Who is this????  Fund Raising Idea #22....Photo contest.  This is something you could do for fun at work, or even in your classroom with teacher approval.  Have everyone bring in a baby picture of themselves.  Post them on a bulletin board or make a poster (those 3 sided science board project things would work great).  Ask for a donation of $5.00 (or whatever you choose) to enter their picture.  Then, you can do two contests.  You can have people pay $1 a vote to pick the cutest baby.....Number the pictures of the babies....then have a sheet of paper with all the names - ask for another $1 or $2 donation to play the "Matching Game".....they get the paper with the names and try to match up what baby picture goes with what name.  You can announce a winner.....If you want to give a prize, besides the satisfaction of winning, that is up to you, but remember and remind them - it is a Fund Raiser!!!!

Now here's a fun one....Fund Raising Idea #21....Homemade Dog Biscuits!  The internet has a zillion recipes, in fact they even have Vegetarian ones.  You don't have to make them shaped like dog biscuits, but the cookie cutters in the dog biscuit shapes are pretty easy to find.  And, from what I can tell, they would not be too expensive to make.  Package them up cute.....price them out....and sell those fancy Dog Treats.....woof woof.....

Fund Raising Idea #20.....Penny Challenge...or ramp it up a notch and call it a coin challenge.  This is easy to do.....gather some cans - coffee cans are a great size.  Clean them out and wrap in purple paper, decorate for Relay for Life!  If you are going to school, ask your teacher if you can do a Coin Challenge for Relay.  Decide on what classes and ask if they will participate.  Maybe by cluster, by subject, even by clubs?  If you are working in an office, try a challenge between departments.  Set a length of time, one week, two weeks and keep reminding people.  I think you would be surprised.  One thing I would do....check with your local bank, tell them what you are doing and make sure that they will let you trade in rolled coins for cash.  And....head into that web page of yours and enter the money as an offline donation.  Good luck!

Easter peeps.....candles.....jewelry....Easter eggs.......What do all of these things have in common?  They are all ideas of things to sell at the March 4th meeting...If you have a team of eight, you can fund raise at the meeting.  Now, fund raising does not always mean you have to sell something - you can also promote an upcoming fundraiser.  Have a bake sale, tag sale, home party planned?  Hand out fliers, publicize your event, get the word out!!!  If you do have items to sell, arrive a few minutes early to set your items up, then following the meeting, you can show off your goodies!  Take advantage of this - you really do not have anything to loose.  Last year my Relay team made $200 selling $5.00 boxes of candy.....it all adds up for a very good cause.

I was just thinking and thinking and thinking.  And, while I was thinking I was poking around the internet and spying on other Relay sites (this is ok to do by the way)....and I saw something that really hit home and I thought I would share it with you.....
"Don't prejudge whether people will give. Let them say no or ignore your letter rather than not ask."  Ok, back to thinking......about some great fund raisers....

Here is a fun one.....Fund Raising Idea #19

In a previous blog I suggested a jeans day.  Your co-workers pay a fee, say $5 or $10 and are able to wear jeans to work for a day.  This is a different spin...

Flip Flop Day......I know, it is cold and snowy - but I am certain

that it won't be this way forever and successful fund raising

takes planning!!!  So....set this up for a great day in May.  You know

everyone will be very excited to have fun with Flip Flop Day!!!

Fund Raising Idea #18......this has been around for a long time, but usually when that is the case, it is because with the right amount of effort, you can make some $$$$  Can Drive.....Collect cans from neighbors, friends, or organize a drop off and publicize it.  Head to one of our local grocery stores and feed those cans in!!!  Sticky hands and some cash for Relay.  You can't go wrong.....Hey...if you have a team of eight you could even hand out fliers at the March meeting and ask people to bring you cans at the April meeting!

Fund Raising Idea #17.....this is an idea, or rather a suggestion taken directly from American Cancer Society for Relay for Life.  It is a good one.....

HOW TO RAISE $100 IN 10 DAYS......

• Put in your own $10
• Ask your spouse/roommate for $10
• Ask a co-worker for $10
• Two friends for $10
• Ask a relative for $10
• Ask a neighbor for $10
• Ask two people from church for $10
• Even your hairdresser, for a final $10

 

If you checked your email yesterday, you saw an email about Teams of 8 being able to set up a Fund Raising table at meetings!  This is a great, great opportunity to make some money for your team.  The above picture is an example of this from last year.  Las Mamacitas had a spa day fund raiser that they promoted and sold candy as well.  Lynda Russo came up with a great idea....put together some Easter Baskets to sell!  Think about what YOU would like to buy....show off your creative talents.  In the past, people have displayed jewelry, but the field is wide open.  And....one tip....PURPLE ....Everyone is in quite the purple mood at Relay!!!

This is another GREAT reason to get your team of 8 formed and signed up online!!!  Remember...talk to your friends, your neighbors, a friend at book-club, a buddy at church.....your teacher!  You never know when someone is maybe just waiting to be asked to join a team, or maybe they don't even know about Relay (imagine that).  Good luck and happy selling!!!

One last thing......when you are selling items for Relay, remember that people can write you a check made out to American Cancer Society and you enter it online as an offline donation.  Check out an old blog for details on how to do this.....

Fund Raising Idea #16....

A "Purple" Elephant Sale

You may have heard of a White Elephant Sale.  It is a fun name for a tag sale.  Kind of the concept of "one person's trash is another person's treasure".

But....a different spin on the tag sale mentioned earlier in the blog.  Set up a time and a place that people can easily get to.  Ask them to bring you items for your team to sell.  Bring their "purple elephant items" to donate.  Then, your team can go through the items, price them and have your sale on a different day.  Advertise the drop off day and time and any type of items you do not want.  You may even offer to pick items up if that works out better.  Then....sell their "stuff" and rake in the profits for your team......

 

Here is a great idea....remember to sell Luminaria at your fund raisers!  You can set up a special spot with information and give people the chance who may not be able to come to Relay, to remember a loved one with this wonderful tribute.  Your Luminaria sales count towards your team totals this year.  And....Relay bucks will be given to anyone who sells 50 Luminaria.  Most important......it is the most moving and beautiful way to honor a loved one who has battled cancer.  Don't forget to buy a Luminaria for whoever is your reason to Relay......

Fund Raising Idea #15....BINGO......  Host a Bingo Tournament....there are many, many ways to go about this.  You can do it at home if you have room, for a small group.  For a larger group, talk to your church about using their community room, check with the library....just make sure you have some idea about the size of space you will need.  Bingo equipment is available for rent, and the fee is low.  You can even print out, for free, bingo cards online and have them copied.  Charge people a fee to play and use that money perhaps a 50/50 split.  A certain amount to the game winners and a certain amount to your team.  Or.....get your team baking - it is a Birthday Theme this year.....give cakes, cupcakes, cookies to the winners, or any type of prize you think would be good and put all the proceeds towards your team!  Good luck.  One more thing.....sell snacks as well to earn money!

 

Fund Raising Idea #14.....With Easter and Mother's Day on the horizon, how about having a flower sale?  There are companies online that offer all type of flower seed sales.  Also, an idea would be to contact one of our local nurseries and tell them what you would like to do.  Perhaps they will offer you certain flowers at a discount or at wholesale, and then you can turn around and sell them for your Relay profit.  You could promote this on the Relay website as a fund raiser, as well as spreading the word to your friends.

Fund Raising Idea #13.....Bowling for Bucks....Host a bowling fund raiser.  Talk with a local bowling alley and be sure and tell them what you are doing!  Do not be afraid to ask for a discount in exchange for promoting their business with this event.  Rent several lanes and charge your bowlers a fee to cover that cost and a bit more that will go to your team.  Make this fun, not a hard-core tournament.  Offer certificates or prizes for most strikes, most gutter balls, lowest score.  Ask if you can bring cupcakes or some type of food to sell.  If not, ask if the owner will be willing to donate a small percentage of the money that people spend at the concession stand.  Another element to add.....a raffle.  Ask the bowling alley if they will donate several games of bowling.  Sell raffle tickets for this prize.  There are many things you can do at this event to raise money.....just be creative!  One more idea....have a tournament for kids, or include the kids.  Most bowling alleys have the ability to put in the gutter guards for the little ones and they love it!

Fund Raising Idea #12......A No-Show Tea!!!.....Below is an example of a letter that you can mail out, with a tea bag!  The idea is that people are very busy, and maybe do not have time to attend a fund raiser, or do not want to buy something.  You are asking for money, but with a cute "spin" on it!  Give it a try.....the cost is not too great, but remember, make the letter nice and personalize it.  Be sure and put your name and address if they would like to mail you a check and be sure and include the link to your personal page and tell the recipient that they can visit your page and make a donation as well.

You are cordially invited 
to take part in 
A NO-SHOW BENEFIT TEA 
for (your team/your name)

  

Mindful of the busy lives caring people lead, 
The ______________ Relay for Life Team invites you not to go anywhere but to stay home, prop up your feet, sip tea, relax, renew, refresh, and reflect with the knowledge you are  you are helping find a cure for cancer.   

  Because of your commitment to comfort and no fuss, you sensibly stayed home and sipped tea...relaxed...renewed...refreshed...reflected! 
 
Please enjoy your tea and visit my personal Relay for Life page at

www.main.acsevents.org/goto/________________

Or you can mail a check maid out to Relay for Life to:

______________________________

Fund Raising Idea #11......Dog Sitting...Dog Walking.....A great idea for our youth participants!  Maybe your neighbors are going to be out of town for Spring Break and you are staying home!  Offer to maybe walk their dogs, get their mail, etc.....in exchange for a donation to your Relay efforts! 

 

Fund Raising Idea #11....is actually the number one way to raise money.  It is also the easiest way to raise money.  I talked about this at the kick-off meeting, but if you missed the meeting....please know that it is soooo easy to ask for money via email.  Go to your personal page and log in.  Click on My Participant Center, then click on EMAIL.  You can then click on Ask for A Donation.  Now - here is the trick.....make it personal.  They have a TON of information in the email and please, feel free to write what YOU want.  I make mine short and sweet. Let's face it - people are busy and they want to get to the heart of the matter - which is....you are participating in Relay for Life and raising money to help American Cancer Society find a CURE.  There are all kinds of ways to import your mailing lists, but you do NOT want me to try and tell you how to do that :)  But....go for it - send out those emails.  Ask.  The number one reason that people say they do not donate????  They were not asked.  And, always stress that every little bit helps - the minimum online donation is only $10.00  And....it all adds up and it adds up to helping find a cure.

Fund Raising Idea #10.......It's cold outside, perfect time for Chili....host your own Chili Cook Off.  You can do it on any scale that you like.  Example... invite 10 couples over and ask them to bring their favorite chili and a donation (say $20) for your team.  Everyone can taste and vote on their favorite chili.  For very little money, you can buy prize ribbons at a party store!  Ask everyone to email you their recipes in advance, and type up a little "cookbook" to give everyone as a gift to take home.  (Be sure and also put your Relay web site on the recipe "book" in case they would like to make a donation). You provide drinks and whatever you would like to serve with the chili.  You would be surprised at how eager people are to do fun things and socialize in different ways and they don't mind making a donation for a good cause.  So...there you go, you have a great chili dinner and have made money for your team!

Fund Raising Idea #9.....Do you have a birthday coming up between now and Relay?  How about asking your friends and family to make a birthday donation to you!  What a great way to help American Cancer Society tell folks about the new theme this year "Imagine a World with More Birthdays".  If you are having a birthday party, put out a donation jug and ask your birthday party buddies to throw some donations your way!!!  And....have a Happy Birthday knowing you are helping to Imagine a world with more BIRTHDAYS!!!

 

How to enter an offline donation.....An offline donation is money that you have earned that has NOT been put on your web site with a credit card.  Say you host a movie night and have made $100 in cash.  Wondering what to do with it?  Go on your personal Relay page and log in.  When the choices of what to do come up, click on Edit Personal Page.  Next, go up to the choices at the top and click on My Progress.  Look closely and in blue ink you will see the words ENTER GIFTS RECEIVED OFFLINE.  Click and that will take you to a page that will allow you to enter cash or checks that you have in hand!  Just follow the prompts.  This money, if you so choose will show up scrolling on your page, just like a credit card donation, and it will also be entered into your fund raising total.  Save the money, and turn it at a meeting or on Bank Night.