Fundraising Friday: 3-Day Winter Fundraising Crafts

Happy first day of winter! Though it may have felt like that snowy season for a while, now winter is officially here. It is the perfect time to cozy up and stay home, spending time with your family or taking a relaxing night for yourself. While you’re staying in, get a kick start on your 3-Day fundraising for 2019 with some fun winter crafting! These ideas can be used to thank your donors, celebrate your accomplishment from 2018, and get more donors lined up for the next year.

Make 3-Day-themed holiday cards

If you haven’t sent out your holiday cards yet, don’t worry! There’s still time to print them at home or at your local pharmacy and get them out before the end of the year. But, instead of doing the usual family photo or posed picture, mix it up with a 3-Day photo! It is a huge accomplishment that you can use to highlight your year, and let people know that you’re committing to 60 miles again next year. This is the perfect way to round out your 3-Day year with a celebration you can share with everyone. Whether you make your own cards or go with store-bought, print a 3-Day holiday card insert at The3Day.org/Holiday so you can include a fundraising request along with your holiday greetings.

Pink Winter Window Decor

This is a perfect craft to get the whole family involved in! Create your own 3-Day themed window décor that will cast a festive hue on your holiday season. Follow these simple steps to make your own version of a stained-glass craft.

Start by peeling a sheet of clear contact paper for each person and place the paper sticky-side up on the table. Cut a black frame to the size you want each creation to be and lay it on the contact paper so that it sticks. Then, cut away excess contact paper so that it’s just the frame.

Once the setup is complete, start by placing a paper snowflake, star or other holiday symbol on the frame. You can even do a breast cancer pink ribbon!

Cut out one-inch strips of tissue paper in your favorite shades of pink, white, silver and gold. Then, place the tissue paper on the contact paper one at a time to fill the inside of the frame. It’s okay to cover up the snowflake and the frame edge! The work side is actually the back of the project. Fill it in with all the colors you love then peel a second piece of contact paper and place this sticky-side down on top of the tissue paper pieces. This seals all those little papers firmly in place, so they can’t escape. Flip it over to admire your work!

You can include these with your holiday fundraising letters and/or send them out with your donor thank you letters. Hang one in your window too, so people can see that you’re committed to the 3-Day.

Host a gingerbread house night…

…but with all pink décor! Swap out the normal red and green décor and find as much pink frosting, sprinkles and fun add-ons that you can. Keep any white or more neutral colored decorations that come with the standard gingerbread house kit to round out your options.

Then, invite everyone over! Ask that people pitch in to pay for their gingerbread house kit and let them know that anything extra they want to add in will go towards your 3-Day fundraising. Or, if you’re really in the giving spirit, you can cover the cost of the gingerbread yourself, and have all the proceeds go straight to your 3-Day fundraising.

You can also make it a holiday movie night instead! Ask people for donations to attend and play a winter classic. Just make sure to include a crafts table where your guests can make holiday cards, gift tags and more!

Sparkly pine cone ornaments

These can be left up all winter long! They might start as an ornament for your Christmas tree, but you can also hang them from doorknobs or in your window to add a bit of winter sparkle to your day.

All you need are some pine cones from your yard or local craft store, craft glue like Mod Podge, a paint brush, ribbon and pink glitter! Much of these items are probably already in your house, so this is a great, low cost idea.

Use the paint brush to paint the craft glue onto the pine cone, except at the bottom. Then, place your pine cone on a plate or in a bowl and sprinkle varying shades of pink glitter all over the ornament. Shake the excess glitter off and let it dry. Then, tie a bow on and add your personalized fundraising note. Keep the note short and sweet so you can attach it to the ribbon. This is also a great thank you gift for donors.

What are your favorite crafts for those winter nights? Do you have special holiday crafts that you love? Share them with us in the comments!

April Fundraising Challenge: Raise Funds to Benefit the Susan G. Komen Treatment Assistance Program

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Throughout the rest of April, we will be running a fundraising challenge to support the Komen Treatment Assistance Program. All dollars raised through the 3-Day from today through the end of the month will provide financial assistance, education and support services to low-income, underinsured or uninsured people undergoing breast cancer treatment as part of the Komen Treatment Assistance Program.

So, we’re challenging YOU to boost your fundraising efforts and help us reach our goal of $500,000 for the Komen Treatment Assistance Program so that we can help more women and men facing breast cancer. Please share the great work we can do through this program with as many donors as possible, and encourage them to help our cause.

Not only will you be reaching your 3-Day fundraising goals, you will be continuing to help people in need.

You already know using tools like email and social media help you earn donations — now, here are a few suggestions on how to fundraise even more. They are simple and effective steps that will make a big difference!

Share as often as possible on all your social media platforms, and be sure to include a link to your fundraising page.
Email your network a minimum of twice, especially remembering to email them in the final days of the challenge so they don’t forget.
As people donate, tag them and thank them on social media, like this: “[Insert Name] just donated on my behalf to the Susan G. Komen Treatment Assistance Program, which helps eligible breast cancer patients who have limited financial resources get the treatment they need. She is providing support to those who need it most. Won’t you join her and donate to the 3-Day today? [link to your personal page].”

If you need help crafting your posts, here are some ideas for Facebook:

Example #1

From April 16 – 30, all the funds I raise for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day will go directly to Komen’s Treatment Assistance Program, which helps eligible breast cancer patients who have limited financial resources get the treatment they need. I’ve challenged myself to raise $500 this week to contribute to an overall goal of $500,000 for the Treatment Assistance Program. Can you help us reach this goal? Donate now!

Example #2

Today I’ve challenged myself to get 10 donations for @The3Day, to help fund Komen’s Treatment Assistance Program as part of a goal to raise $500,000. So far, I have 3 donations (thank you [tag] [Insert Name], [Insert Name], and [Insert Name]!); can you help me get 7 more before the end of the day? Make your donation now! Or if you’ve already donated, please share this request!

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Or, you can use one of these ideas for Twitter:

Example #1:

Today’s Challenge: 10 donations to fund Komen’s Treatment Assistance Program! Donate today: [personal page web address] #The3Day

Example #2:

Support me with a donation: [personal page web address]. All funds raised April 16-30 benefit Komen’s Treatment Assistance Program #The3Day

Example #3:

Donations now through 4/30 to @The3Day benefits @SusanGKomen and their lifesaving Treatment Assistance Program. Support my 60-mile journey: [personal page web address] #The3Day

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We are so excited for this first-ever fundraising challenge and look forward to the possibility of expanding this across multiple 3-Day funded programs in the future!

Good luck and get ready to fundraise! As always, if you need any fundraising support or advice, reach out to our 3-Day Social Media team or your local coaches. We are always here to help!

Fundraising Friday: Plan a 3-Day Spring Scavenger Hunt

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It’s Friday, it’s spring, and (hopefully) the sun is shining! It’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy nature, all while raising money for the 3-Day of course! With April being Earth Month, and Earth Day coming up on April 22^nd, you can take advantage of the Mother Earth-appreciation and host an outdoor Spring Scavenger Hunt this weekend.

If you are part of a team, this is a perfect way to get your teammates together and do something fun, but if you’re a solo walker, you can also reach out to your local coaches and see if you can help plan a larger event for walkers from your area.

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The concept is simple: Meet in a local park or outdoor area, and hand out a list of spring and 3-Day themed items they must find. The catch? They must ask people for help, or ask them for the items directly (no just picking up off the ground!), and every person they talk to must receive a donation form or 3-Day business card.

Letting people know, even strangers, about your local 3-Day and your own personal goals, could result in lots of donations you wouldn’t get otherwise! You never know how someone may have been affected by breast cancer. Also, encourage your participants to stop into local businesses and spots like the library or Town Hall while they’re searching to leave a 3-Day flyer behind. You’ll cover your town in a pretty pink bubble!

How should you go about planning this event?

First, you’ll need to print donation forms where your participants can fill out their information to get donations, but also print out general “Join Me” 3-Day cards that your scavenger hunters can leave at businesses.

Next, come up with your list of spring items! Some of our ideas are:

A pink flower from a local florist
A selfie with your local barista
A piece of pink ribbon or string
A selfie with someone wearing pink
A picture of a school or local track/playground area
A photo with or of local wildlife (you can include pets if you like – and be mindful not to touch or disturb the animals)
A ticket from your local dry cleaners
A map of your town and/or local park
A picture of a pink house,door, or flower pot
A selfie with a local firefighter or policeman

Then print out your list, and start gathering your friends! Again, working with a local coach might help recruit more 3-Day walkers, but you can also use this as a fun family activity. Getting your loved ones involved in your fundraising will help you raise money, but also connect the people in your life to your 3-Day cause.

What items should we add to the scavenger hunt list? What are your spring fundraising plans? Tell us in the comments!