Do we need parent emails?
Adding parent emails to the system is the best way to raising the MOST money, but emails are not required.Ā
Privacy
We have three methods for creating participant pledge pages. Most groups go with the best method (EmailMe) because it is the most successful and we take privacy EXTREMELY seriously:
We do not market to the parents in ANY way. We simply send them an email with a link to their participantās page and a notification whenever anyone makes a donation to their page.
We NEVER share email addresses (or any system data) with any third party.
We only need participant first name and last initial.
Pages are not indexed by search engines.
Pages are not seen unless your parents share them.
Option #1:
EmailMe (Recommended & Best Method)
Ideally, you can get the following:
Participant name (first name/last initial is okay)
Parent email 1 (mom)
Parent email 2 (dad)
Group name (e.g. grade, teacher, team, etc.)
With those, you can simply load them in from a spreadsheet (we can help). Then, the system will automatically create one pledge page for each participant.Ā
This way, when you are ready to launch, you simply hit the āInviteā button and an email will go to each parent with a link to their participant's pledge page.
ZERO parent setup. Money will just start rolling in.Ā
Why is it the best method? It makes it super easy for parents to receive a personalized invitation email at launch and automatic reminders as the fundraiser comes to an end. We highly recommend it because this not only increases participation, but can potentially double or even triple the amount of funds raised.
This is, by far, the way to get the best results, which leads to this kind of success:
Option 2: FindMe
The second option is to get the following:
Participant name (first name/last initial is okay)
Group name (e.g. grade, teacher, team, etc.)
With this method, the system will also automatically create participant pages.Ā
However, the invite email would need to be sent from your system (as well as included on printed materials), instructing parents to go to the main landing page, then search for their participant. Once there, they can donate and share.Ā
See an example at https://99pledges.com/fund/schoolexample (search "Jack T")
Please Note: FindMe does NOT allow the participants/parents to customize their page nor submit T-Shirt Size nor ability to utilize the activity tracker (such as Read-a-thon reading tracker log).
Option 3: AddMe
We completely understand if you are not able to provide a roster. In that case, we can get you set up so that parents add their child to the fundraiser by using the āAddMeā capability.
We recommend first asking if you can get a roster that includes parent emails. If not possible, we understand if your school or group has privacy policies with sharing parent emails, so using Option #3 - AddMe is still a great option.
Please Note: FindMe does NOT allow the participants/parents to customize their page nor submit T-Shirt Size nor ability to utilize the activity tracker (such as Read-a-thon reading tracker log).
ONLY EmailMe and AddMe allows the ability (through a special link) for participants/parents to add a photo to their pledge page and access a reading tracker (for Read-a-thons).
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All of these methods will yield better results than a paper-based method (cash/check only). However, as mentioned, the results are substantially better with the Option #1 - EmailMe.
Related Articles:
Sample Parent Announcements for each of these options