Collecting OnlineSupporter Donations

To collect online donations from your supporters, you can adapt the solicitation message below and email it to 20 or more of your family, friends and co-workers. Many will be glad to support your participation in a good cause!

Solicitation Message

I will be riding my bicycle ___ miles on April 25 for a very good cause, and I hope that you will support me!

Side by Side, a 6-year-old nonprofit organization in Laurel, Md., is holding its 3rd annual Side by Side Ride to raise money for its programs, which benefit local public schools and their families. I have as my goal to raise $415 from supporters like you; that’s how many families they have helped this school year.

You can help me reach my goal by going to and clicking the “GiveDirect” button. There you make a donation with a credit card just as if you were making any online purchase. You can say in the “note” box that your donation is supporting me.

Or, if you want to donate by check, you can send it to me at [YOUR ADDRESS] made out to “Side by Side.”

More than a chance to have fun, this ride is important to me because:

The schools in which Side by Side works, in Prince George’s County, Md., face tough challenges:

·the most low-income students among Washington, D.C. area counties (66% qualify for free

or reduced-price meals)

·a high student turnover rate in schools

·a high number of families speaking languages other than English at home

Side by Side partners with local teachers and community volunteers to overcome such hurdles. Its “Great Start” series of evening workshops equips parents at six Laurel elementary schools with at-home learning activities that will help their children succeed in the classroom. Almost 1,300 parents and children attended the79 sessions held during the last school year.

Here is what participating parent Folake Adeyemi says:“Side by Side has been very helpful to my family. The culture in my country (Nigeria) is that parents send you to school and teachers take over your education. When you get home, nobody cares if you do your homework. Over here, Side by Side has taught me that I am the best teacher for my children and I have to set a good example for them in life. Education is the best legacy you can give your children.”

Thanks so much for considering a donation to strengthen families and schools!