A member of our 3-Day San Diego Facebook group recently posted that she was worried that she would not meet her fundraising goal in time for the 2021 San Diego 3-Day. She asked for quick and easy fundraising ideas and members of the Pink Bubble came to her rescue, sharing their tried-and-true ways to fundraise. In the spirit of sharing, here is a list of their ideas:
Sell ribbons, arm warmers, shirts, trinkets, etc. at a local business or flea market
Collect cans or scrap metal
Create a swear jar and whoever swears adds $1 to the jar
Have a neighborhood yard sale
Ask for donations at the door of your local grocery store or Walmart (ask the manager for permission first)
Ask businesses you frequent to donate
Host a candle fundraiser
Host a bake sale at work
Have a Pampered Chef party
Ask all of your Facebook friends to donate at least $25
Send out a mass text to all of your contacts to share your fundraising needs
Host a sports tournament with a donation to enter
We know that there are so many ways that people can fundraise and we’re grateful that the 3-Day community came together to provide easy-to-execute fundraising ideas so that everyone is able to meet their goal. What is your favorite quick and easy way to fundraise? Share it with us in the comments!
Whether you are a first-time walker or a seasoned veteran, fundraising can be intimidating. Coming up with creative ways to get donations can add a little fun to the process of raising money! We asked 3-Dayers to name one fundraisWhether you are a first-time walker or a seasoned veteran, fundraising can be intimidating. Coming up with creative ways to get donations can add a little fun to the process of raising money! We asked 3-Dayers to name one fundraising idea for every letter of the alphabet from A to Z. Here is what they came up with: ing idea for every letter of the alphabet from A to Z. Here is what they came up with:
Ask everyone
Boobie Bingo
Christmas card list
Dog walking
Emails
Five dollar Friday
Garage sales
Holiday themes
Increase your goal
Jewelry
Keep letter and donation forms with you at all times
Lots and lots of baking
Make calls to local restaurants and ask to have a fundraiser night where you get a percentage of total sales
No negative thinking
OREO Cookie Bunnies — sell these delish treats as part of a bake sale!
People — contact them all!
QR codes — create a QR code that goes directly to your fundraising page
Remind people why you walk
Sell items at a flea market
Talk about it with everyone you meet!
Utilize your talents and skills
Video fundraising message — post it on your social channels, send it in an email or go live!
Wash cars
Xerox flyers and hand them out
Yard work — mow lawns and do chores in exchange for donations
Zucchini — sell produce you grew at a local farmers market
Do you have a fundraising idea that has worked well? Share it below in the comments!
It can be difficult to figure out where to begin when fundraising for the 3-Day, especially if you have little to no experience with asking for donations. If your fundraising account is stuck at $0, take this opportunity to learn from those who are practically professional fundraisers. Veterans of the Pink Bubble share with us their most successful fundraising strategies that have helped them meet and exceed their fundraising goals, year after year.
Farrell C.’s suggestion is to share and highlight the person for whom you’re walking. She lost her Mom to breast cancer so she shares her personal story. She believes that you never know who you’ll touch by doing so. Farrell also suggests having a high fundraising goal and continuing to move the goal as you get close to reaching the current one.
Debbie S. collects emails addresses from anyone and everyone all year long! She starts a monthly email campaign beginning in June to send to everyone on her list. The first email is long and explains what the 3-Day is, why she’s doing it, how long she’s fundraised and walked, and closes it out with asking for donations. Each month, she sends out a new letter to anyone who hasn’t donated yet. Right before the event, she sends out another email to everyone on her list again, regardless if they’ve donated or not. This email is an update of what she’s doing, why, and how much she’s raised so far. Debbie doesn’t mention a fundraising goal, but always pushes for more, regardless of where she’s at. She also utilizes Facebook by copying and pasting her monthly email to a Facebook post with her personal page link! She is also a big fan of taking advantage of all matching gift opportunities.
Cathy L. started her pink envelope campaign many years ago and has since stuck with it because it works so well! She mails everyone on her list a personalized letter in a bright pink envelope with a self-addressed pink envelope inside for the recipient to mail a donation check back to her. She still gets excited to see those pink envelopes in her mailbox because she knows it’s a donation. (And don’t forget — you can easily deposit checks with the 3-Day app. It’s as simple as taking a picture of the check.) Cathy believes her personal touch is the main reason why her donors keep supporting her. Over the years, she has also hosted many types of parties (Pampered Chef, Tupperware, etc.) where a portion of the sales are donated to her 3-Day fundraising.
For more ideas on how to fundraise, head to our ABCs of Fundraising blog and join our Facebook Groups. What has been your most successful fundraising strategy? Share it with us in the comments below.
* States and local communities have laws governing many fundraising activities, including raffles, garage sales, leafleting, auctions and other promotional activities. Compliance with applicable laws is the responsibility of each participant, and the 3-Day cannot render legal or tax advice on these matters. Please check with your local authorities before fundraising in these ways.
