Fundraising Guide

The single most important thing you can do is tell your story through your Pedal the Cause fundraising profile page. Paint a picture for potential donors to help them realize why this cause is so close to your heart. Donors are much more likely to give if they know you are invested in the mission of curing cancer.

Log in to your PTC profile and personalize your profile in three easy steps:

1. Update your photo:

• Simply view your fundraising page while logged in, click “Edit Fundraiser” and select “Choose your own image” and upload.

2. Update your personal message/story, tagline and URL:

• Again, view your fundraising page while logged in and click “Edit Fundraiser” to edit your tagline, custom URL and your personal message/story.
• How to find & share your profile page link
  • Log in to your PTC profile page. On the “My Fundraisers” page, you can click on the “Fundraiser URL,” open up the “Manage Fundraiser” options and click on “Links/Sharing” in order to find your fundraiser sharing options.
  • Here you will find your Fundraiser URL, which you can copy and share with people who are interested in donating to your fundraiser.
  • Each fundraiser has a unique QR code that links directly to your Fundraising page. You can include it in your promotional materials. To save it, right-click the QR code, and select “Save Image As.”

3. Commit:

• Your commitment on your profile reflects your fundraising commitment. Consider upping your commitment, which you can do at any time by logging into your PTC profile and clicking “Manage Commitment Level.”

  Need help? Email us at info@pedalthecause.org with questions.

  Striving to be a Top Fundraiser, like a Yellow Jersey, not only shows your donors you are dedicated to end cancer, but also earns you some well-deserved perks. Learn more about Top Fundraisers here.

Before you begin your fundraising, we recommend crafting a timeline. Below is a suggested fundraising timeline which provides monthly recommendations through the PTC season to help you be a successful fundraiser.

April-May

• Register for Pedal the Cause
• Update your personal profile page with a photo and video and share why you ride.
• Share your PTC profile page or your Facebook Fundraiser with your network via text email, and on social media.
• Send your first fundraising letter, email or text. Don't know where to start? Check out ready-to-use sample emails & texts templates on our Community Asset Kit.

June-July

• Plan a fundraising event for the summer, either on your own or with teammates. Think outside the box! Click HERE to view creative fundraising activity ideas.
• Participate in a PTC Training Ride and share photos on social media and with your potential donors as a follow-up and let them know how training is going.

August

• As the event gets closer you want your donors to feel your excitement! Share with them the 2026 promo videos, PTC impact graphics, Featured Fighter videos, training and fundraising updates. Access social media templates, graphics, sample emails, and more on our Community Asset Kit.

September

• It's Pedal month! Inspire your potential donors by sharing a PTC video and impact content via email, text or social media. Check out our Community Asset Kit and PTC social media channels (linked at the bottom of this page) for top notch sharable content.
• Share updates from PTC weekend on your social, and remind others why your ride and that your are still fundraising. Always link to your personal profile page when sharing.

October-November

• Fundraising ends October 31. Get creative, plan your final asks and be sure to share photos and videos from your Pedal weekend experience!
• Time to celebrate! It's been an incredible year. Join us for the 2026 Impact Bash where we announce this year's grand total raised and celebrate the HUGE impact we are making towards ending cancer. More details to soon.
• Make sure to thank your donors with a card, email, call or text!

Brainstorm a list of people who may want to donate to your PTC fundraising efforts and start gathering email addresses. Not sure who to ask for support? We all have a network of potential donors available to us. Consider including:

• Anyone who donated to your ride in the past
  • View your past donors/donations by logging into your PTC profile. Under the fundraising section look for the purple bar that says “Fundraising,” find your past year participation then select ‘view donations.’ Here, you can download a list of your donors from any past PTC event you have participated in. Click HERE for a step-by-step guide.
• Friends and family
• Current and former colleagues
• Neighbors
• Contacts through your church or religious institution
• Classmates or former classmates and teachers
• Contacts you've made in the cancer treatment community
• Social media contacts
• Workout community
• Anyone who considers you their client who you believe is in a position to contribute:
  • Your real estate agent
  • Your lawyer or accountant
  • Your barber/hairstylist
  • Your trainer or fitness instructor
  • Your doctor, chiropractor or massage therapist
  • Local businesses you frequent

Don't be afraid to ask people who live outside of your community for donations. Each year, Pedal the Cause receives donations from around the world. Remember, everyone has been impacted by cancer in some way and the research we fund has global impact.

Now that you have your timeline and list of contacts, it's time to communicate your story and messaging. Click HERE for email & text templates to help you craft your message.

As you write your narrative, ask yourself the following questions:

• What does Pedal the Cause mean to you?
• How has cancer affected my life and why is fundraising for cancer research important?
• Why did I make the commitment to fundraise for Pedal the Cause?
• What are my goals for fundraising? Riding goals?

Use AI Tools to help craft your fundraising messages:

• AI tools can be powerful allies in your Pedal the Cause journey! We’ve created a quick-start guide to help you harness the power of AI and take your fundraising to the next level. Click HERE to view our AI Guide.

After you have some copy written on your personal connection to PTC, you're ready to draft your letter. An effective solicitation letter should answer the following questions:

• What is Pedal the Cause? Remember, your donors may not be familiar with Pedal the Cause. Make sure they know that 100% of their donation will fund cancer research.
• Share our Impact stats on our Impact webpage.
• Where does the money go? Make sure to mention Siteman Cancer Center is a Top 10 Cancer Center, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.
• Why are you participating and what are your goals?
• How can a donor contribute?

You're as ready as you'll ever be - time to make your ask! Adjust your method of communication and messaging based on the different networks you are reaching out to. There are many ways to reach out -  email, handwritten letters, phone calls, social media posts, text messages, fundraising events and more.

Successful PTC fundraisers send their messages multiple times to a wide audience of potential donors. Just because someone didn't give after your first ask, doesn't mean they don't want to. People are busy and sometimes need a nudge. Consider sending your messages when you register, when you start training, before and during PTC weekend, and in October before the fundraising deadline on the 31st.

Remember to follow up! If you don't hear back after your initial ask, it's okay to follow up. We all need a friendly reminder sometimes!