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Relay For Life
Encyclopedia of Fundraising Tips

Participants seek donations rather than pledges from friends, family and associates. Most fundraising is done prior to the Relay For Life event, eliminating the hassle of collecting pledges after the event.

Set a goal: team members minimum goal is $ 100 plus registration fee, and a team of I O's minimum goal is $ 1000 plus registration fee.

For Participants A Art Sales -- have pre school and elementary students produce great art and have a show. Parents and friends buy back their budding artists' masterpieces. Ask Everyone you meet -- Even if you have sent out letters, be sure to carry a sponsor/donation form with you so that when you talk to people about the Relay, you can ask them to donate right then. Take those sheets with you to meetings. When you carry a sponsor/donation for with you, indicate your own contribution at the top. Make sure the top few donations on the form are more significant. Other people are apt to follow suit; conversely, if you start with a $2 contribution others may follow with $2. Don't prejudge whether people will give. Let them say nor or ignore your letter rather than not ask. Auction off a prime parking space at work. Auction off a half or whole day from work. Auction off other team members to work a day for someone. Auction off a picnic -- assemble everyone together in your cafeteria, or some other general meeting area, and auction off a picnic lunch your team has prepared. Auction off the boss -- have the boss or department heads as your assistant for a day at work.   B Baby-sitter Service -- baby-sitters ARE ALWAYS a commodity. A No Bake Sale -- where coworkers pay so they don't have to bake goodies. Barbecue Lunches -- Prepare and sell barbecue lunches! BINGO -- bingo games ... ask participants to donate their winnings! Block Party -- have a neighborhood block party ... sell food and charge admission! Book Sale -- dust those bookshelves and have a book sale! Boss For the Day -- allow people to bid on being boss for the day high bid wins! Host a bake sale.   C Car pool for fun and profit! Clean up with a neighborhood car wash! Car Window Washes -- team can wash car windows at fast food restaurants drive thru window. Car Wash during the business day for customers and employees alike. Car Bash -- secure an old car, write in large bold letters CANCER across the car, and for a donation you get to smash cancer three times with a sledge hammer. Casual Day -- Dress Down for Cancer -- and employees pay to dress casually. Celebrity Servers -- fast food restaurants team up with TV celebrities to serve up the hamburgers. The restaurant donates a percentage of the evening in support of RFL. Change -- A Little Change Makes a Lot of Cents -- bank and credit union teams post this message at the teller line, -- donate the 'cents' from your deposit to the (name of the team) Challenge by the Boss -- get the boss to agree that if every team member raises their minimum $100 that he'll dress up like a pig, shave his beard, set in the dunking booth, get a pie in the face, etc. Change jar. Keep a change jar in a high traffic area. A HOT HOT HOT Chili Cook off! Cajun Style Red Beans and Rice Party -- Cajun Style! Christmas Trees/Wreaths -- ask a local retailer to donate $1 for every tree and wreath sold. Christmas Party -- play carols, serve cookies donate a tree, have pictures with Santa, and charge admission. Comedy Club -- ask a local comedy club to host an evening in support of Relay For Life. Invite all teams to sell tickets. For instance, if a team sells 10 tickets at $10 each they just raised $100 for RFL. Craft Fairs -- many teams take advantage by having a craft table/drawings at these festivals. Crafts -- in a holiday mood? ... craft tree ornaments and sell them! Sell those homemade treasures! Cookbooks -- collect recipes from employees and have them published, and sell them. Can be produced for approximately $2 each and sold for $7 to $8.   D Day Spa -- haircuts, manicures, massages and charge a fee. Decorating Service -- No Time To Decorate ... Holiday Decorating Service! Dime A Dance (at event) -- provide music at your campsite and other people can pay to dance with your team members. Dinners, Dinners, Dinners -- spaghetti dinners, gourmet feasts, etc. Drawings for a donated item from a local business (dinner for 2, movie tickets, etc.) Host a theme Dance or party -- Sock hop, beach party, disco, square dance, dance for senior citizens, etc. Deliver meals -- have a meal day where your team will cook and deliver breakfast, lunch or dinner to other businesses in town. Fax them a few days ahead of time to inform them of the menu, cost and how to order. Dedicate your personal effort to someone who has won a battle with cancer, or to someone who is battling cancer, or to someone who has lost their battle -- or all three. Include that in a letter along with a self addressed stamped envelope. Consider mailing to: • friends • relatives • co workers • business associates • doctor, dentist, hairdresser, barber • church members • service club members • Christmas or Hanukkah card list • personal phone directory • recipients of your checks Dress Down Day -- ask every employee to contribute to your Relay team fund and in return they will be allowed to dress down on a specified day at work.   E Envelopes at Restaurant Tables -- teams generate donations by placing a RFL envelope at every table, stating, "Please Support our RFL Team and the American Cancer Society." Waitresses check envelopes after each seating. Errand Service -- Never have time ... run an errand service!   F Flowers and Plants -- sell corsages, you donation will blossom. Sell your extra houseplants or bouquets from your garden! Fry Day Friday -- 6+ weeks prior to Relay, a dime from every order of fries sold on Friday from a fast food restaurant goes to your team total.   G Gift Wrap during the Holidays -- teams can set up at the local mall or in a particular store. * * Mothers Day Gift Wrap is an ideal time for teams to offer a gift wrap booth. Garage sale.   H Hot Dog for Cancer -- principal at an elementary school agreed that if ALL the teachers would raise $ 100 each, he/she would dress up like a hot dog and let the students squirt ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and relish on him/her.   J Jail and Bail -- an old American Cancer Society fundraiser. For a donation employees can be arrested and for an additional donation can post their own bail OR employees have a bounty placed on their head, are arrested, and are not set free until the entire bounty is raised ($ 100+ per inmate)   K Kiss the Pig -- select three to five well known and well liked employees. Have the employee choose the individual they would like to see kiss the pig by purchasing a jelly bean(s) for .50 cents each. The jelly bean(s) will be placed in ajar for that individual. The individual with the most jellybeans will have to kiss the Pig.   L Lawn Service -- while you are mowing your lawn, mow someone else's! Write one letter for friends and another for business associates. If you use a computer to personalize your letter (or if you hand write them), thank them for the specific amount they gave you last year. Send letter around the middle of March for a late April event. Consider the last pay date for before the event for many people -- a time when lots of people write checks. ***Ask to have the checks returned to you by the middle of April it's harder for people to ignore when there is a due date other than the event date. Luminaries -- what a great GIFT during the holidays (Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day, etc.)   M Movies -- rent short videos (old, classic films are great) and have a movie week during lunch hour. Charge admission and invite employees to eat their lunch while they watch. Matching Funds -- Ask your CEO/President to match the total raised by your team or to be the leading donor for your team. (In order for it to count toward incentives, you must turn in written confirmation prior to the event).   P Pancake breakfasts Payroll deduction -- employees can make their own contribution by having it deducted directly from their paycheck. Penny Jar -- popular with school teams. Percentage of Sales -- designates a percentage of one day's sales or proceeds and let the public know so they will buy more. Pet Service -- love pets?...walk someone's dog! Pies -- find which fruit is in season and sell your delicious pies! Place a Picture of the person your team is walking in honor or memory of in a highly visible place to remind team members of the importance of their participation. Pot Luck Lunches at the Workplace -- name every Wednesday "Relay For Life Pot Luck Day" team members take turns preparing foods, salads, desserts, etc. and offer to employees at the workplace at a set price or donation. Program Ad Sales -- Sale ads for the Relay For Life event program. Full page ads for $100, 1/2 page ads for $50, 1/4 page ads for $25, and 1/8 page memorial ads for $10 Publicize your team participation in the company newsletter.   Q Quilts -- quilt made by the employee themselves and sell quilt squares for honor and in memory of people with cancer; squares of 4x4 for $5, 8x8 for $15, and 12xl2 for $25.   R Romance -- cater a romantic dinner for two!   S Shoe Shines -- the enlisted men would love it. Shutterbug Mania -- into photography? ... Take candid shots around community, schools, etc. and sell to subject! Or take photos at a friend's wedding! Sponsors -- ask a neighborhood to sponsor a team. Ask businesses you regularly support to be $ 100 contributor. Sports Tournaments -- teams organize bowling, hockey, basketball and soccer tournaments. Sports Challenges -- set up challenge matches between individuals or departments for bowling, tennis, racquetball, softball, and other sports. Charge an entry fee and admission fee. Stay At Home Tea -- on Valentine's Day. A $1 donation for the pleasure of having your cup of tea at home.   T Tupperware Party -- How about the profits from a Tupperware party! Turkey Drawing -- offer a dollar to win your Thanksgiving/Christmas turkey. Cold Turkey Subs -- encourage sub/pizza shops to donate a set amount (50 cents) from each cold turkey sub sold to benefit your Relay For Life team.   V Vending Machines -- coordinate with your vendor to add .05 cents to the cost of a snack or soft drink prior to Relay, with the extra nickel going to your team total Video Sale! How many times can you watch Forrest Gump? Votes -- select three to five well known and well like employees (must be men) and have the employees cast their vote ($1 donation) for the individual they would like to see dress up as a woman. Individuals with the most votes will spend an entire workday dressed like a woman.   W Wine Tasting -- as with any other fundraiser but especially with this one, the wine MUST be donated and all liquor liability must be adhered to.   Y Yard Displays -- Place plastic pink flamingoes, wooden cows, or even a purple and pink port a potties in the front yard of unsuspecting donors ... request a donation for them to be removed, an additional donation for the homeowner to pick up whose yard they are placed in next, and another donation as "insurance" that they don't wind up back in their yard again. Yard Sale -- Hold the ultimate Yard Sale!   FOR TEAM CAPTAINS Call members of your team and meet with them; challenge them. Borrow a Relay video and show at your team meetings. Ask for a speaker from the Relay organizing committee to your meeting. Set high goals. Compare amounts collected by team members. Have team dedicate Relay to someone from their company, school -- then let people know about it. Put up a sponsor sheet in your business for walk ins. Ask your employer to sponsor your mailing costs.