Fundraising Tools
We want your CAF fundraising experience to be fun, easy and rewarding. That is why we put together the following fundraising tips, tricks and best practices that will help get your fundraiser off the ground. Click on the button to be taken to that section or scroll down to view all.
CAF Logo - for sharing
Create a Facebook Fundraiser
CAF Fast Facts
What It All Costs
How to Raise $500 in 10 days
Tell Your Story
Tips from a Top Fundraiser
Team-building Tips
CAF Logo
How to save the image:
- Put the mouse arrow over the image
- Click and hold (Mac) or right mouse click (PC) on the image until a dialog box appears.
- Select "Save this image as" or "Save picture as"
- A box pops up asking you where you want to save the image to. Navigate to the folder in which you want to save the image.
- If you are using a Mac, also make sure that the name you choose ends in .jpg (if you are using a PC it will automatically insert this extension for you).
- Click on the "save" button.
Create a Facebook Fundraiser
Take your fundraising further by raising money through your social network. By creating a Facebook Fundraiser through your fundraising page, you can share your page on Facebook to your friends and family. Donor's don't have to leave Facebook to donate to your page, all donations received will process and be displayed on both pages.
In your Fundraiser Portal, click on Create a Facebook Fundraiser in Your Fundraising menu. You will be asked to connect to your Facebook account and to allow permission to connect to Facebook. Once you have completed the steps, you can view your Facebook Fundraiser in Facebook.
Matching Gifts
What are matching gifts?
Many companies match charitable donations made by their employees. This is a great way to double - or even triple - your gift to Challenged Athletes Foundation!
How can I get a matching gift?
You will have to contact your Human Resources department directly to see if your company matches charitable gifts. If your company matches gifts, please follow instructions your employer provides.
You can find more details on our Matching Gifts page online. For more questions, contact our finance team at [email protected] or 858-210-3510.
Check / Cash Donations
Donors can donate via check and cash too! Download and print our offline donation form to include with your donations.
For donations without our offline donation form, please make sure to include the Fundraiser Name & Event in the memo line of the check or with the cash in order to credit your fundraising page.
Please make checks payable to:
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Please send donations to:
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Attn: Finance Dept
9591 Waples St
San Diego, CA 92121
CAF Fast Facts
About CAF
- The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is a unique nonprofit organization that helps people with physical disabilities live full, active lives through participation in sports and an active lifestyle.
- The expensive cost of adaptive sports equipment can be an obstacle that keeps people with physical disabilities on the sidelines.
- Most medical insurance does not cover adaptive sports equipment; they deem these “luxury” items. CAF believes sport is a right and works to overcome this economic barrier.
- CAF creates opportunities for community and mentorship so that people can learn from those that have gone before them and can also be inspired to set new athletic goals.
- In 2022, CAF funded 3,200 individual grants totaling $6.2M across 104 sports and in all 50 states + Puerto Rico and 42 countries around the world.
- In an Olympic/Para-Olympic Year, CAF will have supported 40%-50% of Team USA Athletes in their athletic journey.
- CAF’s global partners include global prosthetics partner Össur, Nike, YMCA, Smoothie King, Accenture Toyota, EoS Fitness, and J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation.
CAF Beliefs
- Participation in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.
- Sports and an active lifestyle are a springboard to success in life.
- Sports and an active lifestyle should be accessible to everyone.
How CAF serves people with physical disabilities
- Grants to individuals for sport related expenses not covered by insurance - adaptive sports equipment like prosthetic running feet, handcycles and sport wheelchairs. Travel, training and competition expenses.
- Camps & clinics – running & mobility, para-triathlon, swimming, adaptive cycling, wheelchair basketball, sit volleyball and more.
- Support for veterans through our Operation Rebound program.
- Mentorship & community to empower individuals, strengthen communities and create new opportunities for all.
What It All Costs
$30,000 = a pair of specialized Össur running prostheses
$10,000 = arm prosthetics and adaptations (power-lifting, cycling)
$5,000 = a Handcycle
$4,000 = a racing wheelchair
$3,500 = a basketball wheelchair
How to Raise $500 in 10 days
The key to success is simple - you just need to ask! Tell your friends, family, and colleagues why you want to help CAF work towards greater inclusion and empower challenged athletes to achieve more and inspire them to donate.
DAY 1
Set up your fundraising page in your Fundraiser Portal. Your registration fee counts as your first donation. If you didn't have a registration fee, make your own donation to really kick things off and demonstrate your commitment to the mission.
DAY 2
Get social! Make sure you connect your fundraiser to Facebook in your Fundraiser Portal. This will automatically share your page to your Facebook network. Once you get the word out, you’ll be surprised at who will support you- a high school friend, a college roommate, or a former co-worker.
DAY 3
Ask three family members to donate $25 or more.
DAY 4
Hit up 5 friends to donate $20 each. Your Fundraiser Portal is a great resource for sample fundraising messages that you can use if you need some help asking for support.
DAY 5
Ask a business that you regularly frequent to donate $25. Whether it’s your favorite restaurant, your hair stylist, your pharmacy - or all of the above - it never hurts to ask.
DAY 6
Ask five co-workers to donate $20 each.
DAY 7
Speaking of your employer, see if your company offers a matching gift program to really drive up your donations.
DAY 8
Choose five people from your gym, your child’s school, or local community group and ask for a donation of $10 each.
DAY 9
Ask someone whose cause you have supported for $25 or more. That’s the beauty of giving!
DAY 10
Send a fun update to everyone you’ve reached out to who has yet to donate. Sharing your progress toward your goal will help remind them to show their support.
Tell Your Story
Did you know that sharing your personal story can be the most powerful way to really connect with potential donors?
Here are some tips for sharing your connection to CAF:
- Be authentic. Your friends and family will want to support you in reaching your goal for a cause that you care about.
- Keep your messages short and to the point
- Use different communication tools. Don't just depend on social media or email, use texts and phone calls too.
- Make sure your fundraising page shares why you are raising money for CAF
- A picture goes a long way. Make use of the athlete stories to share their photos and videos.
Tips from a Top Fundraiser
Below are tips on how to fundraise from a few SDTC veterans who have been fundraising for CAF for many years. Combined, they have participated in over 65 fundraisers and raised over $570,000. We asked them what advice they would give to a fundraiser and here's what they had to say:
Ralph Robinson
Fundraising since 2003
Probably my best piece of advice came to me from Dick Lansing. I asked him what his secret to great fundraising is, since he had been at the top year after year, and he told me what I think I was beginning to understand. He said that in general people donate to YOU, not to the cause that you are supporting. They care about you, as a friend, family member, colleague at work, or however you know them. It's not that they don't think CAF is a worthy cause - that is a necessary condition for them to donate. So you DO have to let them know that CAF spends its funds in a well-directed way, and uses almost all of the money to help challenged athletes. But that may not be enough, because almost everybody has more worthy causes to donate to than they have money. So, what you really need to do is help them understand how being involved with CAF has helped YOU to be a better person in this world today. You need to help them see how helping CAF has helped YOU make the most of your life. Tell them the story of when and where you first got involved, and how that impacted you. That, more than anything, will help them truly understand the mission of CAF, and will move them to take action and make the donation. Since I had the good fortune to meet and talk to Jim MacLaren, I like to tell them how that one conversation moved me to come back year after year.
Stephen Doyne
Fundraiser in EVERY SDTC
Stephen shares with following his network:
For the past, 30 years it has been my privilege to participate in each and every San Diego Triathlon Challenge. A life changing experience, I have been humbled by the grit and determination of so many challenged athletes. Whether it is seeing Rudy and Jake grow up from the ages of 5 and 8 and flourish to be young confident men without a hint of disability, or see Sara grow into becoming the first woman amputee to complete the Ironman, CAF has changed lives - including mine as well. It is simply the best - a true tribute to the human spirit. And every dollar you give goes to help a worthy individual worldwide. Your donation will not only change their lives but yours as well.
Tina Weidenkeller
Fundraising since 1995
The root of it all is you are doing something good. You’re doing something to help the world be a better place so get the “ask people for money” out of your head. It’s the organization, sure, but it’s the person asking that drives why people are giving. They are giving to you because you’re involved in this charity. You are the connection for this person to help CAF.
Don’t have any preconceived notions on who will give or who will not because it never comes out the way you think. The one you think won’t give, gives a big gift and vice versa.
You may have to ask them multiple times. You’re not being a pain, it’s life. You’re busy, you’re pulled into so many directions and people will thank you for reminding them. Sometimes people think I work for CAF because I’m such a passionate fundraiser.
Break it down for people - I need 50 friends to give me $10 and I’ll be at my $500 goal. Don’t try and look for that person who’s going to write a $500 check.
Use the tools they’re giving you - Videos, stories, social media shares so people can SEE what CAF is really doing.
Before social media, I sent emails, I mailed letters! Now with social media it’s so easy to share with everyone. You never know who will jump on but you have to keep on it.
Team-building Tips
When people come together to support a cause they believe in, the results can be a real gamechanger. That’s why it’s so important to inspire others to make a real impact by helping CAF create a world where people with physical challenges are provided opportunity and access to sports and physical activity. No matter how big or small you envision your fundraising campaign, here are some tips to help you invite your friends, family and co-workers to join you.
How to recruit team members
- Update your team page with information about why it’s important to you to fundraise for CAF
- Think about what you’d like to raise as a team and how much you believe each person can fundraise towards that team goal. This can help you determine how many team members you would like to recruit.
- Start building a list of people you’d like to ask to join your team.Think of all your family members and close friends as your starting team. Then build out from there to include co-workers, neighbors, and friends of friends. Be sure to include members of any groups you are a part of such as a parent-teacher association, sports team, book club or gym.
- Encourage your team members to invite their friends and family to take part too.
Keep your team engaged
- Plan a team/campaign kickoff to get everyone excited. You can share fundraising tips, give team members the chance get acquainted, and have some fun together socializing! It’s also a great opportunity to educate people who don’t have a direct connection to CAF.
- Create some friendly competition by recognizing team members for things like most funds raised, best recruiter, or greatest team spirit.
- Share regular fundraising progress updates with your team so they can see the impact of their efforts towards the team fundraising goal. It can be as simple as celebrating when your team hits a fundraising milestone or giving shout outs to new team members. That way, those who have yet to join you will want to get in on the excitement! Share these updates with people who have not registered for your team yet too. They can act as a friendly reminder to register and help continue to build your team.