We know fundraising for the 3-Day can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! You have support from your coaches, our social media community, and other participants…not to mention all the amazing people in your own life. You can do it; we promise!
To get you started, we have some simple ideas that will give your fundraising a jump start. It’s as simple as A, B, C.
- Ask, ask, ask!
- This seems simple, but it really does do the trick. Ask everyone and anyone you can think of. Ask them early and ask them often. Ask them and then remind them. Keep asking until you get a “yes” or a “no.” A non-response is not a “no.” Ask them in different ways and with different modes of communication. Just ask!
- Birthday time
- Birthday presents are great, but you know what’s even better? Getting 3-Day donations as a birthday present! Instead of presents, ask for donations from your family and loved ones.
- Corporate Matching
- Take advantage of corporate matching gift programs. Many of your donors work for companies that have a match program, so their donation could double simply by filling out a form from their HR department. Check out org/Matching for more info!
- Donate for Days
- Ask people to donate a certain amount per day or month of your Komen 3-Day commitment. Instead of a $25 donation, encourage them to make three $20 donations over time! Reminding your donors of the option to donate over time is a great way to increase the size of donations. It’s like layaway for a good cause!
- Everyone is a potential donor
- Dog walker. Accountant. Dry cleaners. Teacher. Trainer. School nurse. Anyone can be a potential donor! If you’re not sure if you should ask someone, just ask them. It never hurts to ask!
- Follow the 3-Day blog
- We post fundraising tips and tricks all the time, plus you can look back through years of archives for ideas aplenty.
- Gift for any occasion
- If your birthday isn’t coming up before the 3-Day, don’t stop there! Graduations, promotions, engagements, hitting a fundraising goal, even just surviving the week – any of these are worth celebrating! If you hit a milestone, shoot out an email to your donor list with the good news…and a reminder to donate ?
- Host a party – any party!
- Plan a summer barbecue, a movie night, or Sunday brunch. Just make sure you can throw the party with as much at-home materials as possible, so you can keep your spending to a minimum. Then, invite pals over for the event, and encourage them to donate to your 3-Day cause instead of contributing food or drink to the party. This is also a great way to recruit new team members!
- Invite donors over
- Going along with this, you can just cut right to the chase and hold a 3-Day informational event at home. This is great for a team to do together, because it allows you to really tell your 3-Day story and share your motivation with donors in-person.
- Join us on social media
- Kids can help too
- If you have children (or your friends have kids you can recruit), make them a 3-Day task force! They can help with canning, putting fundraising flyers in mailboxes, or planning your next fundraising event. Now that school is out for the summer, it will give them a fun way to pass the time and give back!
- Local businesses are your friends
- Ask local businesses to sponsor you! You might be able to hit your fundraising goal with just one donation. Just be sure to give them a thank you and shout out on social media.
- Make the most of mail (email too)
- We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Ask more than once! Email is free and direct mail is very cost efficient, so these are the best ways to reach your donors without breaking the bank.
- National Holidays make a good reminder
- Don’t forget about Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend, Columbus Day and all those funny, random holidays. If you can think of a funny way to use one of these holidays to get your donors attention, then use it! We love finding funny holidays here.
- Organize your plan and stick to it
- Some of our 2018 3-Days are still months away, so it can seem like a far-off deadline. Make yourself a plan and stick to it. Continuous fundraising efforts will have you accumulating donations for months on end.
- Pancake Breakfasts make fundraising delicious
- Encourage your place of worship, work, or school to host a pancake breakfast to benefit your 3-Day fundraising. Have all your friends help with the cooking, then ask for a suggested donation amount to join in the fun. Make sure to have plenty of donation forms or 3-Day business cards on hand for the donors who want to give more.
- Queen (or King) of the 3-Day
- Not a lot of words start with the letter “Q,” but this one is a fun one! Make a crown, sash, even a fun scepter, and ask for donations to help you become “Queen 3-Day” on event. Then, for every person that donates to your goal, add some more flair to your outfit. Think sparkles, pins, feathers and fun décor! That way, you can also send status emails to your donor list with photos of how your costume is coming along, and reminders to donate.
- Remind, remind, remind
- We’re going to keep reminding you to remind your donors ? That way you won’t forget to ask, and they won’t forget to donate!
- Social media is your friend
- Change your Facebook status to remind people to donate. Send out some tweets. Post photos on Instagram of amazing 3-Day memories. Social media is the perfect, instantaneous way to remind donors just how much the 3-Day means to you. Also, we post fundraising challenges and tips and tricks often on OUR social media, so be sure to follow us!
- Tribute Donations
- Encourage your donors to make their donations in “honor of,” “support of,” or “memory of” someone they know who has been affected by breast cancer. This is a great way to let them feel part of your experience.
- Use your talents
- Offer any talent or skill you have for a minimum donation; graphic design, massage, hair stylist, photography, sewing, cake decorating, etc. People always need help with random tasks, so you’ll have no shortage of potential donors this way.
- Voicemail…it’s still a thing
- Voicemail isn’t used as much as it used to be thanks to texts, but it’s important to leave no stone unturned. Change your voicemail and answering machine messages to announce the fact that you are walking in the 3-Day. This will be news to some and a reminder for all!
- Walk it out, 3-Day style!
- Make sure to wear your 3-Day gear whenever you go out on training walks! You never know who will see you and want to donate, so bring those 3-Day business cards with you too if you can.
- X marks the spot
- Host a fundraising scavenger hunt! There are tons of ideas online and most of them can be put on for free. Try to incorporate the 3-Day into clues or goals and use it as a fun reminder to your donors.
- Your workplace can also be your fundraising hotspot
- Put up a display in the lunch room, break room, or front desk at work (a sign with your picture and a note about what you are doing); be sure to include a jar for donations and a stack of your donation forms.
- Zone in
- And stay focused! Fundraising is a long-term game but don’t get discouraged! Here are even more ideas to help you reach your goal. You got this!
What else can we add to this list? Comment below – you just may be the person who inspires someone else to hit their fundraising goal! ?
