Five FUNdraising Friday Ways to Celebrate Spring

It’s the first Friday of spring, so that means that all our 3-Dayers should be smiling wide and getting excited for a fun weekend ahead. Hopefully you’ll be spending some of that spring weekend time training and fundraising for the 3-Day. There’s nothing like a sunshiney morning and a free day ahead to remind you of just how much you can get done when you put your mind to it! And we know that all our 3-Dayers are some of the most committed, amazing people out there.

So, let’s make the most of today, this weekend, and this spring! We’ll be covering training, team building and fundraising tips all season long, starting with these Five FUNdraising Friday Ideas:

Get moving (any way you can!)

Start by asking your yoga or pilates teacher, spin instructor, boot camp leader or personal trainer for a donation. Then, move on to the rest of the class! See if you can make an announcement before or after class or keep a donation jar at the gym check-in area.

You can even take it one step further by asking your instructors to host a special outdoor class where the proceeds will go to your 3-Day goal. Imagine starting your Saturday with a relaxing yoga class in the park, or a challenging boot camp on the local high school soccer fields. You’ll be getting your sweat on and earning donations toward your 3-Day goal at the same time!

Save a “pear”

Get a grocery store or local farmer’s market to donate some pears and then set up a table outside with a sign that says, “Save a ‘pear’—make a donation to the 3-Day.”

You’ll make people giggle, and probably get some happy-hearted donations while you’re at it!

Set a springtime challenge

Post it on Facebook. (If you haven’t set up a Facebook Fundraiser yet, now’s the time!) Email it out to your friends and family. Put up a sign in your cubicle. Shout it loud and proud that you will be doing something crazy if your fundraising goal is met before spring is over. Spring officially ends on June 20 so that leaves everyone lots of time to make some big ole’ donations.

Then, go wild with whatever challenge you set for yourself, and make sure to tag us in all the pictures!

Take advantage of tax season

Tax season is no one’s favorite time of year. At least no one we’ve ever met! But, it’s the perfect time to remind people that donations to the 3-Day are tax deductible. Send out emails and fundraising letters reminding your potential donors and asking them to contribute part of their tax refund to a good cause like the 3-Day. They’ll be putting that found money to good use, plus they can deduct it on next year’s return. It’s a win/win.

Stay caffeinated, 3-Day style

Host a get-together at your home or at a local coffee shop. Ask your favorite coffee shop or cafe to donate coffee (and maybe some goodies!), then invite your neighbors and friends to spend an afternoon learning about the 3-Day from you. This can also be used as a team building activity if you invite some potential new 3-Dayers!

Let anyone who attends know they will have a chance to pay tribute to someone affected by breast cancer by being featured on the shirt you wear on the 3-Day. Suggest a donation of $20 (or more!) to be listed. You can also get creative and have them sign pink ribbons to be attached to your shirt, or pink buttons, instead. You’ll have the coolest shirt on the 3-Day!

What are your fundraising plans for the spring? Share them in the comments so we can spread ideas across our 3-Day family!

3-Day June Fundraising Calendar

Intro

With Memorial Day behind us and June finally here, it’s beginning to look a lot like summer! This weekend marks the two-month countdown to our first 3-Day of 2017 in Michigan, and the rest of the month is going to be full of sun and fun.

With all kinds of holidays and events happening in June, let’s get going!

June Fundraising Calendar

June is National Rose and Fruit & Veggies Month, among others, so there are plenty of fun ways to use those holidays to your advantage:

  • Give your next round of fundraising letters a twist, and attach a note to a rose! Drop them off personally, or use them as thank yous to your donors. Everyone loves a fresh flower!
  • Fruit and Veggies Month is the perfect time to take advantage of the summer’s fresh produce! In that honor, make smoothies at your next team meeting using some of our simple recipes. Or, sell homemade smoothies as a fundraising effort! If you’re an expert gardener, maybe you could sell some of your harvest for fundraising dollars, too – we know lots of people who love a homegrown tomato!
  • It’s also Adopt a Cat Month, so grab your team, and volunteer at a local animal shelter! Giving those sweet animals a cuddle will bring the team together through fun and charity.

There are plenty of Walk & Talks, New Walker Meet-Ups, Get Started Meetings and Training Kick-Offs happening in June. There are also multiple Race for the Cure events across the country! These are perfect times to get training in and meet other 3-Dayers! Those races, and some other events, are highlighted in the calendar above, but you can find the complete list on our website here. We will also be calling out more local events on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out.

Key Dates

Other key days this month include:

  • June 2: Donut Day: This is one of the biggest food holidays of the year, because everyone loves donuts! Check out Pinterest for fun crafts like this one to use for delicious fundraising efforts.
  • June 8: Best Friend Day: We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it…the 3-Day is better with friends! Use this day to talk to your friends and colleagues to join your 3-Day team. They can still register now!
  • June 18: Father’s Day: Reach out to your dad, grandfather, uncle or other important man in your life. It’s important to remind them that you care!
  • June 20: First Day of Summer: Get your team together, and throw a big fundraising event! Have everyone pitch in different food items, and encourage people to show off their signature summer recipes. Then, work with local restaurants and other vendors to donate more goodies to make this the perfect Summer Kick-Off Barbecue!
  • June 23: National Pink Day: This is the best day of the year for a 3-Dayer! Use any number of our pink-themed fundraising ideas to make the most of this day. It’s also the perfect way to end your June on a high note and hit your latest fundraising goal.

Final

Also, make sure to join our 3-Day Social Stars! This is an easy-to-join group that’s part of our social media community, where you can earn prizes for interacting with the 3-Day on social media. Talk, connect, and share with us!

 

What are your fundraising and training goals for June? How will you work to achieve them?

Can’t-Miss 3-Day Fundraising Graphics

If a picture is worth a thousand words, shouldn’t these cute, shareable 3-Day fundraising graphics equate at least that many fundraising dollars? We think so! Whether you’re just starting your fundraising efforts, or have already hit your goal, you still have plenty of time to raise more.

Whether it’s in an email, shared on social media or printed on a letter or flyer: Team captains, send these out to your walkers. First timers, use these to hit your goals in no time. Veterans, blast them out to hit a new fundraising high.

No matter who you are, check ‘em out! And see how you can use them to help you reach (and then celebrate) your goals! Happy Fundraising Friday!

 

Need to get started?

Post this, and ask someone to make your day with your first donation!

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Surpassing goals left and right?

Share this to your Facebook page, and tag those who helped you get there:

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Just need just one-more-donation to help you meet your goal?

This one’s perfect for that. You’ll exceed your goal in no time!

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Friends need a gentle reminder that you’re still fundraising?

This one will do the trick!

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Fundraise your way right past that goal you set?

Raise it, and post this one to encourage people to keep on giving! #cantstopwontstop

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Thanking your donors publicly is a great way to entice others to do the same!

Don’t forget to tag your donor once you hit your goal!

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These graphics can also be printed and used in your other fundraising efforts. Print them on stickers and attach one to a follow-up fundraising letter to catch potential donors’ eyes. Make them into buttons and have team members where them at your fundraising event to brag about hitting their goal, or encourage people to keep contributing.

How would you use these fun graphics to help with your fundraising?