How to Start a Digital Fundraiser

Follow the steps below to create your own digital fundraiser to benefit the Yale School of Medicine. If you have any questions regarding starting a digital fundraiser, please email us at digitalfundraising@yale.edu.

Choose a Cause at Yale School of Medicine

Prior to creating your digital fundraising page, you will need to choose what you would like to fundraise for at Yale School of Medicine. Pick a cause that is meaningful to you, whether that be supporting important biomedical research, advanced clinical care, or medical education.

When you go to create your page, you will have the option to support one of our departments, institutes, and centers (e.g., Yale Cancer Center, Neurology, Women's Health Research at Yale) or one of our Campaign Strategic Initiatives (e.g., Diabetes and Metabolism, Health Equity). You will then be directed to choose a specific fund where we should direct donations raised through your fundraiser.

If you are interested in creating a gratitude page to thank a doctor/faculty member for their exceptional care, email us at digitalfundraising@yale.edu, and we will assist in getting your digital fundraising page set up.

Create Your Digital Fundraising Page

Once you know what you would like to fundraise for, click here to be directed to our digital fundraising form. This form will allow you to create your personalized fundraising page.

In order to set your page up properly, you will need to fill in the following information on the form:

Name of your fundraiser (e.g., Ashley's Fundraiser for Alzheimer's Research)
Fundraising Goal $ (If you don't want to set a goal for your fundraiser, enter 0 in this field)
What you would like to fundraise for (Choose from drop downs on form)
Fundraiser/Campaign Date (Optional)
Your contact information (Name, email address, phone number)

After you submit your form, your page and fundraiser account will be created for you, and you will receive an email confirmation with a link to access your page/account.

Personalize Your Fundraising Page

Start personalizing your page by adding photos, videos, and your story. This will inspire others to donate to your cause!

Did you start this fundraiser to honor a loved one, support the research of a beloved member of the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) community, or celebrate a day by giving back? Make it personal and tell people why you've decided to fundraise for YSM.

If you would like guidance on how to customize and navigate your personal fundraiser page, please click here to be directed to our fundraising resources page where you will find useful instructional guides.

Spread the Word and Invite Others to Donate

The best way to get donations on your personal fundraising page is to share, share, share. When you create your fundraising page, you will receive a personalized link, which you can share via email, social media, and text.

To reach the largest audience of donors you should:

Email. This is the #1 way people ask for donations on the web. Import contacts from your webmail, create a message, and send to your friends, family, co-workers, community groups, local businesses, and more. This can all be done right on your fundraiser dashboard.
Share on Social Media. Connect your fundraiser account with Facebook, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn to send fundraising updates to your friends/followers. Connecting your account can make you twice as likely to reach your goal!
Text. Send your personalized fundraising link in a quick text to your contacts and ask them to check out your page and donate.

Other Tips

Communication is key. Make sure to follow up with your donation asks and send thank yous to those who have donated to your cause. Use all the tools available to you in your fundraiser account.
Expand your reach. Make contact lists of everyone you know and consider reaching out to small businesses, community groups, and more to garner additional support and donations.

Now You're Ready to Start Fundraising!

Create a Fundraising Page

Fundraising Toolkit