Fundraising Page Tip: Interview with Matt Whitcomb

So far, Matt Whitcomb has raised over $1400 for the National Nordic Foundation. He’s smashed his goal of $500. Read about his fundraising tactics and what has worked for him.

Tell us a little bit about who you are.
I grew up skiing and playing baseball in Massachusetts. I went to Stratton Mountain School, Middlebury College in Vermont, and now own a small camp and a little land in the town of Burke. This is my first season as women’s coach for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, but my sixth year coaching the National Team in various capacities. I live and work out of Park City, Utah from May to November, spend the winter in Europe following the World Cup, and call Vermont home. I have a great job, and am inspired by the athletes and coaches with whom I work.

Why did you decide to fundraise for the National Nordic Foundation?
I’m committed to do what I can to help raise the level of cross country skiing in the U.S. We can win medals and I want to help. That is fun for me. Our strategy to do this is to race our best athletes with the best athletes in the world all winter. This happens only in Europe, and is very expensive.  While the U.S. Ski Team funds most A-team expenses, it is unable to fund B and D team and other elite developing athletes like Holly Brooks and Mike Sinnott.  These developing athletes are a critical piece of our strategy to win Olympic medals, and we must find a way to get them racing in Europe. NNF and the U.S. Ski Team are partners in this effort, and together we’re doing all we can to find funding for them.

What methods did you use to get people to come to your page?
I first asked those most vulnerable to my request – my family.  My sister totally stiffed me. Then I abused my Facebook and Twitter privileges, and littered the web with requests for funds. I figured that if I could get ten people to read my plea, one of them would donate. So I pasted the NNF request to three hundred walls on Facebook.  I’m sure a few of them unfriended me, and I don’t really blame them or care.  If we worry or wait, we lose.

What has been the most difficult part of fundraising?
Deciding to commit to the cause is the only difficult piece. When we stop thinking about how we will benefit individually by our moves in life, the goal to help becomes so clear, and so fulfilling. These athletes need our help, and our efforts help them immediately.

Any tips you’d like to share with other fundraisers?
Don’t wait for other people to do it.  It won’t happen without you specifically.  Get behind the same goal and help push. People want to help, and if we can get them to pause during their busy day for one minute, if the right person can catch their attention for an instant, so many will donate.  They aren’t being asked by the right people because we don’t yet have enough people asking.