3-Day Fundraising with Facebook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Facebook Fundraiser

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to re-commit to your Susan G. Komen 3-Day® objectives for this year or the next. If you still have last-minute training walks to get in, make the most of these fall weeks before winter hits. And if fundraising is a challenge, there’s one simple trick you can try this month, right from your couch! If you haven’t yet tried Fundraising with Facebook, now is the time to give it a go.

Why?

Well, for starters, did you know that almost 55% of 3-Day walkers have already set up their Facebook Fundraisers? And, those people have raised an average of $700 more than people who haven’t given Facebook Fundraising a try. The power of this online fundraiser is reason enough to be active on Facebook!

It’s also very easy, and you can set it up while you watch a scary Halloween movie or relax after a long day at work. With a few quick clicks from your 3-Day Participant Center, you can set up your Facebook Fundraiser and start inviting all your family and friends to support you and be a part of your journey.

Need help starting your very first Facebook Fundraiser? Coach Gayla is here to help! She has broken down the process (which you can do from your phone or computer), step by step:

Go to The3Day.org.
At the top right-hand side, click LogIn and enter your username and password.
The next screen that opens will be your Participant Center Homepage.

In the middle of the page you’ll see the blue section with the headline, “Reach your goal faster, raise money directly on Facebook.”

Click the white button, “Connect Fundraiser to Facebook.”
If you are not currently logged in to Facebook, you will be asked to log in. If you are already logged in to Facebook, you will automatically be taken there.
Your Facebook Fundraiser is now live, connecting your 3-Day fundraising to your Facebook profile.
Edit your fundraiser by changing the generic 3-Day picture to your own photo. Click the small camera button on the bottom right to edit.
Edit the text to personalize it and tell your story.
Click the blue “Invite” button and invite ALL your Facebook friends to your fundraiser. If you do not invite anyone, no one will see it!
You can then enter a specific fundraising request as a Facebook post. For example, “I’m walking 60 miles in 3 days and raising $2,300 to end breast cancer. I need 23 friends to donate $100 each to reach my goal. Can I count on you for a donation?”

Your Facebook Fundraiser is now ready to start helping you reach your fundraising goals!

Once your fundraiser is posted, keep an eye on it and watch your total grow! Be sure to thank your donors within your fundraiser each time you get a donation. You can also tag your donors and publicly thank them on your Facebook page. You should also post pictures of your training and other fundraising efforts to solidify your commitment to the cause and inspire your donors to continue to give.

If you have any questions about setting up a Facebook Fundraiser, or need other tips and tricks, reach out to your local coaches. They can assist you through the step by step process. They’re here to help you reach, and exceed, your goals for your 3-Day!

3-Day Prep: How Your 3-Day Coaches Can Help

Let’s hear it for your 3-Day coaches! This group of amazing people are working all year long, all across the country, to make sure that the 3-Day is the best experience possible for you. This time of year is especially important, as we gear up for our first 3-Days of the year (only two weeks until Michigan!). If you have any last-minute questions or want to hit a new goal, now is the time to check in with your coach.

If you haven’t met or connected with them yet, don’t worry! You can find their contact information and lots more fun 3-Day treats on their Facebook pages:

If you’re not sure just how your 3-Day coaches can help you, well that answer is simple: The possibilities are endless! Here are just some of the topics and tips that your coaches are here to assist with.

Safe and Useful Training

Everyone should train for the 3-Day at their own pace, and in their own way. We have plenty of resources like our 3-Day Training App and local training walk leaders, but no one knows more than your coaches. Many of them lead training walks throughout the year, and you can find those on our website. They can also help you plan your own training walks and make sure you are preparing safely for your 3-Day journey.

They also have some seriously great training playlist ideas that you can check out HERE.

Hitting Your Fundraising Goals

If you need a little last-minute help to hit your 2019 fundraising goal, the coaches have seen it all and are ready to share. They get to see all the best fundraising ideas that teams and individuals are using across the country and are here as a resource. If you don’t want to send another email reminder, they have another idea! If you’re uncomfortable asking people for money in person, they have your back there, too! No matter what kind of fundraiser you are, they will help you make the most of your skills.

Growing Your Team

There is still time to add more team members to your 3-Day squad! Your coaches can help you recruit new team members or can connect solo walkers with other teams in their area. No one walks alone on the 3-Day, and your coaches will make sure of that.

Especially for our 3-Days with outdoor camps in Seattle, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego, adding new team members means you get extra fun on the 3-Day! If you add two first-time 3-Dayers to your team, you’ll qualify for one of our epic slumber party tents at camp. ? (This offer expired on 7/1 for the Seattle 3-Day, but Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego 3-Day participants have until 8/30 to recruit those walkers and earn your slumber party.

Preparing for Your 3-Day Weekend

Many of our coaches have walked the 3-Day in the past (or are walking this year!) and so have great tips for the actual 3-Day weekend itself. From recommended shoes and fanny pack choices, to ideas on how to prep for a little liquid sunshine, they have a wealth of information to share from all their past 3-Days as a coach, crew member or walker.

Pep Talks and Fun Tips

Anything else you need? Random questions you might have? Reach out to your coaches! They are here to help and have a seemingly unending amount of 3-Day knowledge that they want to share. All you have to do is ask ?

Fundraising Ideas You Might Never Have Thought Of

Fundraising for the 3-Day is a large commitment. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun, especially if you get creative! If you’re in a rut, we have creative ideas and approaches that you might never have thought of on your own, to help turn your fundraising into FUNdraising. Plus, for added motivation, we also have a fundraising contest going on right now. Read on for new ways to hit all your fundraising goals this year.

Rent a port-a-potty: Yes, you read that right! Those port-a-potties you “love” during the 3-Day can help you raise money too! Talk to your town and find out about the next parade or community event, then rent a port-a-potty. Decorate it (of course we’d suggest pink!) and ask people for donations in order to use it.
No one is a bad idea: And we mean everyone! Even ask people like your auto mechanic or dry cleaner for a donation. You can also ask them for coupons that you can use at a fundraising event or as a reward to teammates who hit a certain fundraising amount.
Spare change: Set up a jar next to your desk at work and ask people to empty their pockets at the end of the day and donate any spare change they have. No one likes carrying lots of change around in their pocket anyway!
Host a Mow-a-thon: Now that summer is upon us, take advantage of the warm weather! Host a weekend lawn Mow-a-thon and try to mow as many lawns as possible in one weekend. Start with your neighbors and then ask them to spread the word! Wear pink while you mow. ?
Walk where people see: Set up a treadmill outside of a store or farmer’s market and walk for donations. Set out a donation can for people to drop donations in. We guarantee people will stop and take notice!
Pet birthday party: Have a fun birthday party for your pet—or a friend’s pet! They happen more often than you think, but this time, really go all out. Serve pet-themed treats and ask everyone to wear ears! Then, ask for a suggested donation at the door.
Personal vending machine: Have you ever thought about how much money the vending machine at work likely makes in a single week? You can be your own vending machine! Purchase some of the office favorites in bulk (or have them donated if you can!) then sell them from your desk at a profit. Your desk will be the office favorite in no time!
Say in style: We love a good 3-Day wig or pink hairdo! Color your hair pink or shave your head for donations. Hype the new style up on social media and ask for donations to support your new do. Then, do a Facebook Live or other promotion of your new style to ask for more donations after you take the style plunge.
Free rent: Ask your apartment complex to donate one month’s rent to sponsor you. It’s a simple strategy, with no more investment than you usually spend.
Get creative: Ask a local artist or creative friend to donate a piece of artwork that you can raffle off to those who have donated. If you’re a creative, you can even design the art yourself!

So, let’s get fundraising! If you have any more FUNdraising ideas, add them to the comments below. Our 3-Dayers have the best fundraising knowledge. We want to hear from you!