StoriesMay 24, 2019

Lessons from Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida Michigan Pro, Gayl Dybdahl

Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida Michigan is coming up in just a week. This event brings together the Michigan Spina Bifida community to support the local programs, resources, and services that are there to improve the lives of all those touched by Spina Bifida.

Gayl Dybdahl has spent years supporting and attending the local Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida in Clarkston, MI. Gayl has two granddaughters who were born with Spina Bifida and every year their family and friends come together to raise awareness and give back to the community. Gayls team, Sagan and Katelyn’s Krew, has been a long-time top fundraiser at the Michigan Walk-N-Roll.  With time running out to fundraise for the upcoming Walk-N-Roll, Gayl shared her top 3 fundraising tips in hopes you too can make a major impact on the Michigan Spina Bifida community.

  1. Send out email blasts: “I send out donation request emails to every single person I know, seriously.  If I have your email, I will send you donation request plea. I believe that no one will donate who isn’t asked, so I want to give that opportunity to everyone.”
  2. Send emails out in targeted groups: “ I group the emails into small groups – for example people I used to work with, people I have met while traveling, friends of the family, my mother’s side of the family, my father’s side, neighbors, people with whom I volunteer, etc.”
  3. Have a boilerplate message, and customize it to targeted audiences: “ I have a boilerplate email that contains a picture of the kids, their current health status, some things that the SBA of Michigan did over the last 12 months and then the all-important ask. I begin each set of emails with a little greeting and news that is appropriate for the group.  My mother’s side of the family gets info about her – she is 93. Our travel friends get info about where we have last traveled and our upcoming plans. I try to be upbeat and newsy. I give them the link for our team, me and/or the kids. (I mix it up) and I give my home address if people prefer to pay by check.I keep a list and if a month passes and nothing – I send out a reminder.  ‘Don’t want to miss this great opportunity to donate.’I use Facebook as well and I post the kids pictures and their page links every few days for a couple of months. Sometimes people that I don’t even know have donated to these cute kids.”

 

Every dollar makes a difference at Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida, but so does every person. Your support can change lives! Join us in Clarkston, MI on June 9, 2019!

Recent