idea, planning & fundraising success guide

fundraiseYOURWAYCOMMUNITY FUNDRAISING

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pg. 3 Introduction

pg. 4 Creative Ideas to Fundraise YOUR Way pg. 5 Support for Creating Your Own Fundraising Activity or

Event Tools, Benefits, Guidance and Collateral Online Tools, Resources and Downloads

pg. 6 Organizing and Hosting • Special Occasion, Athletic & Tribute (pg. 6)• Create Your Own, Getting Started (pg. 6)• Simple Steps to a Successful Event (pg. 7)• Organize a Committee & Recruit Volunteers (pg. 7)• Develop a Budget & Manage the Economics (pg 8)• Potential Budget Considerations (pg. 8-9)• Create a Timeline (pg. 9)• Secure Sponsors (pg. 10)• Promote, Publicize & Communicate (pg. 11)

- Social media (pg. 11) - Media (pg. 11)

• After the Event (pg. 12)

pg. 13 Funds Raised, Proceeds & Tax-receipting

pg. 14 Free to Breathe Talking Points pg. 15 Guidelines & FAQs

Appendices

Appendix A EXAMPLE Timeline Appendix B EXAMPLE Budget

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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By turning your interests and creative ideas into fundraisers to benefit Free to Breathe, you become a part of transforming lives by helping to double the lung cancer survival rate by 2022!

With the Free to Breathe grassroots community fundraising program you can fundraise your way - individually or as a group – by:

• Organizing a community activity or event that reflects your interests and passion • Or creating a fundraising page to celebrate a special occasion, honor a loved one or inspire

others by taking on a personal endurance or athletic challenge you’re taking on

Advocates across the country are raising funds through inspired activities such as: wine and chocolate tastings, fashion shows, jeans days at work, retail store nights (percent of proceeds), cross-country cycling, bowling nights, marathons, athletic tournaments, card tournaments and more.

If you have a passion for improving the lives of everyone affected by lung cancer and raising funds to support the lung cancer movement, you’ve come to the right place. It’s time to get started! The events staff of Free to Breathe is here to help and support you.

We hope this resource guide/tool kit will help and inspire you, and we wish you the best of luck in your efforts!

Thank you for your dedication to improving the lives of everyone impacted by lung cancer!

THANK YOU!

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• Art Walk and after party• Auction a prime parking spot for a week• Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction• Bake Sale• Barbecue Night• Bingo Night • Bowl-a-thon• Candy Grams or Balloon Grams• Canoe or Tubing Event• Car Show• Card Tournament (e.g., poker, gin, rummy, etc.)• Chili Cook-off• Cocktail Soiree • Craft Fair • Cross Country Bike Ride • Cross Country Ski Loop or Race• Cross-fit Strength and Conditioning Contest• Email signature donation campaign• Fashion Show• Fishing Contest• Fitness Challenge• Garage or Yard Sale • Garden Tour• Hoola-hoop Contest• Ice Cream Social • Jeans Days at Work

• Jewelry Party • Laps to Defeat Lung Cancer Swim-a-thon• Live Music Event • Motorcycle Ride or Poker Ride • Pancake Breakfast • Penny Wars or Loose Change Drive • Plant or Flower Sale • Read-a-thon• Regatta (sailing) • Rubber Duck Race • Run a Marathon and Ask for Pledges• Scavenger Hunt • Scrabble, Chess or Checkers Tournament• Sell Lung Cancer Awareness Wristbands• Silent Auction • Snow or Sand-Sculpting Contest • Spaghetti Dinner• Special Occasion Gifts• Spinning Class • Spirit Chain• Tournaments (tennis, volleyball, field hockey,

basketball, softball, etc.) • Track and Field Clinic (indoors or out) • Wedding Favors• Wine & Chocolate Tasting• Zumbathon

CREATIVE IDEAS TO FUNDRAISE YOUR WAY

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SUPPORT FOR YOUR OWN FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY OR EVENT

Tools, Benefits, Guidance and Collateral

• Calendar listing on our website with a link to your event• Use of official Free to Breathe community fundraising logo• Fundraising Success Center and customizable online personal fundraising page • Access to an events team member for questions and insight• Access to our free lung cancer education materials• Fundraising tips and fundamentals • Example planning timeline • Example budget• Up to 25 lung cancer awareness wristbands for free • Set of 6 notecards to send thank-you notes to your donors• Additional promotional support for qualifying events

- Social media posts and/or tweets* - E-communication blast(s)*

* dependent on if you are hosting a qualifying event

Online Tools, Resources & Downloads

• Fundraise YOUR Way - Community Fundraising Planning & Fundraising Success Guide (you’re reading it now)

• Inside your Fundraising Success Center - Customizable personal fundraising page - Email portal to send emails directly from your Fundraising Success Center – Reach out to

friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and anyone in your network · Sample messaging for outreach emails

- Ability to customize the URL guiding donors directly to your fundraising page - Track your fundraising progress – see everyone who is supporting you - Enter offline donations

• Downloadable poster template• Downloadable donation and pledge forms• Online donating capability for your donors• Downloadable Fundraising Tips & Fundamentals • Downloadable Guide for using Facebook to Fundraise YOUR Way• Official Free to Breathe community fundraising logos for use on your materials• FAQs • Getting started – Activity/Event Submission Form

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ORGANIZING AND HOSTING

Special Occasion, Endurance/Athletic & TributeSet up your fundraising page today!

No event planning required – mark a special occasion, use an endurance event to inspire others or simply honor a loved one’s journey – and turn each of these moments into an opportunity for family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and anyone in your network to help double lung cancer survival by 2022 by supporting your fundraising efforts.

• Set a fundraising goal. Then, work backwards plan for how you’ll achieve it• Create your great online personal fundraising page early • Tell your story – really personalize your campaign and your outreach• Use social media to spread the word and recruit support• Check out the sample message templates in your Fundraising Success Center• Follow up

- Share your progress - Ask again to those who haven’t responded

• Show gratitude to everyone who supports your efforts - Don’t underestimate the power of a handwritten thank-you note

Create YOUR Own Submit your idea and get started today!

Any activity you enjoy can be turned into a fundraiser. This is an opportunity to be creative and bring together your community to help double lung cancer survival by hosting a memorable activity or event!

• Start with what you already know and like: interests, hobbies, clubs, sports, etc.

• Activities and events can be incredibly simple and straightforward or quite elaborate. It’s all up to you and the amount of time and help you have.

• It could take a combination of events to achieve your fundraising goals.

• Share your story! Use our customizable fundraising page and other online tools and resources to craft a powerfully compelling call for others to support your efforts.

• Use this guide to take the simple steps towards a successful event.

tip: Start with some quick wins to gain confidence and momentum, before taking on more elaborate, “orchestrated” events.

tip: Test your idea’s appeal with friends, and come up with a “plan B” if necessary.

tip: Simple is most often better.

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Simple Steps to a Successful EventDevelop a Plan

Once you’ve decided on the activity or event type, set a solid foundation plan by determining both the objective of your efforts and your financial goal before you starting planning how you will achieve these goals. After you’ve set your goals:

• Organize a committee and recruit volunteers – ask for help!• Develop a budget and manage the economics (this will help confirm how realistic your

fundraising goal is) - See example budget on pg. 14

• Create a timeline - See example timeline on pg. 11

• Secure sponsors• Promote, publicize and communicate – spread the word

far and wide - This would be the time to create a great fundraising

page (and other online pages as needed) • HOST A FANTASTIC EVENT• After the event

Organize a Committee & Recruit Volunteers

• Surround yourself with an enthusiastic committee. The scope and scale of your fundraising activity or event will really be your compass for determining what size committee to recruit and what different skills and experience levels you need. Look for truly motivated and passionate friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and others in your community who will roll up their sleeves and dig right in with you to organize and manage the event.

• From your plan, delegate, divide tasks and have regular communication, check-ins and meetings to keep things on task.

note: There is a distinct difference between planning commitee volunteers and event day volunteers. Additional hands to help are often needed on the actual day of your activity or event for more of a one-time commitment. Be sure to plan your volunteer needs well in advance and recruit necessary folks accordingly.

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Develop a Budget and Manage the Economics

One of the first orders of business for an event/activity manager and their committee is to develop a realistic budget for expenses, revenue and attendance based on your fundraising goal. This should be done before you finalize any details as everything you do will be affected by cost. Determining a budget will help you confirm if your fundraising goals are realistic. Be sure to continually monitor your expenses and revenue throughout your planning.

• Aim to keep expenses below 20% of your projected gross revenue.• Make collecting funds easy and convenient.

- Collect donations online from the time you start your planning by creating a great Fundraise YOUR Way fundraising page at www.FreetoBreathe.org.

- If your event involves ticketing/registration funds, collect them in advance manually or through an online system like Eventbrite and list your Eventbrite link on your Fundraise YOUR Way page.

• Contracts or agreements are a must with any service providers to ensure a clear understanding and expectations pertaining to the details of your event. This holds true even for those vendors who graciously donate their services or products.

Potential Expense Budget Considerations Items in your budget could possibly include:

tip: Keep good records to make planning that much easier from year-to-year.

• Venue rental (and other location specific fees, e.g., trash removal, parking, security, etc.)

• Equipment rentals (stage, tables, chairs, sound system, tents, linens, projectors, screens, etc.)

• Giveaway items• Insurance• Food and drink (confirm if your venue will

allow you to bring in outside food and drink) • Entertainment• Lighting• Music• Decorations and supplies• Transportation

• Printing costs (for promotional materials) • Postage• Awards/Trophies• Website (if you have one)• Signage• PR/Marketing• Port-o-potties• Skilled experts (auctioneer, referee, EMT, etc.) • Police Costs – (for an event using public

streets or required due to audience size and location of the activity)

• Miscellaneous expenses• Estimated attendance

tip: Save on expenses by borrowing and/or getting things donated or sponsored.

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Potential Revenue Budget Considerations*

• Ticket prices (first determine what you believe the overall cost will be)• Upsell items like merchandise (great for generating additional revenue) • Silent auction• Sponsorships

*See EXAMPLE Budget on page 14

Create a Timeline*

Staying organized and being specific is going to be a key to your success. To avoid becoming over-whelmed, take one step at a time.

• Determining a date: - There isn’t a set amount of time that it takes to plan an event. Some are planned a year in

advance, others 6 months in advance. Allow yourself enough time to truly plan the event and plan it well.

- Considerations - other events happening in the community (check local community calen-dars), holidays and meaningful dates for you and availability of your chosen venue your hoping for available. You may even want to coordinate your event to take place during lung cancer awareness month in November or tie it into the season of the year.

- Backtrack from the date of your event to make your timeline and schedule for the committee, including all the various components of your planning.

• Securing a venue – be sure the location is accessible and consider amenities (e.g., are enough restrooms available?) If it’s outdoors, have a plan B in case of inclement weather.

* See EXAMPLE Timeline on page 11

note: Throughout the entire process of preparing for your event/activity, make sure to keep accurate records. When sposnsorships and ticket sales begin to come in, keep clear records. If you secure product or in-kind donations, make sure to get all of the pertinent details, such as fair market value cost, at the time the item is donated. It wil be very time-consuming to have to go back after the event and contact everyone again in order to send out your thank-you notes and

acknowledgements.

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Secure Sponsors

So many people have been touched by lung cancer that it really is easier than one might imagine to get sponsors to assist with the costs of the event.

• When trying to secure sponsors, seek companies with a similar mission, vision and values. Share what’s in it for them (what benefits will they receive in return) and what their return on investment will be. You will want to share why lung cancer is such an important cause and why it matters to you personally.

• When seeking in-kind sponsors, first decide what you need. Some items you may need include:

• Once you’ve decided on needs, start by seeing if your own employer has a sponsorship program and asking your volunteers and friends and family to reach out to their employers. Some will be more than happy to donate to the cause. Other sponsors with a “natural fit” are hospitals, treatment centers, insurance companies, and companies that manufacture and supply medical equipment. Your local bank may also be willing to be a sponsor.

• Next, start calling local businesses that can help you. You may want a printer to help with banners, posters, and signs. Call all the local printers in the phone book, and do not stop until you have a printer that has agreed to help. Continue to do this for everything on your list of “wants.”

• For food, remember to call local bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores and specialty food stores.

- Food and drinks - Signage - Venue costs - T-shirts

- Stage and sound system - Entertainment - Tables, tents or chairs - Invitations or flyers

tip: Do not give up and remember to follow-up! You will get sponsors, but it does take some effort.

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Promote, Publicize and Communicate

• Communicate early and often – spread the word far and wide.• Add social media sharing links to your activity/event’s webpage/website.• Leverage all the available ways you can to promote your event:

Social Media

Launch your efforts with a coordinated Facebook post announcing what you’ve just undertaken. Think of what you share with friends, neighbors and co-workers in casual conversation – keep the posts current and consistently share. Acknowledge donors via social media. Don’t forget to include a link to your page in your posts to prompt friends and followers to take action. Get your followers talking about the cause – these folks are your potential donors. Download our social media/Facebook tips here.

Media

Media attention is the fastest way to raise awareness and to grow attendance for your event. A good place to start is your local papers. Contact and send the details about your event to a writer for the paper that might be interested. Likely, it will be the first-ever event devoted to lung cancer in the area, which is definitely a newsworthy story for the local papers. Be sure to call the newspaper directly to follow-up: this really is the only way to get attention. When you call, mention that you are organizing an event to help double lung cancer survival by 2022 and you believe the readers would want to know about this important function. Someone at the paper will likely talk to you! All you have to do is call.

- Social networks - Flyers and posters - Yard signs - Invitations - Email - Save the dates - Family and friends - Online community calendars

- Contacting schools, clubs, churches and civic organizations

- Connecting with wellness centers and hospitals

- The media: letters to the editor, local tv, radio

- Your online Fundraising Success Center

note: Fundraising, by its nature, is a social activity.

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After the Event

• Follow up and show gratitude to everyone who helped not only make your event a success but also helped change lives and move us all closer to doubling lung cancer survival. Write and send personal thank you notes to: VIP attendees, donors, sponsors, volunteers and committee members.

• Confirm and pay any outstanding expenses (retain proper documentation to support use of revenue).

• Evaluate the event by debriefing with your committee. Keep notes in preparation for next year.

• Submit proceeds to Free to Breathe.

• Send pictures of your event to us to share your success!

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FUNDS RAISED, PROCEEDS,& TAX RECEIPTING

Covering Event Expenses

Please refer to the support and expenses section of our FAQs for details on:

• What funds can be used to cover your event expenses • Whether Free to Breathe will assist in covering the event’s expenses

Donations and Tax-Receipting (CCS)

Please refer to the donations receipting and tax deductions section of our Fundraise YOUR Way Community Fundraising Guidelines as well as the funds raised, donations and tax-deduction section of our FAQs for details on:

• Which funds raised qualify for tax-receipting• What Free to Breathe requires in order to issue a tax receipt• How you can accept donations under the event’s name

Sending in the Proceeds

Please mail proceeds from your event to:

Free to BreatheAttn: Events Dept.

1 Point Place, Suite 200Madison, WI 53719

When sending in the net proceeds, be sure to clearly reference the name of your event and the date of the event as well as your name as the event organizer in an enclosed note. This will allow Free to Breathe to properly credit your efforts and acknowledge, if need be, the generous support your event received. All checks must be made out to Free to Breathe in order to be processed. Please do not send cash. See the “Can I send in cash donations?” section of our FAQs for additional information.

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TALKING POINTS

When sharing with others, whether potential donors, sponsors, committee members or guests as part of your event, what the need is you are trying to address with your fundraiser and why the lung cancer cause is so incredibly important, using the talking points about the Free to Breathe vision is a perfect place to start.

The Free to Breathe vision is to double the overall five-year lung cancer survival rate in the US by 2022.

• Over the last decade, the five-year lung cancer survival rate in the US has only increased from 15% to 16%. Over the next decade, Free to Breathe is striving to double this rate.

• To achieve this transformative vision, the Free to Breathe goals focus on research, understanding treatment options, molecular tumor testing and clinical trial participation.

• Free to Breathe has always been dedicated to driving change in the lung cancer field.

• This vision represents the next step in the evolution of our programs, and a dramatic promise to everyone whose lives have been touched by lung cancer.

• Through Free to Breathe and other community awareness initiatives, Free to Breathe is fueling a nationwide movement to support this commitment to doubling lung cancer survival.

• We won‘t be able to make this vision a reality without your support! Join the movement to Double lung cancer survival by 2022 by <insert your call-to-action here>.

To read more about the Free to Breathe vision, goals or the concrete metrics to measure progress towards these goals, visit freetobreathe.org/vision.

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FUNDRAISE YOUR WAY GUIDELINES & FAQS

We’ve created two additional documents full of valuable information to help you make your event or activity, in support of Free to Breathe, an amazing success.

Please be sure and review our Fundraise YOUR Way Community Fundraising Guidelines and check out Frequently Asked Questions before beginning your planning.

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Wine Tasting Event Timeline

Four to Six Months Before

1. Develop a steering committee. Duties of the steering committee include: - Deciding if a wine tasting is a good fundraiser to accomplish your goals - Determining how much money you want to raise

2. Recruit the following volunteer/committee leadership: - Event Chair (overall) - Publicity and Promotions Chair (distribution, social media, media outlets) - Sponsor Chair (financial, in-kind and exhibitors) - Logistics/Operations/Experience Chair (entertainment/atmosphere/activities/vendors, timeline

management, registration/check-in and opening/closing) - Volunteers Chair (recruit/secure and manage)

3. Choose a location for your wine tasting.4. Reserve a date & time and complete and confirm any necessary applications, forms, permits, licenses or

insurance requirements (check with both your venue and municipality). - Calendar milestone and deadline dates

5. Have committee chairs enlist additional volunteers for their committees and assign duties.6. Establish a budget for your event (and always monitor your expenses). 7. Set ticket prices based on your fundraising goal. Be realistic for your community.8. Choose a theme for your tasting.9. Decide on any additional fundraisers you would like to accompany your tasting (silent auction, raffle, etc.)10. Develop a list of potential food and wine donors and begin soliciting them.

Three Months Before

1. Secure necessary equipment, including tables, chairs, linens, stage, sound system, etc. that are not provided by your venue.

2. Evaluate current donors secured and re‐assign donor recruitment duties to volunteers.3. Develop a publicity strategy.4. Decide on event floor plan.5. Confirm a photographer.6. Select and book entertainment if you choose to have it.7. Decide on an event registration/ticket purchase method.8. Compile a list of potential guests.9. Develop and mail or distribute save the date cards, if you choose to use them.10. Order complimentary wine glasses if you choose to have them.

APPENDIX AEXAMPLE TIMELINE

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Six to Eight Weeks Before

1. Finalize wine and food vendor commitments.2. Confirm winery representatives and additional wine servers.3. Reach out and confirm guest speakers.4. Advertise for and secure event day volunteers.5. Develop and mail invitations, develop and distribute posters/flyers.6. Develop event signage.7. Secure all event decorations.8. Send out press releases and community announcements.

One Month Before

1. Finalize décor and floor plans (meet with your committee on site to walk through event day plans). 2. Follow up with any guests who have not replied.3. Follow up with and reconfirm guest speakers (and share the event details with them).4. Follow up with and confirm details with volunteers who will be present on event day.

Two Weeks Before

1. Confirm vendor and servers’ arrival times.2. Prepare remaining vendor payments.3. Print event day signage.4. Prepare guest name tags. 5. Make arrangements for the pick-up/transport of any food/refreshments, materials, etc. for event day.6. Confirm any necessary transportation arrangements for volunteers or committee members.7. Collect all committee member, volunteer, food/wine vendor and exhibitor’s phone numbers to have at your

fingertips on event day (just in case you need them.)

One Week Before

1. Confirm final number of participants.2. Review volunteers’ event day tasks, arrival times, etc. – send reminder.3. Review event day exhibitors including arrival times, set-up, etc. – send reminder.4. Confirm speaker attendance.5. Print any final materials (including guest list) and set aside supplies.6. Double check status of all wine and food donations and purchases.7. Identify one to two very trusted committee members and/or volunteers and brief them thoroughly on all

aspects of the event so they can be relied on to troubleshoot, answer questions and make decisions on event day.

8. Archive a copy of the guest list, all promotional materials, screen shots of web pages, etc. for use next year.

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Day of the Event

1. Arrive before all vendors and guests to brief your volunteers, set up and decorate.2. Confirm that all volunteers are in attendance and understand their roles.3. Ensure that check-in table is ready and staffed.4. Greet your guests, thank them as they arrive and encourage them to actively participate in the activities.5. Keep track of guests and make sure that no one gets out of hand.6. Ensure the event is running on time and make adjustments accordingly.7. Say “thank you” to all participants, sponsors, volunteers for making the event possible.8. Enjoy!

Immediately After

1. Clean up.2. Return all rented and borrowed equipment.3. Confirm that all event day proceeds are accounted for and secure.

Within a Few Weeks

1. Write and send personal thank you notes (to: VIP attendees, sponsors, volunteers, committee members).

2. Confirm and pay any outstanding expenses. (Retain proper documentation to support use of revenue.) 3. Evaluate the event by debriefing, and keep notes in preparation for next year.4. Submit proceeds to Free to Breathe.

good luck and have fun!

note: Throughout the entire process of preparing for your event/activity, make sure to keep accurate records. When sposnsorships and ticket sales begin to come in, keep clear records. If you secure product or in-kind donations, make sure to get all of the pertinent details, such as fair market value cost, at the time the item is donated. It wil be very time-consuming to have to go back after the event and contact everyone again in order to send out your thank-you notes and

acknowledgements.

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APPENDIX BEXAMPLE BUDGET

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