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I raise money each year for cancer research. I do most of the fundraising via Facebook and it goes straight to the charity. You can check your charity if it’s large enough on charity navigator.
As far as opioid charities go, I saw local is better. We have a couple here in Syracuse I work with occasionally. I’d call a local rehab or public health agency to see who is doing what.
Also remember that some charities have paid staff and physical locations, both of which create overhead. Your donation may go towards that, which is just as important.
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Keep me posted if it’s something you go ahead with.x
I know it is all for a good cause; however, no links to fundraisers please.
From the forum rules…
"Do not use Talking Sober as a fundraising or promotion platform. "
Thanks for checking first! 
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I work as a fundraiser. A couple of things…
Contact the charity you want to support when you decide. They should be able to help with fundraising tips. Definitely set up an online giving page, worth asking the charity which is best for them (different platforms take different fees). If you know a lot of people that still prefer cash then ask for sponsorship forms as well.
In terms of raising money, you got to ask! I found doing regular training updates on my Facebook page (along with a link to donate) made a big difference. I did a walk so I could do videos as I was walking round, and I took photos and shared them too, I got quite a few donationson the day. The charity also shared my fundraising page on social media and for some donations that way. If you go down the sponsorship form route (you can do both) then get one up in your staff room and also keep on one you.
Whatever charity you choose, tell people why it’s important to you. Ultimately that will make them donate, rather than the fact you are running a marathon (although that is very impressive!).
Set an achievable target and then you have an excuse to do more plugging of your page when you hit it… Thanks so much to everyone, we’ve raised $xx - can we make it $xx ? You could say if you hit a certain amount you could say you will contribute, or add an extra dimension to your challenge (e.g. will wear a pink tutu, etc).
There is probably more I could say but think that is a pretty good amount to be getting on with 
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No worries, the intent of your thread is obvious and not an issue at all.
FWIW, I do believe Facebook works as an excellent platform for people to raise $ for charities…money goes directly to the charity as well, so no creative accounting worries.
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i ran for charity back in october and it was not fun asking people for money! 
but wow did it feel good when i raised a decent amount of cash at the end!! i had friends who i thought would for sure give money only to never commit to doing so. that was a bit awkward. others i never expected to give, gave quite a lot!
i raised money for off the track race horses so it wasnt exactly pulling at everyones heart strings. rescue horses give me the most joy so i was geeked to tell everyone about it, whether they were going to donate or not. i think you’ll have more luck with capturing hearts (and wallets) with addiction since it effects so many. i would post on social media about my runs and horses that the money would go to taking care of. it might have helped to keep people engaged or remember to donate.
best of luck! it’ll be so worth all the effort 
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something else that i’m really happy i did – emailed or texted all the financial supporters after my race with pictures! they all wrote back and we’re happy to receive a correspondence.
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Oh that’s such a good point, writing a personal thanks to everyone who supports. People really appreciate it and it will make them more likely to give to you in future, if you ever decide to do more fundraising.
Please do drop me a message if there’s anything I can help with