This page is your complete guide to fundraising for Clinic by the Bay. It has everything you need to reach out to your personal network — the GoFundMe campaign, key facts, ready-to-send messages, and tips that actually work. You don't need to be a fundraiser. You just need to share why this place matters to you.
This is where all donations go. Share this link with everyone you reach out to. You can donate directly here too — and if you haven't yet, we'd encourage you to give first before asking others. It makes the ask feel genuine, and even a small gift counts.
This GoFundMe is part of our 2026 Spring Fundraiser. All donations count toward our overall fundraising goal. If someone in your network is interested in giving $1,000 or more, they are eligible for gala sponsorship benefits including tickets to the event — encourage them to reach out to Katelyn directly at gala@clinicbythebay.org.
People give to people they trust — not to organizations they've never heard of. Your ask, even a short text to a friend, will outperform anything we send from an official account. Here is everything you need to make it easy.
You don't need to memorize all of these. Pick one or two that resonate and use those.
Full year of wrap-around care per patient — medical, food, health coaching, dental, mental health
What patients pay. Every visit, every service, completely free
Our goal — 40 patients funded for a full year
Minimum cost of a diabetic amputation — the kind of crisis we help prevent
Average ER visit cost — more than a full year of care with us
Services under one roof: medical, food, health coaching, dental, mental health
Before you send anything, take two minutes to think about why you volunteer here. You don't need a polished answer — just something true. Use one of these prompts.
What keeps you coming back? One honest sentence about your own connection is worth more than any statistic.
Is there a moment at the clinic that stuck with you — something that made the work feel real? That's your story.
What happens to patients if Clinic by the Bay can't keep its doors open? You've seen it. Say it simply.
Start close and work outward. People are far more likely to give when the ask comes from someone they have a real relationship with.
We've written four messages for you — an email, a text, a social media post, and a follow-up. You don't need to use all of them. Here's how to approach each one:
Fill in the [highlighted parts] before sending. One personal sentence at the top makes a real difference.
A few things that consistently make peer fundraising more effective.
10 personal messages outperform one mass email every time. People can tell the difference between a personal note and a blast.
Open with something specific to the person you're writing to. It doesn't have to be long — it just has to be real.
People are busy and things get buried. One follow-up a week later is not pushy — it often doubles your response rate.
When someone gives, thank them and ask if they'd pass it along. One share can reach a whole new network.
A personal thank you within 24 hours matters. Keep it warm and specific — no form letters.
If you're able to, making your own donation before asking others can make the ask feel more genuine. Any amount counts — this is completely optional.