1. AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE
ABC’s of Fundraising
©2007, American Cancer Society, Inc. – No. 0000.00
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.
RELAY FOR LIFE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FUNDRAISING TIPS
A “Brown Bag Lunch Day” – Everyone Dedicate – Your personal effort to some-
brings their lunch and donates the money one who has won a battle with cancer, or
Art Sales – This one is perfect for a kids they would have spent for lunch to the to someone who is battling cancer, or to
team. Have students produce great works Relay For Life fund. someone who has lost their battle – or all
of art and have a show. Parents and friends three. Include that in a letter along with a
buy back their budding artists’ masterpieces. self-addressed envelope.
C
Dress Down Day – Ask every employee to
Ask everyone you meet – Even if you have
Carpool – for fun and profit. contribute to your Relay team, and in return
sent out letters, be sure to carry a donation
they will be allowed to “dress down” on a
collection envelope with you so that when Clean up – with a neighborhood car wash.
specified day at work.
you talk to people about Relay, you can ask
Car Window Washes – Teams can wash
them to donate right then. Take the donation
Dinner – Hold a dinner. Have your team
car windows at fast food restaurant drive
collection envelope with you to meetings.
do a theme dinner. Get a hall donated and
through windows.
When you carry a donation collection
have each member of your team prepare
envelope with you, indicate your own
Challenges – Challenge another team to part of the meal. Sell tickets and get some
contribution at the top. Make sure the top
raise more than you. Some radio stations entertainment donated.
few donations on form are significant. Other
may gladly put your challenge on the radio.
people are apt to follow suit; conversely,
if you start with a $2 contribution, others E
Challenge by the Boss/Principal – Get
may follow suit with $2. Don’t prejudge the boss to agree that if every team member
Envelopes at Restaurant Tables – Teams
whether people will give. Let them say no raises their minimum of $100 that he’ll
generate donations by placing a Relay For
or ignore your letter rather than not ask. dress up like a pig, shave his beard, sit in the
Life envelope at every table, stating “Please
dunking booth, or get a pie in the face, etc.
Support Our Relay For Life Team and the
Auctions of All Kinds –
Change Jar – Keep a change jar in high American Cancer Society.” Waitresses
- Auction off a prime parking space
traffic areas. All change is donated to your check envelopes after each seating.
at work.
team fundraising totals.
- Auction off a half or whole day off
F
Cook Offs
from work.
- Auction a picnic lunch. Christmas Trees/Wreath – Ask a local Flowers and Plants – Sell corsages, your
retailer to donate $1 for every tree and
- Auction desserts, homemade donations will blossom. Sell your extra
wreath sold.
dinners, local art work or other house plants or bouquets from your garden.
creative and fun items.
Cake Drawing Every Hour – Here is a fun
and tasty on-site fundraising idea. Team
G
B members bake different cakes, exchange
tickets for a donation and then raffle off the
Gift Wrapping – During the holidays,
A “No-Bake Sale” – Coworkers pay so they cakes each hour of the Relay.
teams can set up at the local mall or in a
don’t have to bake goodies.
particular store. Mother’s Day is another
Book Sale – Dust those bookshelves and D ideal time for teams to offer a gift wrapping
have a book sale. booth.
Dime-A-Dance (at event) – Provide music
“Boss for the Day” – Allow people to bid at your campsite. Have other people pay to Garage Sales – Ask your team members to
on being boss for a day – high bid wins. dance with your team members. clean out their attics, garages and basements
and bring items in for a team wide sale.
Bake Sales – Hold a Friday bake sale so Host a theme dance or party – Sock hop,
employees have treats for the weekend. Ask beach party, disco, square dance, dance for
for items to be wrapped attractively so they senior citizens, etc.
could be given as gifts.

2. H N S
“Hot Dog for Cancer” – Principal at an Name Bead Bonanza – Take orders for “Stay at Home Tea” – On Valentine’s Day
elementary school agrees that if ALL the personalized bracelets, keychains, donate $1 for the pleasure of having your
teachers raise $100 each, he/she would necklaces, etc. for a donation. cup of tea at home.
dress up like a hot dog and let the students
Smile Day Give Away – Each time you
squirt ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard,
O catch someone at your office smiling, they
and relish on him/her.
donate a designated amount to your team.
October Festival – Celebrate autumn and Give the smiling donor a smiley face sticker
Human Jukebox – Set up a decorated the fall bounty by raising funds for Relay. or button to wear.
cardboard box with someone that sings Have pumpkins, straw bales, dried corn
selected songs outside of a supermarket stalks, colorful gourds and bright flowers for
(after receiving permission) and ask for a T
your decor. For the main attractions
donation for each song that is requested. you may want to consider the following
Turkey Drawing – Offer a dollar to win
activities: a dance, pumpkin carving
Handyman for a Day – Shovel snow, rake your Thanksgiving/Holiday turkey.
contest, apple bobbing, face painting,
leaves or mow your neighbors lawn and petting zoo, pony rides, bake sale, and a
donate your “fee” to your Relay For Life. scarecrow decorating contest. Charge an U
admission fee and sell other goods and
Unique Boutique – Collect or make unique
services at your festival.
I
one-of-a kind items for raising funds via a
Ice Cream Social – Teams can raise funds silent or live auction.
P
by collecting donations for delicious ice
cream delights. Get creative and decorate Pancake Breakfast V
your location as an old fashioned ice cream
Percentage of Sales – Designate a percentage
parlor and soda fountain. Set up tables with Video Sale – How many times can you
a variety of board games for patrons. Play of one day’s sales or proceeds and let the watch Forrest Gump?
oldies on a jukebox and charge for song public know so they will buy more.
Vacation Day – If you are on a team with
requests.
Pet Service – Love pets? Walk someone’s dog. your co-workers, ask your boss if they can
offer a bonus day off for the team member
Pies – Find which fruit is in season, make
J that raises the most money.
and sell your delicious pies.
Jail & Bail – An old American Cancer Society
Pot Luck Lunches at the Workplace
fundraiser. For a donation, employees can W
– Name every Wednesday “Relay For Life
be arrested and for an additional donation
Pot Luck Day.” Team members take turns Wine Tasting – As with any other fundraiser
can post their own bail OR employees have
preparing foods, salads, desserts, etc. and
a bounty placed on their head, are arrested, - but especially with this one - the wine
offer to employees at the workplace at a set
and are not set free until the entire bounty must be donated and all liquor liability laws
price or donation.
is raised ($100+ per inmate). must be followed.
Publicity – Publicize your team’s
participation in the company newsletter.
K
X
Kiss The Pig – Select three to five well-known
Q X-Mas Tidings – Make fresh evergreen
and well-liked employees. Have the employees
wreaths and yule logs to sell adorned with
choose the individual they would like to see Quilts – Sell quilt squares made by the festive holiday bows, berries and pinecones.
kiss the pig by purchasing a jelly bean(s) employees themselves. The squares can be
for 50 cents each. The jelly bean(s) will sold in honor and in memory of people with
be placed in a jar for that individual. The cancer, squares 4” x 4” for %, 8” x 8” for $15,
Y
individual with the most beans will have to and 12” x 12” for $25.
Kiss The Pig.
Yard Sale – Hold the ultimate Yard Sale.
Quarter Canister Campaign – Old film
canisters hold $7 worth of quarters.
L
Challenge co-workers or students to fill as Z
Lawn Service –While you are mowing your many canisters as possible. Have a reward
lawn, mow someone else’s too. Zzzz – Sleep when the Relay ends.
for the team that collects the most canisters
filled with quarters!
M
R
Matching Funds – Ask your CEO/President
to match the total raised by your team or Romance – Cater a romantic dinner for
to be the leading honor for your team. (In two, highest donation wins the dinner.
order for it to count toward incentives, you
must turn in written confirmation
prior to the event.)