Sign up Online
Sign up to use the Relay For Life^® online fundraising Web site and make your own personal Web page. Start by clicking on "Start a Team" or "Join a Team" under "Sign Up". If you need help, please click here to find your local American Cancer Society office, or call 1.800.ACS.2345.

An Email A Day
Your personal Relay webpage has lots of tools for online FUNdraising. But before you e-mail everyone in your address book, consider this: a personalized approach works better than a one-size-fits-all tactic. Instead of "Dear Friends", take 2 minutes every day to e-mail just 1 person. Your "ask" for support will be the same, but this one-a-day approach will let you add a sentence or two that personalizes the email, so they're likely to be more compelled to respond. Here are some sample letters to get you started.

Double Your Money
Many companies offer matching gift programs that will double, even triple the value of a donation or volunteer time that you give. Here's how:

1. Visit www.matchinggifts.com/acs to view a list of companies that participate.
   
2. Download and fill out your company's matching gift form, send it to us, and we'll take it from there.
   
3. Our Address:
   American Cancer Society
   Attn: Relay For Life
   1710 Webster St.
   Oakland, CA 94612
   
4. If you don't see your company, don't worry, you might still be in luck. Simply contact your human resources department and ask if they offer a matching gifts program. If they do, simply get the form, fill it out, and send it to us.
   
5. Encourage your teammates to do the same.

Bring It Along
Take your Web site's address and contribution form everywhere you go and ask everyone you interact with to support you. Remember, the fight against cancer is a great cause, and most people want to help.

Talk It Up
Ask for a few minutes on the agenda of any meetings you will be attending. Explain why you Relay and ask for everyone’s support. If you are dedicating your efforts to someone who has had cancer, tell that person’s story.

Sports Team pledges
Ask donors to pledge per point that their favorite sports team scores.

Get People Feeling Comfortable
TGIF takes on a new meaning when you ask your workplace to allow employees to "dress down" in return for a contribution to your Relay team. Work out an acceptable dress code in advance - jeans are usually the casual garb of choice - then sell stickers to be worn on the appointed day. Here's a poster and sample stickers to get started or create your own!

Clean House
Clean out your garage or home and set up a Relay For Life^® donation booth in exchange for your finds. Ask your friends and neighbors to donate their stuff to you, explaining that all proceeds go to the fight against cancer.

Pet sitter
Ask for a donation to take care of someone’s pet while they are away.

Pin It Up
Post your Web site address or contribution form on the bulletin board or in the newsletter at church or temple, in the office, at the gym, or at school. Make sure to highlight your name, phone number, email address, and team Web page address.

Send the Message
Change the recording on your voicemail or answering machine to mention Relay For Life^® and how callers can make a donation. Then, when you call people back, ask them to sponsor you. When emailing friends, add a “PS” asking for their support. Be sure to include your web address in your signature.

Questions for a Buck
One individual raised money by having her boss, who was constantly being asked questions by everyone to start charging a buck for each question. Word spread and everyone started asking questions and paying up.

Hair Raising fun
Agree to have someone shave their head or dye their hair purple at the Relay once a certain amount of money has been raised. Be sure to set a high goal!

Download the Fundraising Tips booklet
It has more helpful hints on raising support. Don't hesitate to call or email us to make this the most successful Relay For Life^® yet!


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Challenge Each Other
Get a Team thermometer to track your goals. Bring to each Team Captain meeting and hold challenges between teams. Drive your fundraising effort through healthy competition.

Open Parties or Private Parties
Have a community-wide or private dinner. These may include a progressive dinner, tapas party, or any other themed event. While these take more coordination and preparation, they can be big fundraisers. Attendees are asked to make a donation. Many teams have success with Super Bowl or other Sports championship games.

Reach for the Stars... and get there via the sun and moon
We've all donated a buck (or more) to purchase a paper "something" that symbolizes a cause. Local businesses can support your team by selling Relay For Life Suns and Moons to create a Wall of Hope at their establishment.
Here's a template letter and samples you can use to make it happen!

Turn Your Favorite Casserole into a Relay CA$Herole
Everyone has one-dish meals that are real time-savers and budget stretchers. Now imagine the appeal of selling these ready-to-pop-in-the-oven meals to busy families as a healthy alternative to the fast food take-out window. And no matter how loudly your customers beg for the recipes afterwards, don't give them out. Save them for your next team FUNdraiser: a cookbook!

Yard Displays
Place plastic pink flamingos, wooden cows, or a purple toilet in the front yard of unsuspecting donors. Request a donation to remove them, an additional donation for the homeowners to pick whose yard they are placed in next, and another donation as insurance that they don’t wind up back in their yard. Please exercise good judgment when engaging in this activity.

Give Rewards
Ask your boss to offer an extra vacation day or casual day to the team member who raises the most money. If your team is the highest fundraising team within the company, see if everyone on the team can have a day off or casual day.

Give Prizes
Get some great prizes donated to your team. Try gift certificates at a restaurant or spa. Then auction them off to the highest bidders. Remember your team members may also be eligible for Incentive Prizes given by the American Cancer Society.

Team Sponsors
Service clubs, organizations, and businesses are often team sponsors. Many organizations have a specified dollar amount they are required to invest in the community each year. Ask early before someone beats you to it!

Honor Loved Ones
Create quilt squares in honor of, or in memory of loved ones with cancer. Accept varying donations for different sizes: a 4” square for $5, an 8” square for $15, and a 12” square for $25. Display the quilt in the lobby at work, school, health club, or place of worship. If you can’t use fabric, try something else like card stock.

Car Washes
A team car wash is usually held at a local gas station where people can get their cars washed and have the opportunity to make a donation.

Lotta Bottles/Cans
Each team member runs a bottle or can drive in their area. Go door-to-door and collect bottles and cans from your neighbors and friends to be redeemed at a recycling center.

Penny Wars
Compete against another Relay team or between departments in your workplace to see who can collect the most pennies for Relay. All silver and paper money in the penny jars count against the total number of pennies, so each team tries to sabotage each other’s jars with bills and large coins.

Restaurants to the rescue
Ask a local restaurant to contribute a portion of their sales proceeds. It could be for a certain menu item or for certain hours of a day. This arrangement requires a co-venture agreement, so be sure to contact your Relay staff partner for assistance.

Book sale
Gather books from friends and family and have a book sale! Download the Fundraising Tips booklet
It has more helpful hints on raising support. Don't hesitate to call or email us to make this the most successful Relay For Life^® yet!

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When planning fundraising at your Relay, think about incorporating an educational message while raising funds. Talk with your Relay Staff partner for ideas.

Auctions
Conduct a silent auction. Donated auction items can include sporting event tickets, weekend getaways, and gift baskets. Tangible auction items are subject to sales tax. Please work with your Relay Staff partner and use the proper envelope for the proceeds of these sales.

Butts in a jar
Collect and count discarded cigarette butts before the event and put them in a large jar with an anti-tobacco message attached. At Relay, people can guess how many “Butts in a Jar” for a suggested donation. Now it’s an educational activity, and a fundraiser!

Cakewalk
Have each team bring a cake to the opening ceremonies at Relay. Schedule the cakewalk at the peak time of Relay. Suggest a donation to participate. This works like musical chairs - when a number is drawn the person on that numbered square on the track wins a cake.

Feed the Relayers
Get healthy treats and snacks, cookies, popcorn, and drinks donated to your team, then offer them to fellow Relayers for a suggested donation. We are required to pay sales tax on sales of all hot food (except hot drinks), soda, and tangible goods. Please see your Relay Staff partner for special envelopes and more guidelines.

General Store
Have extra campsite supplies available for a suggested donation for people who forgot something (toothbrushes, extra blankets, flash light, bug spray).

Glow Gear
When the sun goes down, sell stuff that glows in the dark.

Jail & Bail
For a suggested donation, participants can have someone “arrested.” For an additional suggested donation, the person who is arrested can post bail.

Raffles
Conduct a raffle. Donated raffle items can include small appliances, gift certificates, etc. Please contact your Relay Staff partner prior to the event for guidelines.

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