Unrealistic Expectation

Friday, May 5, 2006 at 10:05am 3 comments (last by Jamison)

I set my fundraising goal for the AIDS/LifeCycle at $12,000 which was just about double what I was able to raise last year.

The AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7 day, 585 mile long bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for life save AIDS services and in order to just participate as I rider I had to raise $2,500 but wanted to raise a lot more and last year I raised just shy of $6,000.

Now with just one month to go, I've only been able to raise $3,000 (I just hit $3,000 yesterday thanks to my friend and coworker Randy) so far, and I'm worried $12,000 is not only unrealistic, but might be a bit discouraging to possible donors.

I'm considering dropping my goal back down to $6,000 in the hope my friends and maybe readers here will think it's a more achievable goal they can help me get to.

Would dropping my goal be a horrible faux pas? Do you think it might help?

3 Comments

Scott Friday, May 5, 2006 at 9:47pm

You pose an interesting question.... I have always made my goal twice the minimum to ride because I figure people are more apt to donate a bit more to try and help me reach that goal. I figure if I say my goal is 2500, once I reach that people will stop donating cause I have reached my goal. But this year trying to get donations has seemed like squeezing blood from a turnip, and I wondered if the high goal and my distance from that goal discourages donors....

I think in the end it's a fine line. Some people may be less apt to donate if you have really high goal because they may think you expect them to donate A LOT. But if you set your goal to low, people may stop donating because they see you have reached your goal.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

Shelly Monday, May 8, 2006 at 7:59pm

I feel your pain Jamison. First year I set mine for 3,700 and raised over 9,000. Second year I doulbed what I hoped to raise and set it at 18,1something and raised just under 9. This year I set it for 10 and am barely over 5. And I hit up all my clients thsi year - never done that before. Thought it would jack things up exponentially. I was wrong. :-) Shelly

Jamison Thursday, May 11, 2006 at 11:06am

One thing that's been happening a lot more this has been people telling me they've already sponsored another friend riding.

At least if I'm having trouble fundraising, friends are still helping fight AIDS with their donations.