The Vermont Challenge for Children and Families

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Fundraising

Every year United Counseling Service helps thousands of people to change their lives, one by one.

UCS supports children and families in need and people with disabilities. We help people open their doors of opportunity and walk through them to find their purpose and achieve their goals.

We provide vital, personalized help.

The money you raise makes a profound difference to the people we serve, supporting them in developing socially, intellectually, and physically.

100% of your fundraising money goes to people we serve as the costs of The Vermont Challenge are paid for by our sponsors.

Thank you for your fundraising effort and thanks to our sponsors for their generosity.

Online Fundraising

You can easily raise money for your ride by creating your own fundraising page at PledgeReg.com. Once you register to ride at BikeReg.com, you will be assigned a username and password for both sites that you can use to set up your personal fundraising page at Pledge.Reg.com.  

Fundraising Tips

How to Raise $500 in a week

You can make a difference in someone’s life.  Fundraising is simple.  Just take it a step at a time. First, set a personal goal, like $500. Sounds like a lot? Here’s how easy it can be, day by day:

Day       Details                                                              Total
1   Sponsor yourself for $25                                      $25   = $25
2   Ask three family members for $25                          $75   = $100
3   Ask five friends to donate $15                              $75   = $175
4   Ask five co-workers to sponsor you for $10             $50   = $225
5   E-mail 15 people & ask for a $10 donation             $150   = $375
6   Ask your company for a $75 contribution                $75   = $450
7   Ask two businesses you frequent for $25                $50   = $500!!

More Ideas

  • Start early.  Have fun with your fundraising efforts!
  • Set a fundraising goal and let your potential sponsors know what that goal is.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask! You’re not going to dinner with this money – you’re working to change someone’s life!
  • Use the PledgeReg.com website to make it easy – email requests and reminders to your contacts.
  • Many ways to get your word out - write a personal letter; create a newsletter or press release; hang up pledge sheets at your office; make in-person solicitations.
  • Ask for pledges from family members, friends, people at work, people nearby, people far away, people you do business with.
  • Suggest a minimum gift amount or put down options ($100, $50, $25, other).
  • Write a personal note of thanks to each of your sponsors. This will go a long way, especially when you approach them another time.
  • All donations are tax deductible.
  • If you ride in honor of someone, say so—telling a personal story about someone who has struggled with mental illness or lives with the challenges of developmental disabilities helps people relate to you and to a great cause.
  • Ask your supporters about matching funds from their employers.  (OK, you’re really a fundraiser at heart if you do this!)
  • Find out whether your own employer offers matching funds.
  • Double your fun: Challenge a friend to ride with you and raise her/his own pledges.
  • Form a team at work, or with friends. Select a captain, choose a theme, wear matching shirts or hats, make a statement!
  • HAVE FUN!