Fundraising Tips
Everyone wants to raise funds to fight cancer, but it can be intimidating to constantly come up
with fresh, new ways to solicit donations. Here is a list of fundraising ideas from Relayers around
the country to get you started! Whatever your fund-raising efforts, remember to promote them as
a benefit for the American Cancer Society.
Auction (Silent or Live)
Hold the event at your business, in your neighborhood, or at church. Ask for contributions of
unique items such as homemade toys or art, a hand-knitted sweater, breakfast or dinner at
someone's home, or a ride on someone's sailboat. Display the items (or their description) prior to
the event. Hold the auction over lunch or at a convenient time for your invitees.
Bake for Cure’s Sake
Hold a Friday bake sale at work so your coworkers will have treats for the weekend. Ask for
volunteers to provide baked goods that are wrapped attractively, so they can be given as gifts.
Encourage breakfast goodies as well as sweets like bars and cookies.
Business Raffles
Corporate employees can earn money by working with their company's leadership to secure and
raffle morale-boosting prizes like these:
~ Have a member of management mow your lawn, rake your leaves, or shovel your snow
~ Trade jobs with the CEO for a day
~ Lunch with the boss
~ A cool piece of apparel with the company logo
~ A prime parking space (for a limited time)
~ A day off
Car Wash
Get your team together for a local town car wash. This works great for high school teams!
Matching Gifts
If your company has a matching gift program, that's an effective way to double your personal
donation and the gifts of your colleagues. Be sure to check with the human resources department
to obtain matching gift forms and mail them to your American Cancer Society office.
Movie Money
Rent short videos (old classics are great) and have a movie week during lunch hour. Charge
"admission" and invite employees to eat their lunch while they watch.
Freddie the Flamingo
An eight year old boy put "Freddie Flamingos" in people's yards with a note around Freddie’s
neck asking for a donation for Relay For Life. In the morning, he collected the birds and
donations -- he raised more than $6,000!
Quilt Making
Do you have a team that makes quilts? Sell quilt squares in honor and in memory of people with
cancer. Charge for different sizes: a 4" square for $5, an 8" square for $15, and a 12" square for
$25. Display the quilt at a public location, such as the town Library or Chamber of Commerce.
Duped by Dollars
This works well at colleges or large companies: departments or dormitories set up a jar to
collect spare change. Pennies are worth positive points; silver coins and dollar bills are worth
negative points -- the group with the most points wins a prize. Sabotage other teams by dropping
silver and bills into their jar!
Sports Tournaments
Set up challenge matches between individuals or departments for basketball, softball, kickball, or
any team game. Charge an entry fee to play and an admission fee to watch. Sell donated
refreshments at the event.
Taste of the Day
Decide on a food theme (Creative Cookies, Best Barbecue Eats, Mexican Madness, etc.), then
recruit volunteers to each bring a dish. Invite customers to stop by and pick up a standard takeout container for a $5 donation.
Fetch & Favor Fee
Place a sign up sheet for volunteers outside of your office, the teacher’s lounge, or even your own
kitchen -- then approach business owners with an offer to run errands like fetching coffee or
lunches, prescriptions, supplies, etc. for their staff. Create a price list for the errands and be sure
to let patrons know that their dollars go toward finding a cure.
Poker Plays Pay
Invite ten people over for a round of charity poker. Send invitations explaining that you are
playing for Relay For Life, and request that everyone brings $25 - $40 of mad money! If you can
recruit a few friends to help you, try this on a larger scale and hold it in your church basement or
local school! Provide refreshments.
Wishing You Well
Set up a “wishing well” at your local school, business, church, or store with a sign explaining that
all proceeds go toward Relay for Life and a cure for cancer. Put an ad in your local paper
announcing specific days for change drop-offs. Maybe a coin changer or local business would
make a matching gift? You could even have this at your tent site at the relay!
Top Tent
For fundraising at the relay, decorate ballot boxes for voting and donation collection. People
enter a vote for their favorite tent site with a donation. Each site's votes count toward their team
fundraising!
Lotta Bottles
Each team member runs a bottle drive in their area. Go door to door and collect bottles from your
neighbors and friends. Create a flyer to give to the donors about relay with your phone number
inviting them to join in the fun and the fight. Maybe your local bottle return will match the money
you make!