3-Day Fundraising Idea: Planning an Ice Cream Social Fundraiser

Photo via Igor Ovsyannykov

July is the heart of summer, and that means the heat is on! Luckily, it is also Ice Cream Month, which makes it the perfect time to celebrate the sweet dessert. It’s a delicious inspiration for a fundraising event that will be entertaining for everyone involved! Plan an ice cream social at your home or backyard, then invite potential donors over to have a good time. Encourage attendees to make a donation to your fundraising account and celebrate the sweetness of the 3-Day experience.

Partner with local businesses

To maximize your fundraising, work with local businesses in your area to donate as many materials as possible, from the actual ice cream to napkins and other fun toppings. You might even be able to get a donation to your 3-Day fundraising from the businesses as well!

Photo via Alex Jones

Offer variety

You should of course have the standard flavors like vanilla and chocolate but get creative with fun and more unique flavors if you can. A rainbow of flavored colors will make your spread look all the more appetizing! Then, don’t forget the toppings! Go wild with these too, and ask your guests to come up with their favorite combination. Let them submit recipes to be crowned the Ice Cream King and Queen for the day!

Add in some fun

Have ice-cream themed games for your guests, like an ice cream cone-shaped piñata! You could also make a twist on the usual kids’ game and create your own “Pin the Scoop on the Ice Cream!” Use poster board and draw a fun image of an ice cream cone (sans the ice cream!) Then, blind fold your guests and give them a cut out of different scoops of ice cream. Spin them around with the blind fold on, and let them try to add scoop after scoop onto your “cone!”

Photo via Evan Kirby

Don’t forget non-dairy

Not everyone can eat dairy, so be sure to offer other, non-milk-based desserts like sorbet or baked goods! You can still get these donated, and it will allow more guests to partake in the fun.

Capture the event!

Take photos and share them on your Facebook with a link to your fundraising page. That way, if someone misses the event, they can still contribute to your 3-Day cause! Also, be sure to tag the 3-Day in any of your social media photos. We love sharing innovative fundraising ideas!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream… especially when it’s connected to fundraising!

Photo via Ian Dooley

3-Day June Fundraising Calendar

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 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.

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.

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?

May Fundraising Calendar

Hooray, it’s May! Hopefully we have seen the last of April showers, and have only flowers to look forward to for this coming month. We also hope your fundraising efforts will be blooming, thanks to new and creative ways to take advantage of warmer weather.

Plus, there are all kinds of holidays and events happening in May. Let’s get moving!

May is a big month in terms of honoring all things fun and festive, and there are plenty of ways to use those holidays to your advantage:

National Photography Month: It’s time for team photos! Take shots of your team to use on your social media pages when you promote your fundraising goals. Also, send out the photos in your fundraising letters, so potential donors can put a face to all the amazing work you and your teammates are doing. You can include photos of the people for whom you are walking as well.
National Recommitment Month: This means it is the perfect month to re-evaluate your goals and get back at it! Circle back with potential donors that you haven’t reached out to in a while, or whom you haven’t heard from yet. You can also recommit to your training goals as well!

National Barbecue Month: This one is a no brainer! Host a barbecue for your team, and work with local restaurants to help donate or subsidize the food. Invite friends, family, neighbors and previous donors, and ask for a donation to attend. It’s also National Hamburger Month, so you can encourage guests to bring recipes for their best burger, or the most unique one.

National Bike Month: While we are all about walking, biking is also a great to get in cardiovascular training for the 3-Day. Grab your teammates for group ride over a weekend, and ask donors to pledge a donation for every mile you ride as a team. National Bike Week starts in the third week of the month, so you can hold a long group ride then and raise money for the 3-Day.

There are a whole heap of training walks, New Walker Meet-Ups, Get Started Meetings, Video Conferences, and more happening in May. You can check out all the upcoming walks, meetings and more on our website. One to surely keep on your radar is our Get Started Meeting Video Conference, which will be available across the country online. This is great for any 3-Dayers who don’t live in the same city as their team, or who are new to the 3-Day.

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Other key days this month include:

Kentucky Derby (May 6): Host a fun and fancy brunch at your house for friends and family! Encourage people to wear their Churchill Downs best, and keep the races on TV so you can keep an eye on the races…and the fashion! Have guests vote on their favorite hats, snack, and enjoy the afternoon. This is a great team event for fun bonding, and a perfect event to invite potential donors to so they can meet the rest of your team.
Mother’s Day (May 14): Show all the moms, aunts, grandmas and wonderful ladies in your life some love! Send out pink cards or flowers to remind the women in your life that they are loved on that holiday and always.

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Flower Day (May 20): Sell bouquets, or even single flowers with a message explaining why you are walking the 3-Day. It’s a simple and sweet way to encourage donors while also brightening someone’s day.
Memorial Day (May 29): Need a date to host your National Barbecue Month event? Memorial Day is the perfect time! Everyone has an open day on their calendar, and what a better way to spend their day off than on a good cause like the 3-Day?

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