The ride might not be the toughest part
Fundraising
This will be different. Ride the Rideau will attract some of the most committed, enthusiastic, and passionate road cyclists and fundraisers around. So you’ll have some friendly competition!
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Rider Participation – $1,500
Our goal is to keep our tour small in number, allowing us to give each of our select riders more attention and support. As a result, each rider must raise a heroic $1,500 to participate.
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Rider Teams
Nobody wants to ride alone so why not enter a team? After all, the team that rides together, raises more money for cancer research together! Whether you want to get your family, friends, or colleagues involved, we encourage you to bike the good fight, together.
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Peloton Club Membership – raise $10,000 or more
The highest level fundraising riders will become members of the Peloton Club. Raise $10,000 or more and join this elite group of riders. Learn more
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Walker
You don’t need wheels to be a hero! If you prefer to fundraise on foot, simply download and complete our event pledge form.
Top 10 Fundraising Tips
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Fundraise online
Once you register online, fundraising is easy! Set your goals and create a personal fundraising page. Friends and family can donate from around the world and it’s just a safe and secure click. Your progress will be tracked on your page.
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Set a goal
Aim high! Set a fundraising target and let others know. You'll be surprised how quickly your pledge tally climbs and how people are apt to donate more if they know you’re close to your goal.
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Make the first donation yours
Support yourself! When others see it, they will know how committed you are. Your donation will help set the pace for how much you’re encouraging others to donate.
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Promote yourself to everyone
Make sure everyone you come into contact with knows about your commitment. Add your personal fundraising link to your email signature. Send an announcement—either via email or mail, and let everyone know you are participating in Ride the Rideau.
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Who do you ask?
It may seem daunting, but the fact is you already have a ready-made list of prospective sponsors: family members, friends, co-workers, neighbours, social/hobby/sports groups, your boss, local business owners, professional contacts…the list goes on.
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Enlist help from others
Encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to help fundraise on your behalf. Get your friends to ask their friends and contacts—you'll be amazed how many people you can reach.
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Make it easy for people to pledge
Give your prospects every opportunity to pledge at their convenience: email, online, or in person.
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Follow through
Send reminders and updates to potential donors on your fundraising progress and how far from, or close to, your goal you are.
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Take a new angle
Find out if your company will match your donations dollar for dollar. Start a competition among your friends to see who can raise the most funds.
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Always say “thank you”
Always thank people for their pledge and tell them how their donation will help advance cancer research at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and eventually lead to eradicating cancer.
Not Enough? 10 More Creative Tips
MORE IDEAS ON HOW TO RAISE $1,500 WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT
Besides tapping into your own network, here are some creative things you can do to raise $1,500 for Ride the Rideau:
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Share your knowledge
Teach a seminar on a topic you know: yoga, painting, knitting, organic gardening, organizing, proposal writing, gourmet cooking, dog grooming, starting your own business. Charge $50 per person, with a goal of 30 people. Either absorb the cost of promotion or have enough participants to cover it.
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Fancy banquet and “yummy num-nums”
Hold a fancy dinner at your home. Serve unusual or gourmet food or have special entertainment. Charge $50 or more per person and have 25 or more guests.
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Get progressive
Get three friends to help you have a progressive dinner. Start at one person’s home for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, progress to the next person’s house for soup or salad, the next person’s for the main course, and the last person’s for dessert. Either charge by the course or for the whole package.
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Heroic hosting
Host a Ride the Rideau house party. Do not charge admission and invite as many people as you can. During the party, give a short talk about why you are getting involved in Ride the Rideau and ask everyone to consider a gift of $25, $50, $100 or more (depending on the crowd). Either pass out envelopes or ask people to give at that moment or follow up with them after the party. Be sure to contact everyone and thank them.
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Ask the ultimate sacrifice
Ask ten people to forego buying fancy coffees for three months. You do the same. At $5.00 a day, you will be about half way toward your goal.
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Cookies for cancer
Ask two to five friends to help you put on a bake sale.
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The vintage solution
Invite people to your birthday party and ask that, in lieu of gifts, they give money to support your ride.
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Go the distance
Sell your frequent flyer miles to friends. You know you’ll be earning more.
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Retreat!
If you own a cottage or a condo in a nice location, rent it out for a week at $1,500 or a weekend two or three times during the year.
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Clean house and clean up
Have a sidewalk sale or garage sale for your whole neighbourhood or building. Go around to your neighbours and tell them you will take their stuff outside and sit with it all day to sell it if they will donate half or all of the proceeds to your group. Since this is stuff people want to be rid of anyway, it is a good deal for them. You can do the same online by selling unwanted items on eBay, UsedOttawa, or through internal networks.
