Other Fundraising Ideas

The key to fundraising is to set a goal, and start NOW! Here are some great fundraising ideas for Great Strides:

• Letter-Writing Campaign — Send a letter to your friends, family, co-workers, vendors, neighbors, high school and college alumni, and everyone else you know, and ask them to sponsor you. Letters are an easy and effective way to raise money. See our letter-writing campaign samples. Be sure to ask for a specific dollar amount!
  
  
• Corporate Sponsors — Ask your company if they will sponsor the walk. Also, ask your team members about getting their companies involved in the walk. Don't forget about corporate charitable matching funds!
  
  
• Jeans for Genes — On a specified day, employees can make a pre-determined contribution (e.g., $5) to the CF Foundation for the privilege of wearing jeans at work. Make it a challenge — see which department or branch has the most participants. If you work in an environment that is already very casual, consider a hat day, sports team jersey or crazy-shirt day instead. Download a sticker template for participants to wear.
  
  
• Ice Cream Social — Host an "ice cream social" in your office and ask the president of your company, or a department manager, to scoop the ice cream. Employees can make a donation to the CF Foundation in exchange for a frozen treat, and see their favorite senior manager in action!
  
  
• Bake Sale — Ask your co-workers to help you make a variety of baked goods, and sell them for a price that will ensure you'll make a profit. Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are great times to hold bake sales, because people are always looking for easy and delicious gifts. Be sure to publicize the bake sale ahead of time so people bring lots of money.
  
  
• Guest Bartending — Ask a local bar/restaurant if they will allow you and your Great Strides team members to "guest bartend" on a slow night, with tips (and maybe even a portion of the evening's proceeds) going to the CF Foundation.
  
  
• Pizza Lunches — This is a fun, easy and delicious way to raise money. Ask a local pizza establishment to donate pizzas and sell slices for $5.00 each. You can invite the entire office, and it's a great way to socialize with co-workers you may not see often.
  
  
• Percentage of the Proceeds — Ask local establishments to donate a percentage of a night's proceeds to the CF Foundation. In return, you should promote the "event" within your company and the local community, to help drive traffic to the establishment. The more people who attend, the more money you will receive.
  
  
• A Penny Per… — Certain businesses are willing to donate a penny per item sold on a particular day or month, to a charity. Establishments where this has been successful include: gas stations donating a penny per gallon of gas sold in the month of April; video stores donating a dollar per video rented each weekend for a month; bars donating a penny per beer sold on St. Patrick's Day weekend, etc.
  
  
• Collections — Ask your church, synagogue, or meeting hall if you can address the congregation and take up a collection to support the CF Foundation.
  
  
• Penny Wars/Jar Wars — Select a specific week, and ask employees from each department in your company to contribute coins to their department's coin jar. At the end of the week, the department that raises the most money wins!
  
  
• Great Strides Pin-ups — Pin-ups are a great way to promote awareness of CF and Great Strides in a business. For a nominal donation to the CF Foundation, patrons can sign their names to the pin-up and the business will hang the image in a high-traffic area, to show their support of the CF Foundation.

Updated 11/21/12

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