Walk, Run, or Ride for Water
Take the next step for the cause of clean water!
Walk, run, or ride for water to help thousands of people in need of clean water.
Water Ambassadors Canada’s annual Fall Water Walk is a charity event where participants can walk, run, or cycle to support the cause of clean water. Every dollar raised by participants and their generous sponsors will go toward funding clean water projects around the world. Learn more about how you can get involved.
How to Participate
Money raised by our volunteers walkers, runners, and cyclists will go toward funding urgently needed clean water solutions in communities without access. A simple donation can end the long walk that millions of women and girls make every day just to collect water for their families. As a participant, you get to choose your own walkathon or race event date, how far you’ll walk or run, and the amount of money you want to raise. You can even form your own team with friends and family!
Step 1
Set Up Your Personal Fundraising Page: We use a web-based social fundraising tool that lets you watch in real-time as your friends and family donate to your personal fundraising page. All donations made through your page will be processed and delivered directly to Water Ambassadors Canada.
Step 2
Set a Goal and a Timeline: Decide how much money you would like to raise by your walkathon or race event date and how long you want to give yourself to work towards that goal. You should make your goal and your timeline challenging but achievable.
Step 3
Make Your Pitch: People want to give to causes you care about because they trust your judgment and want to support you. Keep your friends and family in mind as you write out why you’re walking to fund water projects. Get personal – let them know why this cause matters so much to you and how they can help you make a real difference.
Step 4
Promote Your Campaign: Post your campaign details on all of your social media profiles and make sure to send it to your friends and family by email. Your posts and emails should include your pitch about why you’re fundraising for clean water, some background information about Water Ambassadors Canada, and how they can contribute to your campaign.
Step 5
Share Progress Updates: Raising money can take time and requires follow-up so update your friends and families as you work towards your goal. Make sure to identify and celebrate milestones you achieve along the way. The social fundraising tool also allows you to post updates directly to your fundraising page so make sure to keep posting.
Step 6
Thank Your Supporters: After your campaign wraps up, make sure to thank those who helped make it a success. We’ll share our thanks with your generous supporters, too!
Other Tips and Ideas
Make Your Timeline a Deadline: Turn your fundraising timeline into a countdown to your walkathon or race event date. This helps build momentum leading up to your event and provides an opportunity to reach out to your contacts again as time ticks down.
Make Your Ask Meaningful: Tie your fundraising drive to a number that’s personal to you. For example, if you’re raising money to deliver clean water to 50 people, consider asking for a preferred donation of $50.
Match Donations: If you’re able, consider committing to personally matching donations that friends and family make to your campaign. Matching campaigns instantly double the amount of money raised and can help inspire more people to give. You can either match donations as you go along or make one bigger donation at the end of your campaign.
Raise the Bar: Sometimes we receive an overwhelming amount of support when we put our hearts into raising money for important causes. That can lead to meeting our fundraising targets ahead of schedule. If that happens, thank those who have chipped in already. Then consider increasing your target. Every dollar helps deliver more clean water!
Form a Team: If you know someone who also loves to walk, ask them to join you in setting up a team fundraising page. By combining your networks of friends and families, you can raise even more money for clean water projects. You can create a team or join an existing team through your dashboard on the social fundraising tool.
