This post is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. All opinions are my own.
I was just 20 years old when I discovered the lump in my breast. I had already lost an Aunt to breast cancer years before and 2 of my other Aunts were diagnosed with breast cancer, so it’s a disease I’m all too familiar with. Thankfully my lump was benign, but the type that puts me at a higher risk for cancer. It’s likely that everyone reading this story has been impacted by cancer in some way, whether you’ve had it yourself or a loved one or friend has been diagnosed.
I’ve worked as a registered nurse and in that time I’ve seen countless families affected by cancer. One of the main themes that sticks with me to this day is that these families and individuals can feel the outpouring of love and support from those around them. After a cancer diagnosis friends and family are usually left questioning how they can help. There’s no doubt that meal trains, financial assistance and emotional support all play a huge role in the battle against cancer, but perhaps another way we can assist is through fundraising that contributes directly to #AttackingCancer.
We can join the fight in attacking cancer through fundraising with the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS mission is to save lives, celebrate lives and to lead the fight for a world without cancer. They are a nationwide, non-profit that aims to attack cancer from all sides including research, education and local services. You can learn more about the ACS and their mission, as well as their local services here.
Here are 3 simple fundraising ideas to contribute to the ACS and fight against cancer. Later in the post I will share exactly how you can (easily!) set up the ACS fundraiser.
- Make a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser
Fundraising on Facebook has become one of the easiest and most compelling way to raise funds. When your birthday nears Facebook will ask you if you’d like to start a fundraiser to celebrate your birthday. All you have to do is say yes and they will walk you through the prompts. Then, on your birthday your friends will be notified that you’ve set up a fundraiser and will be given the option to donate to it. This is a fantastic way to reach a large amount of people (through your friend list) and requires minimal effort.
- Turn your Hobby into a Fundraiser
For me, that’s hiking! For you it might be your weekly book club, bowling group, chess club etc… Use these groups as a way to fundraise and encourage others to try out a new hobby. For example, in my weekly hiking group it would be very easy to add in a special “Hike for Cancer Awareness” fundraiser. This typically free weekly event would ask for a $5 donation per person with all of the donations going to the ACS fundraiser. You can take it a step further and reach out to local businesses to sponsor some drinks and snacks for the event.
- Donate your Business Proceeds
If you’re a business owner this is a great way to fundraise money for the ACS. I’ve done this multiple times through my company, B.Stamped. It’s very simple, you just advertise that on a particular day you will be donating 100% of your proceeds (either from your entire shop or a specific item). You can advertise via your email list, social media and word of mouth. I’ve found this to be a very successful way to raise money because participants are getting a physical item for their donation which helps to encourage more giving.
The possibilities for fundraisers are endless. If the above 3 options won’t work for you try to think of your hobbies and passions and how you can turn them into fundraisers. Getting the kids involved is also a great way, maybe a lemonade stand at the park (check local regulations), a bake sale, a booth at your local community events etc… Anything that helps spread the mission of the American Cancer Society is a valuable resource for families and individuals affected by cancer.
Now, let’s go over the steps to set up the fundraiser through the Raise Your Way platform:
2.Follow the prompts to “start a fundraiser”
3.Choose where you’d like your donation to go
4.Create a crowdwise account manually or through Facebook
5.Continue prompts to name your fundraiser and set a goal
6.Share your fundraiser on social media
That’s it! It couldn’t be more easy to set up a fundraiser for the ACS. I encourage everyone reading this article to set a goal to create a fundraiser sometime this summer. Even if you aren’t personally affected by cancer right now, it’s a disease that continues to affect more and more people each day. Let’s all do our part to try and put an end to it!
Leave a comment below with your fundraising ideas.
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