Is your organization struggling to afford the cost of a mobile clinic van? The average mobile clinic van cost ranges between $125,000 – $290,000. The high upfront costs, ongoing expenses for maintenance, fuel, and insurance, and operating on a limited budget can make purchasing one seem nearly impossible.
We manufacture different types of mobile clinic vans at AVAN Mobility, so we’re aware of the financial challenges that your organization can face. Because of our experience in the industry, we’re able to give you some tips for fundraising for your next mobile clinic van.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the top 10 tips on fundraising for a mobile clinic van. By the end of the article, you’ll have a better idea of how your organization can start fundraising.
The top 10 tips on fundraising for a mobile clinic van are:
- Organize community events to bring awareness
- Seek corporate sponsorship for funding
- Try crowdfunding for your mobile clinic van
- Seek grant opportunities from your local government
- Reach out to local civic clubs and associations
- Seek fundraising opportunities from local health providers
- Get monthly mobile clinic support with a donor program
- Host a virtual fundraising event
- Create an impactful video on your mobile clinic van plan
- Focus on the relationship, not the money
1. Organize community events to bring awareness
Get your community involved by organizing fundraising events like car washes and community fairs. The more fun the event is, the more likely people will be to support your cause. Spread the word about your event with flyers and social media.
When people come together for a good cause, they’ll learn about the purpose of your organization and might donate to cover some of the mobile clinic van cost.
Walking and running community events have been shown to be quite successful. These are events where participants can register to walk or run certain distances. Then, they collect pledges from family, friends, and corporations for each mile they complete. This is an active and community-oriented event that can also grow your fundraising campaign’s exposure.
2. Seek corporate sponsorship for funding
Talk to local businesses and corporations and see if they’re interested in partnerships and/or sponsorships. Many of them like to help their communities. Before approaching a business, create a plan to show how your mobile clinic van will make a difference for people in the community you’re planning on taking it to.
It’s advisable to approach local hospitals first for corporate sponsorship as they’re likely to have a vested interest in supporting a mobile clinic van that can expand healthcare access.
Offer them different sponsorship options, like putting their logo on the mobile clinic van or in your marketing materials. Businesses can make a big impact, and their help could potentially cover a chunk of the mobile clinic van cost.
3. Try crowdfunding for your mobile clinic van
Try starting an online crowdfunding campaign through websites like GoFundMe or Kickstarter. Start by telling a good story about why the mobile clinic van matters for the community. Add pictures and videos to help explain your purpose for your mobile clinic program. Check out this video for a good example of a crowdfunding video.
To reach more donors, share the campaign on social media, through emails, and on local websites. Crowdfunding can really help spread awareness, which can bring you one step closer to raising money for your organization’s mobile clinic van.
4. Seek grant opportunities from your local government
Research local foundations and grants that help support healthcare or community projects. Some of them give money to initiatives like mobile clinics. Make a strong proposal about your mobile clinic’s goals, who it will help, and what good it will do.
Make sure to customize your proposal to each grant you’re applying for. In your application, show how your organization’s mobile clinic van will fix specific healthcare needs in the community. Getting grants can help with a large chunk of the mobile clinic van cost.
Writing grants can be a comprehensive process. If no one in your organization has grant-writing experience, it’s worth outsourcing this task to a grant writer to make it more straightforward.
Take a look here for more information on grants for mobile health clinics.
5. Reach out to local civic clubs and associations
Talk to local civic clubs and groups in your community. In most cases, they care about making a difference in the community and might support healthcare projects like a mobile clinic van. Go to their meetings or events and tell them about your mobile clinic program and plan.
Show how their help can make the community healthier and happier. Teaming up with these groups can spread awareness about your organization’s mission.
6. Seek fundraising opportunities from local health providers
Talk to hospitals, doctors, and healthcare providers near you. Tell them about your organization’s plans to start a mobile clinic and how it can help people who don’t have proper access to healthcare. Depending on your approach, local health providers might give money or help you secure grants that will help with the mobile clinic van cost.
7. Get monthly mobile clinic support with a donor program
Another fundraising tip is to ask people or corporations to become monthly donors for your mobile clinic van project. A monthly donor program is like setting up a plan where supporters give a small amount every month. Even if the donations are not big, they can add up over time to become a reliable source of money for the mobile clinic van.
You can tell people about this program on social media, emails, and your website. Show them how their continuous support can make a big difference in starting and maintaining the mobile clinic.
8. Host a virtual fundraising event
Consider organizing a virtual fundraising event that people can attend from the comfort of their own homes. This might include webinars or live streams. When setting up a virtual fundraising event, make sure to draw people in by offering something of value.
This might be in the form of a draw that gives attendees the chance to win a prize. While you’re hosting the event, showcase the importance and impact that your mobile clinic van will have on people’s lives.
After the virtual fundraising event finishes, ensure to send thank-you messages to attendees. Further down the road, provide updates on the progress of your fundraising efforts for the mobile clinic van.
9. Create an impactful video on your mobile clinic van plan
Create an exciting video that tells the story of your plans for your mobile clinic van program. Let everyone see how it will make a big difference in the community by providing better healthcare for those who really need it.
With captivating images and powerful storytelling, show why this cause is so crucial and why the mobile clinic must happen now. Share this inspiring video on social media and your website so that lots of people can see it and be moved to help. The more people see it, the more prone they’ll be to share it.
After the video, include a call to action that details where people can donate. A call to action is a clear and compelling prompt encouraging people to take a specific action, such as donating or signing up for a newsletter.
Here are some tips for your video:
Real-life testimonials: Try to interview someone who’s benefited from healthcare through a mobile clinic and get them to share their experience.
Showcase the community’s needs: List some of the healthcare challenges faced by the community that your future mobile clinic van will serve.
Transparency: Be completely open and honest about everything related to your mobile clinic program. Highlight the costs and how the funds will be used.
Long-term vision: Always give details about the long-term vision of your mobile clinic program. People like to see that their money is making a long-term impact and won’t just be squandered away.
10. Focus on the relationship, not the money
When your organization is fundraising for a mobile clinic van, it’s not just about the money; it’s about building real relationships with the people who can help you. Sure, the cost of a mobile clinic van is important, but taking the time to connect with others can bring in the support you need in the long run.
Instead of simply asking for money upfront the first time you meet a potential donor, try to bring things to a personal level and share a story about why the mobile clinic van will be so impactful.
You can do things like:
- Mention that you want to bring better healthcare to a remote community that doesn’t otherwise have access to it.
- Share a story about a community whose lives have been changed by another mobile clinic project you’ve heard of.
When it comes time to talk about your fundraising efforts, promise to be open and honest about how you’ll use the funds, and then follow through on those promises. You always want your supporters to feel proud of what they’re contributing to and know that they’re part of something special.
As you build real connections, you’ll start to notice that the money will follow, and eventually, you’ll have the funds to get your mobile clinic program off the ground.
Next steps
You landed on this article because you were trying to figure out some fundraising tips for your program or organization’s next mobile clinic van.
Now that you’re aware of these fundraising tips, it’s time to start putting them into action. It’s often helpful to try out a combination of these different tips for the best results. For example, a perfect combination is hosting a virtual event with creating an impactful video because you can show your video during the virtual event.
We at AVAN Mobility know that fundraising for a mobile clinic van can be an arduous process. If you have any questions, talk to an expert today.
Alternatively, if you’d like more information on mobile clinic vans, take a look through the following articles:
