Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coach Eileen is our guest blogger today, and she’s here to share some great ideas about how to use the year’s calendar to inspire and invigorate your Komen 3-Day fundraising!

Coach Eileen

Every good 3-Day® fundraising plan has a start date and a goal date. Once you’ve got those two big dates marked on your calendar, highlight the best times to ask for donations.

Your birthday is a perfect day to reach out to your friends and family to request donations (who’s going to say no to you on your birthday?). You can ask for a donation in lieu of presents or use your birthday to launch a fun Facebook challenge: see how many of your Facebook Friends will become your “Birthday Buddy” by donating to your fundraising. If you’re feeling brave, share your age and ask for donations in that amount, because a donation request is more effective when you ask for a specific amount.

One great day to focus your fundraising around is April 15^th. This is a date that many of us reorganize our finances and do some preliminary tax planning for the upcoming year. What better time to ask for a donation than right before the tax deadline, when tax returns are still fresh on the minds of your donors? Remind them that their donations to the 3-Day are 100% tax deductible.

May is another good month for a fundraising push. Is there a better way to honor and remember our moms than with a donation to support breast cancer research on Mother’s Day? Remind donors that each donation helps bring us closer to a cure and to a world without breast cancer. Doesn’t that beat another house plant?

One of the best times of the year to ask for donations is from mid-November through December. There are a number of reasons for this. First, it is the time of year when we feel most generous as we contemplate our personal blessings. The holiday season inspires us to help those less fortunate than us. And of course, there’s that tax thing; December 31^st is the biggest donation day of the year, and it is also the last day a donation can be made for a tax deduction. Coincidence? I think not. Although we’ve just passed this season a few months ago, keep this in mind for next year’s 3-Day fundraising.

There are ample fundraising opportunities to be found in each and every month. Use your calendar to look ahead to upcoming holidays/events and use those to help plan a fundraiser.

For example:

• January – Super Bowl Party (ok- technically this is in February, but you will need to start planning in January)
• February – Valentine’s Day gift basket sales
• March – March Madness Brackets
• April – Easter egg hunt
• May – Kentucky Derby party
• June – Car wash
• July – Fourth of July BBQ
• August – Back to school garage sale
• September – Chili cook off
• October- Halloween/costume party
• November – Turkey Trot
• December – Christmas center piece sales

As you can see, your calendar can be a helpful fundraising tool. Choosing a date to start your fundraising, and setting smaller goals along the way, then setting in motion the plans needed to execute your strategy will help ensure that you are successful.

Equally important is choosing a fundraising completion date. This will give you a goal to strive for and will help keep your fundraising front and central. Coach’s tip: choose a fundraising goal date six to eight weeks before your event. This will allow for a little extra time should you need it (no reason for undue stress!).

Of course, if you would like some advice with your fundraising or need an assist setting up a fundraising plan, be sure to give your coach a call at 800-996-3DAY. We’ve been in your shoes before, fundraising for the 3-Day as walkers or crew members, and we’re always happy to help!

Thanks, Eileen! And remember, the Participant Center on the 3-Day website is chock full of fundraising tools and resources, too!