ABC's of Fundraising

Relay For Life participants seek donations rather than pledges from friends, family and associates. All fundraising is done prior to Relay For Life, eliminating the hassle of collecting pledges after the event. Set a goal. Each team member's minimum goal is $100 plus registration fee. There are a ton of great fundraising ideas both for the individual and the team to help you meet your goals. Be creative, have fun and ask everyone you know or meet to help support your effort.
This list is based on The Canadian Cancer Society's ABC's of Fundraising but we'll continue to add to this list and want to hear what your team does for fundraising. And if you are having a fundraiser please let us know so we can add them to our Events page.
Before fundraisers please check with your staff person for any local laws or other restrictions that may be in place

A

Art Sale – This one is perfect for a kids team. Have students produce great works of art and have a show. Parents and friends buy back their budding artists' masterpieces.

ASK, ASK, ASK – Ask everyone you meet. Even if you have sent out letters, be sure to carry a donation collection envelope with you so that when you talk to people about Relay, you can ask them to donate right then. Take the donation collection envelope with you to meetings. When you carry a donation collection envelope with you, indicate your own contribution at the top. Make sure the top few donations on form are significant. Other people are apt to follow suit; conversely, if you start with a $2 contribution, others may follow suit with $2. Don't prejudge whether people will give. Let them say no or ignore your letter rather than not ask.

Auctions of all Kinds –
Auction off a prime parking space at work.
Auction off a half or whole day off from work.
Auction a picnic lunch.
Auction desserts, homemade dinners, local art work or other creative and fun items.

B

A "No-Bake Sale" – Coworkers pay so they don't have to bake goodies.

Book Sale – Dust those bookshelves and have a book sale.

"Boss for the Day" – Allow people to bid on being boss for a day - high bid wins.

Bake Sales – Hold a Friday bake sale so employees have treats for the weekend. Ask for items to be wrapped attractively so they could be given as gifts.

"Brown Bag Lunch Day" – Everyone brings their lunch and donates the money they would have spent for lunch to the Relay For Life fund.

Bottle Drive – Gather up your clean empty bottles to raise funds. See if friends, family, neighbours and even your workplace want to donate their bottles as well.

BBQ – Set up a bbq at an event, and you have yourself a great fundraising event.

C

Carpool – for fun and profit.

Clean up – with a neighbourhood car wash.

Car Window Washes – Teams can wash car windows at fast food restaurant drive through windows.

Challenges – Challenge another team to raise more than you. Some radio stations may gladly put your challenge on the radio.

Challenge by the Boss/Principal – Get the boss to agree that if every team member raises their minimum of $100 that he'll dress up like a pig, shave his beard, sit in the dunking booth, or get a pie in the face, etc.

Change Jar – Keep a change jar in high traffic areas. All change is donated to your team fundraising totals.

Cook Offs

Christmas Trees/Wreaths – Ask local retailers to donate $1 for every tree and wreath sold.

Cake Drawing Every Hour – Here is a fun and tasty idea. Team members bake different cakes, exchange tickets for a donation and than raffle off the cakes each hour of the day.

Cow Chip Fundraiser – A country-style fundraising event involving raffling $20 chances for winning a $5,000 cash prize. The fun catch is that the winner is determined by where a cow answers nature's call on squares marked off in a field. Add in live music, barbecue, and family fun activities and you've got the makings of a major success on your hands.

Casino Night – Put together a full-fledged casino where adults gamble with play money for a good cause. Either one will draw a big crowd where you can add extra moneymakers like a buffet dinner. Look to local merchants for partnerships and publicity.

D

Host a theme dance or party – Sock hop, beach party, disco, square dance, dance for senior citizens, etc.

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 envelope.

Dress Down Day – Ask every employee to contribute to your Relay team, and in return they will be allowed to "dress down" on a specified day at work.

Dinner – Hold a dinner. Have your team do a theme dinner. Get a hall donated and have each member of your team prepare part of the meal. Sell tickets and get some entertainment donated.

Dinner Dance – Put together a fun dinner dance with live music and good food. It could be a formal affair with catered food or a rocking good time accompanied by a pig roast. Use a one price covers all approach, then add a cash bar or wine tasting to raise extra funds.

Drawings – Hold draws for a donated item(s) from a local business (dinner for 2, movie tickets, etc.) Check about lottery requirements.

E

Envelopes at Restaurant Tables – Teams generate donations by placing a Relay For Life envelope at every table, stating "Please Support Our Relay For Life Team and the Canadian Cancer Society." Waitresses check envelopes after each seating.

Easter Egg hunt – Your group sets up an easter egg hunt for the kids, charging $1 a child. a few small prizes and a great day for all.

F

Flowers and Plants – Sell corsages, your donations will blossom. Sell your extra house plants or bouquets from you garden.

50/50 Tickets – Get a roll of tickets and charge $1 a ticket or $5 for an armload, a very popular event, contact local events to see if you can set up your 50/50 at there event. be sure to get a lottery license before hand, please contact us for details. Lottery License information.

Friday Fun Day - If you’re in a management position at a company, make an executive decision that Friday will be fun day! Let employees wear flip-flops and silly hats and have a water balloon fight at lunch time. Have a donation jar handy.

Fundraising Billboard – A unique idea is to put together a fundraising billboard in support of breast cancer research. People pay a reasonable fee, say $100, to add a name to a billboard list honoring women who are struggling with or have the lost the battle with cancer.

Fashion Show – Fashion shows are always fun and, if well promoted, can draw hundreds of women. Charge admission and offer lots of other fundraising activities. Add silent auctions for donated items or services such as spa treatments or private lunches with top designers.

G

Gift Wrapping – During the holidays, teams can set up at the local mall or in a particular store. Mother's Day is another ideal time for teams to offer a gift wrapping booth.

Garage Sales – Ask your team members to clean out their attics, garages and basements and bring items in for a team wide sale.

Game Night - Choose a game that your group of friends like to play such as Bunko, Dominos, or trivia and invite everyone over for a night of fun. You can ask for a flat donation for the entire evening, or for games like cards or Dominos, players can chip in $1 for every hand or round.

H

"Hot Dog for Cancer" – Principal at an elementary school agrees that if ALL the teachers raise $100 each, he/she would dress up like a hot dog and let the students squirt ketchup, mayonnaise, and relish on him/her.

Human Jukebox – Set up a decorated cardboard box with someone that sings selected songs outside of a supermarket (after receiving permission) and ask for a donation for each song that is requested.

Handyman for a Day – Shovel snow, rake leaves or mow your neighbours lawn and donate your "fee" to your Relay For Life.

Healthy Snacks - This is a good fundraiser if your workplace will let you sell them there and even better if your team is made up of people from different jobs. Announce that the week before relay is healthy snack week and that each day you’ll have snacks available for a $1 donation each. Have cut up carrot sticks, apples or another healthy snack option.

I

Ice Cream Social – Teams can raise funds by collecting donations for delicious ice cream delights. Get creative and decorate your location as an old fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain. Set up tables with a variety of board games for patrons. Play oldies on a jukebox and charge for song requests.

J

Jail & Bail – An old Canadian 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 employees 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 a jar for that individual. The individual with the most beans will have to Kiss The Pig.

L

Lawn Service – While you are mowing your lawn, mow someone else's too.

M

Matching Funds – Ask your CEO/President to match the total raised by your team or to be the leading honour for your team. (In order for it to count toward incentives, you must turn in written confirmation prior to the event.)

Movie Night - Host a movie night at your home screening a popular recent new release DVD or a classic movie and take donations. For fun have a mini concession stand where everything is only 50 cents.

Mardi Gras Fundraiser – Great parties like Mardi Gras events attract a fun-loving crowd. Book a good band and line up some Cajun food for a buffet. Sell beads, glow necklaces, party hats, etc. Run a cash bar and auction off something big like a trip to New Orleans.

N

Name Bead Bonanza – Take orders for personalized bracelets, keychains, necklaces, etc. for a donation.

O

October Festival – Celebrate autumn by raising funds for Relay. Have pumpkins, straw bales, dried corn stalks, colourful gourds and bright flowers for your decor. For the main attractions you may want to consider the following activities: a dance, pumpkin carving contest, apple bobbing, face painting, petting zoo, pony rides, bake sale, and a scarecrow decorating contest. Charge an admission fee and sell other goods and services at your festival.

Go Online – Using the online personal web page and personalizing it has the potential donations by 268% (from $190 to $509). All from the comfort of your home.

P

Pancake Breakfast A good location with lots of road signage can really pack them in for a pancake breakfast. Costs are low and opportunities to add-in extras are abundant. Offer raffle tickets, silent auction items, and sell ad space or sponsorships on your placemats.

Percentage of Sales – Designate 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, make and sell your delicious pies.

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.

Publicity – Publicize your team's participation in the company newsletter and on intranet lists.

Q

Quilts – Sell quilt squares made by the employees themselves. The squares can be sold in honour and in memory of people with cancer, squares 4" x 4" for 5, 8" x 8" for $15, and 12" x12" for $25.

Quarter Canister Campaign – Old film canisters hold $7 worth of quarters. Challenge co-workers or students to fill as many canisters as possible. Have a reward for the team that collects the most canisters filled with quarters.

R

Romance – Cater a romantic dinner for two, highest donation wins the dinner.

S

"Stay at Home Tea" – On Valentine;s Day donate $1 for the pleasure of having your cup of tea at home.

Smile Day Give Away – Each time you catch someone at your office smiling, they donate a designated amount to your team. Give the smiling donor a smiley face sticker or button to wear.

Shop For The Cure – Another good idea is to work with local merchants to put together a special shopping experience aimed at women. Host in a convenient space like a convention center, church meeting hall, or even a shopping mall. Try to get as many items donated as possible while keeping things a win/win for your merchants. Don't forget to promote it to men also as a good place for gift buying.

T

Turkey Drawing – Offer a dollar to win your Thankgiving/Holiday turkey.

U

Unique Boutique – Collect or make unique one-of-a- kind items for raising funs via a silent or live auction.

V

Video Sale – How many times can you watch Forrest Gump?

Vacation Day – If you are on a team with your co-workers, ask your boss if they can offer a bonus day off for the team member that raises the most money.

W 

Wine Tasting – As with any other fundraiser - but especially with this one - the wine must be donated and all liquor liability laws must be followed.

X

X-Mas Tidings – Make fresh evergreen wreaths and yule logs to sell adorned with festive holiday bows, berries and pinecones.

Y

Yard Sale – Hold the ultimate Yard Sale.

Z

zzzzzzzz – Sleep when the Relay ends.