More Ways to Thank Your 3-Day Donors

As we approach the start of the 2015 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season, you are probably seeing an uptick in donations coming in. At the end of last year, we shared some ways to thank your Komen 3-Day donors after your event is over, but we thought you might also like some ideas of ways to thank them during your 3-Day®. 3DAY_2016_Blog_TitleGraphics_MoreWaystoThank_fp

Carry Them With You – Many walkers find thoughtful and creative ways to recognize and bring their donors along with them while they walk. You can write their names (and the names of the people whom they donated in honor or in memory of) on pink ribbons that you wear on your hat or waist pack. You can inscribe their names on a t-shirt. If you’re feeling very creative, names of donors could also be celebrated on fairy wings, a cape or a tutu.

Make Your Gratitude Social – Chances are you will be updating your social media throughout your 3-Day weekend anyway, so be sure to take some of those posting breaks to tag and thank your donors too. They’re the ones who helped get you to the 3-Day, so it makes perfect sense to recognize them publicly on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as you post from the road.

Say Thank You With a Photo – A great way to thank your donors is to take a picture of you at the 60-mile banner on Day 3 and turn it into a photo card. There are countless websites (Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, Snapfish, etc.) where you can create photo cards, and adding this personal touch brings your thank you notes to a whole new level. If you’re part of a team, think about making it a team photo card; then you can order in bulk and everyone can use them!

Dedicate a Mile – Taking the photo thank you idea one step further, you could dedicate a mile to each of your donors (assuming you have 60 or fewer!). Make a small tribute card with the mile number and the donor’s name, then snap a quick picture of you holding the card when you reach that point on the route. You can post these on social media and/or send the pictures to your donors after the event is over.

Renew Your Commitment – A perfect way to show your donors how grateful you are for their support and how dedicated you are to ending breast cancer is to renew your own commitment and register for a 2016 3-Day event. Walker registration for all seven events will open on August 11.

These are just a few ideas, but you can let your creativity take you anywhere when it comes to showing your thanks.

3 Reasons Why You Should Always Ask for a Specific Donation Amount

Quick poll: while fundraising for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, who among you has written a fundraising letter or email, posted a Facebook ask, or made an in-person request and used some version of the following statement: “Please donate whatever amount you’re comfortable with.”

It’s true that every donation made to the Komen 3-Day—no matter the amount—is important and will make an impact in the fight against breast cancer. But experience has shown us that asking your donors to give a specific amount is a more successful fundraising tactic than the “whatever you’re comfortable with” route. Here’s why:

An Unmistakable Call to Action – People like to be given directions. When you ask for 3-Day® donations in a specific amount, you give your donors a clear instruction to act on, which will make them more likely to donate right away. Putting a deadline on your request is another great way to motivate your donors to give without delay.

Aim High, Land High – For the past several years, I’ve straight-up asked my donors for $100 donations in my initial fundraising emails. I make no apologies for it, and I remind my donors that my job as a 3-Day walker, first and foremost, is to raise as much money as I can for Susan G. Komen®. I make this request knowing full well that many of my donors will not donate that much. But what I’m really doing is setting an expectation. Asking for a large amount says to my donors, “This is important, and your part in it is important.” Sometimes it works and I see those hundred dollar donations hit my account, but even if the donor is not willing or able to give that much, they will still end up giving as much as they can. On the other hand, back when I used to say, “Any amount is okay,” I found that donors would often give far less.

Attention-Grabbing Gimmicks Work – Last year, I sent out a fundraising email two weeks before my 37^th birthday, challenging my supporters to help me raise 37 donations of $37 each before my big day. The amount I asked for was very specific, very manageable, and since the birthday angle tied to it was personal to me, it was highly appealing to my friends and family members. The response I got from donors was immediate and generous; I raised over $1300 in less than 2 weeks, based on this tactic alone. If I had thrown out a request that said, “Please make a donation in any amount in honor of my birthday” I can’t imagine the ploy would have been as successful. Click here to find some other fundraising strategies that incorporate specific donation amounts.

3-Day Fall Fundraising Ideas

Whether you’re still raising money for a 2014 Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, or you’re getting an early jump on your fundraising for 2015, fall is a great time to re-energize your Komen 3-Day fundraising. Here are some practical and creative fundraising ideas to help you fall toward your goals!

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month – As you probably know, October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a great time for you to make your friends and family aware of your part in the breast cancer cause. Wear a 3-Day® shirt around town or on training walks, and take advantage of opportunities to talk about your 3-Day fundraising efforts. Often, a little conversation is all that’s needed to ignite a new supporter’s interest.

Fall = Follow Up – When’s the last time you reached out to your donor base? Take the turning of the new season as an inspiration to send an email to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers, and update them on your fundraising and training progress. Let them know about your goals for the last few months of the year and ask for their support. Remember, the real impact of fundraising letters/emails comes with the follow-up. Sometimes people just need that gentle reminder, and October is a fitting time to give a little pink nudge.

Trick-or-Treat for Donations! – We’ve heard a few stories over the years of 3-Day participants going door-to-door for donations on Halloween night. Jenny, a Twin Cities participant, even wore this amazing pink ribbon costume, complete with her “boobie bucket.” You could find all kinds of ways to dress up for the cause (there’s no shortage of pink superhero costumes, pink wigs, pink tutus, etc. out there this time of year), and even get some training in by walking around your neighborhood.

Warm Up Those Fall Sports Fans – Is your town overtaken with high school or college football fever this time of year? Or are you tight with the local soccer moms at Saturday morning games? How about selling hot chocolate or coffee to tail-gaters or at the sports fields? If you want to think a little bigger, you could even make some no-sew fleece blankets to sell. As always, make sure people know their purchase is going toward your fundraising efforts and often, they’ll invite you to keep the change, too.

Give Thanks, Get Donations – While Thanksgiving is not typically a gift-giving occasion, the feel-good vibe of the holiday tends to put people in a generous spirit. Share that spirit of gratitude by telling people—in person, on Facebook, with a hand-written note—how much they mean to you, and how grateful you are for the advances in breast health that Susan G. Komen® and the 3-Day have helped fund.

Black Friday = Pink Friday! – The day after Thanksgiving, informally known as Black Friday, is the busiest day of the year for retailers. Challenge your friends and family to calculate 10% of what they plan to spend on shopping that day, and instead donate it to your fundraising efforts (this challenge could extend all the way through the weekend to Cyber Monday, the busiest online shopping day). Or, if you’re feeling especially bold and adventurous, sell coffee and donuts to patrons who line up outside their favorite stores early on Friday morning. They’ll appreciate the breakfast options, and you’ll earn some money toward your 3-Day goals.

Giving Tuesday – On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back to charitable causes. Take advantage of all of the warm and generous feelings flying about (not to mention the wallets that have already been loosened by Thanksgiving weekend shopping) and ask for a donation to support your fight to end breast cancer.

What other fabulous fundraising ideas can you fashion for the fall season? Share them in comments or on Facebook!