell them to your friends and family. You can either mail the ribbons to donors or offer to hang them in your window with their name printed on them. Don’t forget to post photos to #BikeMSInsideOut. - Note for Your Neighbor
Put a note in your neighbor’s mailbox letting them know you are participating. Ask them to join your team and make a donation.