Skydiving is an activity on most people’s bucket list and what better way to tick it off than by raising money for charity?
Not sure where to start? Keep reading to learn about the different types of skydives, how to organise your jump and whether you can get your skydive for free!
How to raise money for charity with a Skydive
Unlike other fundraising events where you can enlist the help of your friends and family and invite members of the public to take part, a charity skydive is very much a solo affair.
There are no tickets to sell, no refreshments to manage and no buckets to collect money in, but there’s a good opportunity to raise some cash for your chosen charity/cause.
You can raise lots of money for charity if you follow our simple tips!
Individual sponsorships
Individual sponsorships are the best way to raise money with a charity skydive. You will need to ask friends, family, employers and work colleagues to sponsor your skydive either through physical sponsorship forms and cash, or online via a JustGiving page.
You can ask people to contribute any amount they’d like; the more people you ask to sponsor you, the more money you’ll raise for charity.
Commercial sponsorships
Obtaining commercial sponsorships is another way to raise money with a skydive. You can ask a local business to sponsor your skydive which means they’ll pay for the cost of you completing the jump.
Skydives can cost hundreds of pounds so ask a business to ‘pay’ for your skydive and then you can use individual sponsorships to raise money for charity.
Incentivise businesses to sponsor your jump by offering to wear a t-shirt advertising their business and then allow them to use a promotional video of you jumping out of the plane for their marketing efforts.
What you need to organise
You need to think about where you want to complete your skydive as well as whether you want to do it on your own or in tandem.
Find a skydiving club
There are many skydiving clubs that specialise in charity jumps and will often allow you to complete your skydive for free if you raise a certain amount of money for charity.
Single or a tandem parachute jump?
You then need to decide whether you want to take part in an individual skydive or a tandem jump.
To complete a single jump, you must be fully qualified. Skydiving lessons can be expensive, so a tandem skydive is probably the best option for your charity jump.
You will also feel more confident and comfortable taking part in a tandem skydive, especially if it’s your first time jumping out of a plane. Skydiving with an expert instructor will help to calm your nerves and ensure that you enjoy the experience.
Collecting sponsorship money
You need to start collecting sponsorship money for your charity skydive in advance.
Three months before your jump is a good time to start collecting sponsorship money as this will give you lots of time to ask everyone you know and share your fundraising link online.
You also need to set a deadline for the sponsorship money to be collected. One week after your skydive lets you ensure you have raised enough to participate in the skydive and lets people sponsor you even after your target is met.
You can then donate the money (unless you have been collecting via JustGiving) to charity and also share the video with them of you completing the skydive.
Ways to promote your charity skydive
Promoting your charity skydive is important to make people aware of the charity you’re raising money for as well as what exactly your skydive will entail.
Set up an online fundraising page
An online fundraising page is quick, easy and free to set up and is easier than flyers and posters.
Set up an online fundraising page as soon as you have a date for your skydive so that you can share the link on your social media profiles.
You can also include a link to your fundraising page in your work email signature so that any business contacts have the option to sponsor you.
Get support from your place of work
Ask your work colleagues and your boss to sponsor your skydive. If you work in a big office, you can send a corporate email asking for support from everyone. You can also put sponsorship forms in your staff room or on a bulletin board.
Other tips to consider
- Ask people to attend the ‘dropzone’ of your skydive jump to support you on the day.
- Do research before your jump so you’ll know what to expect.
- Recruit members of your friends and family to do a skydive at the same time as you so you can raise even more money for charity.
- Don’t be afraid to ask your instructor questions about your skydive, especially if you’re feeling anxious and worried about it.
- Ensure you have a GoPro strapped to you while jumping so that you can record your experience and share it with your chosen charity so they can see the lengths you went to in order to raise money!
- Remember to have fun and enjoy every minute of your skydive; not many people get the chance to jump out of a plane and raise money for charity!