Here are a few basic ideas to kick start your fundraising:

• Attend an Orientation: At our Get In Step Sessions, our coaches will help you set up your plan and give you plenty of tips to help you reach your goal. Click here for the Event Calendar.



• Utilize your Personal Page: Take advantage of your Participant Center Personal Page. Share your story, post a photo, and request donations. Your Personal Page automatically tracks your fundraising balance, so you and your donors can even watch your progress.



• Fundraising Letters: Send a brief but engaging note explaining the event and your commitment to it. Enclose a donation form with a stamped return envelope. Once the donor has made the decision to give, you want to make it as easy for them as possible.



• Emails: Go virtual and send your engaging note via email. Login to your Participant Center and use the email function. Your emails will automatically include a link to your personal page so that your supporters can donate directly to you online.

Already used the basics fundraising tips and looking for additional ideas? Check these suggestions out:

• Hometown Press: Sharing your story with the media is a great way to bolster your fundraising campaign and raise awareness about the cause in your community. By participating in The Weekend, you’re making a bold statement that your community will want to know about. Visit Hometown Press tab to learn more.



• Company Donation Matching Programs: Does your company or employer match your donation fundraising efforts?  Visit your Human Resources representative to find out if this is a possible fundraising opportunity for you. Many companies are eager to support their employees, as well as the community. 



• Social Networking Sites: Take advantage of sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Linked In. These online communities are amazingly popular and you will find old schoolmates, friends, and previous coworkers there. Everyone is a potential donor. Put on your thinking cap and keep your mind open. Visit our Social Media Center for new ways you can expand your fundraising online.



• Fundraising Parties: Invite guests to a party, letting them know that it’s targeted around fundraising so they are not surprised. At the party, play a Weekend DVD that explains how their donations will be used. (which you can borrow from a Weekend Coach). Pass out donation forms and encourage them to contribute. Take it upon yourself to mail in the donations.
  
  Please Note: If you are interested in holding a fundraising event outside of your home and are planning to either serve or sell liquor, you may be required to obtain a liquor license. Please contact your liquor licensing board to ensure you comply with their policies and receive appropriate approval. If a license is required we are unable to assist with the process.  Please talk to the licensing bureau directly for all information on the availability of such a license. Please note that The Weekend to End Breast Cancer nor St.Vincent Foundation can be named on the license.




Likewise, if you wish to hold a raffle or 50/50 draw, you must apply for a license from the Gaming Commission. Similar to the above, we are unable to assist with this process. Please speak with the Gaming Commission directly.

Some important things to remember when fundraising:

• Aim High: Strive to surpass the fundraising minimum. The more money you raise, the more good work that gets done. Pick a number that feels like a real reach and go for it.



• Create a List of Potential Donors: Compile a list of EVERYONE you know. The more people you ask, the more donations you are likely to receive.



• Face-to-Face Meeting: Ask a potential donor for a contribution in person is always more impactful. Talking with you one-on-one will allow them to see how serious you are about collecting funds for The Weekend.



• Expand Your Giving Circle: You can multiply your donations by giving additional donation forms to your family and friends who have already donated, or asking them to email their friends with a link to your Personal Page. 



• Follow Up: If you haven’t received a response from someone you’ve asked for a donation, be sure to follow up. Make a phone call or send a quick note to make sure that they haven’t forgotten your request.



• Thanking Your Donors: It is very important that you thank your donors! Once you have received a donation from someone, let them know that their contribution, whatever the amount, is important to you and that you appreciate it. You can also invite your donors to Closing Ceremonies, so they can see the results of your hard work in person.
  
  After the event, you may want to send out a newsletter or email with some photos, and an additional thank you for your donors’ support. There are sample thank-you letters in your Participant Center.

• Make it a tradition: Many donors enjoy giving to the same charity every year and even look forward to it. Whether they're supporting you, or supporting the cause - or both - tell them about your experience in the walk last year, share pictures and videos.



• Dollars at Work: Give them at least one good example of where their dollars go. Then ask them to keep the good work alive by making another generous donation this year. Who could refuse?



• Update your Personal Page: Put up a new photo and update your page with your Weekend goals for this year. When your donors see how dedicated you are to the cause, they'll be just as dedicated to supporting you year upon year.



• Expand your Donor Network: There may be some people who simply can't give again this year. But you can expand your list of potential donors by asking them if they know someone else who would be willing to donate, and by digging deeper into your own social network to think of people you've never asked before.



• Social Networking Sites: Take advantage of sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Linked In. These online communities are amazingly popular and you will find old schoolmates, friends, and previous co-workers there. Everyone is a potential donor. Put on your thinking cap and keep your mind open. Visit our Social Media Center for new ways you can expand your fundraising online.

Hometown Press

Hometown Press Release:

• Hometown Press Release 1
• Hometown Press Release 2
• Instructions
• Sample Success Story (coming soon)

Click the "Hometown Press Release 1" or the "Hometown Press Release 2" document above to see two press release templates that describe your motivation for participating and your dedication to conquering cancer. Personalize the release and send it to your local newspaper.

Be sure to include your name and participant ID in the article. This allows people you don’t know to donate to you via your Personal Page. The "Instructions" document explains how to fill out the Hometown Press Release. The "Sample Success Story" shows you an example of how one of your fellow participants used the Hometown Press Release with great success!


Fundraising Advisory:

• Fundraising Advisory
• Instructions
• Sample Success Story (coming soon)

Do you want to invite your community to attend your own fundraising event for The Weekend to End Breast Cancer? Click the "Fundraising Advisory" document above, to open a media advisory template that will alert those in your area about your fundraiser. Personalize the advisory and send it to your local newspaper’s community calendar section. If the newspaper does not have a community calendar section, send the advisory to the general news or news tips email address.

Be sure to include your name and participant ID, so those who are unable to attend can still donate to you via your Personal Page. The "Instructions" document explains how to fill out the Fundraising Advisory. The "Sample Success Story" shows you an example of how one of your fellow participants used the Fundraising Advisory with great success!

Good luck with your Hometown Press campaign, and please let Jackson Wightman know if your story makes the news!