Colleges Against Cancer
University of Pennsylvania
Team Fundraising
Team fundraising for Relay is really easy and it’s a great way to help us meet our fundraising goals! Whether you host an event as a team, or fundraise during Relay for Life itself, we encourage every team to fundraise together. Penn Colleges against Cancer is here to help you fundraise, whether it’s by helping you come up with an idea or supporting you with logistical and organizational issues.
Outside of working as a team to meet your team’s fundraising goals, another great way to fundraise is to reach out to family and friends to ask for a donation. American Cancer Society makes this easy by having an email template that you can send out with a link to your personal or team page. We recommend you personalize these emails, but that’s easy as adding a sentence or two, or just signing your name!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about fundraising or would like to get involved in a fundraiser, contact Abby Messer at amess3@gmail.com.
Here is a list of fundraisers that have been successful at Penn and Relay For Life in past years:
Bake sales
Profit Shares
Events such as Quizzo, band performances, and other contests
Activities at Relay
March Madness Brackets
Sports tournaments
Penny Wars
FUNDRAISING BASICS
Make a list and check it twice.
Make a list of potential donors. Include everyone you know and send them each a letter or an email using your My Relay dashboard. Start by making a donation yourself and ask others to match it!
Ask every day.
Ask one person each day to make a contribution. If you get five $20 gifts, you’ll have raised $100 in less than a week! Cancer is an issue that affects us all, and most people are happy to donate – even in tough economic times. Don’t assume the answer is no – give everyone the opportunity to help finish the fight against cancer by making a tax-deductible donation.
Honor someone.
Encourage a cancer survivor to walk or participate on your team. Let everyone know your team is walking in his or her honor. A real-life story makes your fundraising personal.
Talk it up.
Ask for a few minutes on the agenda of any meetings you’ll be attending. Explain why you are participating in the event and ask for everyone’s support. If you’re dedicating your efforts to someone who has had cancer, tell that person’s story.
Fundraise as a team.
Teams can have a lot of fun organizing activities and events to raise money for the American Cancer Society. There are many team fundraising ideas, but we’ve found that fundraising activities that provide a service that people would already spend money on are most successful. For example, teams could offer baby-sitting or host movie nights, garage sales, spaghetti dinners, or car washes – the sky is the limit!
SOME FUNDRAISING IDEAS