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!

What You’ll Find on the 3-Day Pinterest Page

Pinterest is a constantly updating source of fun, ideas, and support all year long. As part of our social media community, it’s a platform we love sharing ideas and memories on to keep the 3-Day spirit of love going the whole year long. If you haven’t checked out our Pinterest page, now is the time. Here are just a few of the things you will find on our boards…

Fundraising Ideas

You probably already know that your coaches, fellow teammates, and this blog are great sources of fundraising ideas, but we also have even more fundraising ideas on Pinterest! You can never have too many sources for inspiration, and our Pinterest page is especially great for craft and culinary ideas. Feel free to tag us in your favorite pins on Pinterest as well, to let us know when you see any ideas you love online.

Inspiration

From quotes that will lift you up when you need a motivating boost, to The ABC’s of the 3-Day, if you’re trying to show a future teammate just why this cause means so much to you, we have it on our boards. We work to keep you inspired all year long, because you keep us inspired each and every day!

A Fashion Show

Need ideas for your 3-Day outfits? Want to wear something extra fun on your next training walk? Check out our Best Dressed board for inspiration – and some laughs! There is lots of pink style there to make you smile.

Knowledge

We share Breast Cancer Facts, many of them directly from Susan G. Komen, to keep you informed and provide you with information that you can use in your fundraising letters. There are also facts and infographics about healthy eating, stretching and more, to make sure you are training safely and effectively.

Memories

After every event, we add some of our favorite photos to our Pinterest page, organized by event city. That makes it easy for you to bask in the memories of 3-Days past, and remember the magic of the Pink Bubble. We also have special boards to share The 3-Day Experience and memories of our amazing crew!

What do you want to see more of on the page? Tell us in the comments!

How to Use Social Media in Your Fundraising

Social media is a part of most of our lives, and while we love all the fun connectivity social media allows, it can also be a useful tool. It makes fundraising simple! Use it to kick start, finish or follow up on your fundraising goals with a whole lot of likes ? Here are easy ways to use social media in your fundraising.

Holiday or Event: A great place to start on social media is to ask friends to donate a specific amount by a certain date. Be it for your birthday, another holiday, or even an important date for you, like your first team training walk, setting a deadline creates a sense of urgency. Remember, don’t use the pre-provided Facebook “Donate” button, but instead, link to your own personal fundraising page. This will ensure that all donations go right to you!

Sample Post: My birthday is coming up and I want to celebrate by raising $300 for the 3-Day! I need 10 friends to donate $30 each to hit my goal. Won’t you help me make my birthday, and 3-Day, wish come true?

Use Instagram: Post about your 3-Day goals on your Instagram account. They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, and this is the perfect way to prove it. By showing your training walks, fundraising efforts and even photos from past walks, you will personalize your journey. Then, link to your fundraising page in your bio. If you need post ideas, follow us on Instagram for inspiration!

3-Day Challenge: Have your friends “challenge” their friends to donate. Once one friend donates to you, ask them to update their Facebook status and challenge a few more of your mutual friends to donate as well.

Sample Post: I donated to Lisa’s 3-Day journey, and now I’m challenging Maria, Liz and Sarah to do the same! Let’s make a difference in the fight against breast cancer together!

Facebook App: If you want to really boost your fundraising efforts, add the 3-Day Facebook app to your Facebook page and use it to post regularly. Your posts will automatically include a link directly to your fundraising page! It makes it all so easy.

Time-Based Challenge: Like setting a goal around a holiday, you can make your own social media finish line! Set a challenge for yourself where you will do something crazy/silly/adventurous if your fundraising goal is met by a certain date. You can also get your whole team in on the action!

Sample Ideas: Jumping into your family pool in all your 3-Day gear, doing a trick on the trampoline, making a team human pyramid, or singing a song in your funniest 3-Day garb.

Fundraising Widget: Get a 3-Day fundraising widget at The3Day.org/Widgets and add it to your email signature or personal blog. That way, every time someone gets an email from you, even if it’s not about the 3-Day, they’ll be reminded of your goals.

Facebook Photos: Change your Facebook profile or cover photo to a 3-Day image. Get one at The3Day.org/Logos (make sure you’re logged in) or on the Inspiration Gallery on our blog! Then ask for donations in your status updates, and the caption of your photo.

Tap Your Team: You can also use your team to help you with any and all of these ideas! Do a team challenge to hit a fundraising goal by your first team training walk, take a team photo for your profile or cover photo, or just use them for inspiration for new social media ideas.

How do you use social media in your fundraising efforts? Tell us in the comments!

The 3-Day Blog

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Fundraising Friday: Plan a 3-Day Spring Scavenger Hunt