FUNdraising Friday – 100 Ways in 100 Days!

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Today marks only 100 days out from the Hershey Walk to Cure Diabetes on September 28th, 2014!  Together, we will turn type one into type none!  But to do so, we need to get out there and get fundraising – TODAY!

If you haven’t yet registered for the Walk, make sure to do so ASAP!  One hundred days may seem like a lot, but it will go faster than you think, especially over the summer.  It’s important to start your fundraising now. Online registration is quick and simple, and the JDRF Staff is only a phone call (717-901-6489) or an email (lmcpherson@jdrf.org) away if you need any assistance.

If you have registered, NOW is the time to start fundraising!  With school starting a month out from Walk, you won’t want to wait till then to begin your fundraising efforts. Plus, the numbers show that walkers who register and begin fundraising early raise on average significantly more than those who register only 4 – 6 weeks out from the Walk.

With 100 Days left till the Walk, we assembled 100 Ways to Fundraise in 100 Days to help you come up with fun, new, and creative ways to raise those dollars to find a cure.  You can see all 100 ideas below, or on the Walk Fundraising page.

As we move forward towards the Walk, we will feature one of these ideas with more details on how to make it happen each week on FUNdraising Friday.  If you want more information or supplies for one of these ideas, just give the JDRF staff a call at (717) 901-6489.

As you are asking people for donations, support, and their participation in some of these great fundraising events, don’t forget to keep WHY we are raising this money in the forefront.  Let your donors know that each dollar they give gets us one step further in the ongoing artificial pancreas human clinical trials, or helps fund another step in developing the best possible encapsulation device, or puts one more piece in the puzzle to help us determine what really causes (and eventually how to prevent) T1D, and what these advances would mean for you or your loved one with T1D.

100 Ways in 100 Days – Easy and Fun Fundraising Ideas!

  1. Register online at walk.jdrf.orgto gain access to your very own personal fundraising headquarters—your online Participant Center.
  2. Make a self-donation to jumpstart your fundraising. This also lets your donors see your personal commitment to JDRF.
  3. Share your story. Customize your personal webpage in your Participant Center with a photo and your personal story.
  4. Email your fundraising campaign to friends, family, and co-workers, and ask them to support you. Your email will have a direct link to your website where they can make a secure donation online and automatically receive a receipt for tax purposes.
  5. Ask all your donors to forward your email to 10 of their friends with a request for a donation.
  6. Fundraise on Facebook! Use the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Facebook application in your Participant Center to get the word out to your social network and ask for support.
  7. Email Auto signature: Get in the habit of signing your emails with your name and a link to your personal webpage in your Participant Center.
  8. Voicemail: Change your voicemail and answering machine messages to announce the fact that you are walking in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. This will be news to some and a reminder for all!
  9. Corporate Matching Gifts: Take advantage of corporate matching gift programs. Many of your donors may work for companies that have a matching gift program—and their donation could double simply by filling out a form and submitting it to JDRF.
  10. Corporate Sponsor: Identify one corporate sponsor that you can ask for a large donation. Offer to wear their shirt for advertising, or prominently place their logo on your walk team shirt.
  11. JDRF Sneaker Sales: Ask a local coffee shop, restaurant, or convenience store to sell JDRF Sneakers for a month to support the Walk to Cure Diabetes. JDRF provides you with the paper sneakers to give to the merchant to make it easy for them to support JDRF.
  12. Dine for Diabetes: Ask a local restaurant to support JDRF through Dining for Diabetes. Customers support JDRF by adding a donation to their credit card slip. Or ask them if they will donate a portion of the night’s proceeds to support research for type 1 diabetes (T1D). JDRF can provide you with the marketing materials and samples for the restaurant to make it easy for them to host a Dine for Diabetes, and you can help get the word out to your network.
  13. Jewelry Party: Host a Silpada, Premier, Stella Dot, or other jewelry party at your house.  Instead of earning free jewelry, donate your share to your Walk Team.  Most reps will also donate a portion of their proceeds to your cause. We have had teams raise over $400 in a single party!
  14. Kids Walk: Talk to your child’s school about hosting a Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes. Students learn about JDRF and T1D while raising money for JDRF and your walk team. The program is complete with educational materials and awesome, kid-centric prizes. Want to learn more? Visit  www.jdrf.org/kidswalk
  15. Jeans/Casual Day: Ask your company to allow a Jeans Day. For a donation of $5, employees may dress casual on a designated day. Or, sell a year’s worth of casual days.
  16. Lunch In: Bring your lunch to work for a week and donate the savings to your JDRF Walk team. Ask friends and co-workers to join in the Lunch In challenge!
  17. Garage Sale: Ask all of your friends and neighbors to participate by donating items for a garage sale. Make signs that advertise that all proceeds are going to support JDRF. Ask your local paper to run an ad as their contribution. Add a bake sale and/or lemonade stand, and have a JDRF donation jar visibly displayed. Don’t forget to make checks payable to JDRF.
  18. Super Change Jar: Ask all of your friends and family to put aside their spare change to be added to the super change jar. Every month or so, empty it out and let everyone know how much “a little at a time” adds up! This is a great idea to put into action at work, too. Decorate the jar with inspirational quotes and photos from your training walks.  JDRF can supply you with an official change canister, please contact our office to get one!
  19. “Loose Change Day”: Ask your child’s school to have a “Loose Change Day.” Make a flyer encouraging each child to bring in loose change from their house to be donated to JDRF. Encourage the school’s math classes to assist with counting, predicting, and rolling the change. This is a great way to involve the entire school.  You can hold this event multiple times.
  20. Restaurant Spare Change Jar: Ask your favorite restaurant or local pub to put out a jar for donations of spare change. Decorate it with quotes and pictures.
  21. Coins: Go to your local mall or shopping center and ask what they do with the coins in the fountain.
  22. Sell space on your Team shirt: Sell small blocks of space on your Team shirt you plan to wear at the Walk. Suggested $10 donation. Encourage donors to write a tribute message. Asking your donors to add a message to your Walk attire is a great way to inspire them.
  23. Car Wash: Hold a car wash—either in your neighborhood, at your place of worship, or at your place of business. Ask local businesses to donate the supplies you will need and ask your friends to help wash the cars. Add a bake sale; sell chilled bottles of water (that have been donated).
  24. Car Wash-Take 2: Go to your local car wash and talk with the owner/manager about doing a fundraising event there. Many people go to the same car wash every week. Post flyers a week in advance, and then spend a few hours talking with people about what you are doing at the cashier stand. Distribute a JDRF flyer, accept donations!
  25. Labels/Business Cards: Create (or order) return address labels and/or business cards that state, “I’m participating in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Will you sponsor me?”
  26. Pin: Wear a pin that says, “Ask me about the Walk to Cure Diabetes!”
  27. Silent Auction: Ask some local businesses to donate items or gift certificates and hold a silent auction at your fundraising event, or on a payday at work. Examples of auction items include a book of car wash certificates, $10 off dry-cleaning, movie passes, play tickets, restaurant gift certificates, pet grooming; a week of free coffee; the list is endless! Set minimum donation limits and allow people to bid them up.
  28. Live Auction: Same as above, but with an energetic auctioneer. Good for a large crowd and some big-ticket items such as a trip for two, a special bottle of wine, landscaping, pool or housecleaning services.
  29. Benefit Night: Throw a fundraising party at a local establishment. Charge your guests an entrance fee (donation). Also make sure to ask the local establishment to support you with a donation of 10% (or more!) of the night’s sales.
  30. Happy Hour: Wear your team shirt to Happy Hour and ask people to sign it for a $10 donation. Ask the DJ to announce that you are in the bar.
  31. Bartender: Ask your favorite bar if you can guest bartend for a night and keep all of your tips. Make sure you invite all of your friends to come in that night!
  32. Spaghetti Dinner: Encourage your place of worship, work, school, or other organization to host a spaghetti dinner to benefit JDRF. Have all of your friends help with the cooking. Or organize a potluck party where everyone brings a dish to share. The entrance fee to the party is a donation. Make sure to have plenty of donation forms on hand for the donors who want to give more.
  33. Karaoke Bar: Ask your local karaoke bar to host a benefit night. Invite your friends; charge at the door.
  34. Rock On! If you know musicians, ask them to perform a benefit concert at a backyard BBQ, block party, or local club. The admission ticket is a check made payable to JDRF.
  35. Birthday: In lieu of a gift for your birthday, ask your friends and family to make a donation to JDRF through your personal Walk to Cure Diabetes website.
  36. House-Warming Party: In lieu of a house-warming gift, ask your friends and family to make a donation to JDRF.
  37. Wedding Gift and Favors: In lieu of wedding gifts, ask your friends and family to make a donation to JDRF. Or in lieu of buying wedding favors for your guests, make a donation to JDRF and make place cards at each place setting to announce your gift.
  38. Retirement Party: In lieu of a retirement party gift, ask your office to support JDRF. What an incredible way to kick off your new life!
  39. Ask your travel agency for a plane ticket to raffle off, a night in a hotel, or a weekend getaway.
  40. Ask your doctor(s) and dentist for a donation.
  41. Ask your yoga instructor or personal trainer for a donation or a donated class. Invite your friends to attend a special class yoga/aerobics/step donated by the trainer and their admission fee ($20 or more) becomes a donation. The instructor also gets the chance to build their client base. It’s a win-win!
  42. Ask your lawyer and insurance agent for a donation.
  43. Ask your auto mechanic for a donation.
  44. Ask your veterinarian for a donation.
  45. Ask your real estate agent and mortgage broker for a donation.
  46. Ask your barista for a donation, or ask them to sell paper sneakers or donate a day’s tips to JDRF.
  47. Ask your hair stylist for a donation; if not in the form of a check, then perhaps in the form of haircuts! See if he/she will host a hair-cut-a-thon, in the salon (or in your garage!) You can probably raise more donations in two hours of haircutting than you imagine—be sure to get the word out!
  48. Hair Salon: Ask your hair salon if they will donate $2 from each haircut on a specific day.
  49. Gym: Ask your gym if you, or they, can teach an aerobics, yoga, or spinning class as a benefit to JDRF.
  50. Spinning Class: Ask for support from your spinning class instructor and classmates. Set a goal at the beginning of the class, and if it’s met, everyone donates $1 per mile—or $1 per minute.
  51. Concession Sales with Your Favorite Team! Did you know that professional sports teams often let volunteer groups run a concession stand at a home game as a fundraiser? Contact your professional home team and then get a group of friends together for a great time at the game—for a worthy cause!
  52. House Party: Host a house party for friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Share your experience with JDRF and your reasons for walking. Ask them to support you.
  53. National Holidays: Don’t forget about Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend, and all of those picnics. Ask everyone in attendance for a donation.
  54. Mow-a-thon: Hold a neighborhood mow-a-thon weekend where you and your family will mow everyone’s lawn for a minimum donation.  Neighbors: Write a note to all of the neighbors on your block or in your apartment building. Include an update on your fundraising progress.
  55. Free Rent: Get your apartment complex to donate one month’s rent to sponsor you.
  56. Runner: Offer to be a friend’s errand runner or personal assistant for a day, in exchange for a substantial donation.
  57. Talent: Utilize and sell any talent or skill that you have; graphic design, computer skills, sewing, baking, cake decorating, etc.
  58. Makeovers: If you are a make-up artist, hair stylist, or work in a salon, do makeovers for a set donation. If you’re not, but know someone who is, ask them to donate their services to support you. Tie this in with a holiday, celebration, or for a friend’s wedding party.
  59. Relaxation Day: Ask your massage therapist to donate their time and offer massages for a minimum donation. This can be done at your company or at the massage therapist’s studio.
  60. Photographer: If you are an artist or photographer, do portraits for a donation. Family portraits, especially,
  61. Garden Tour: Hold a garden tour at your home or at a local historical home. Have the tour promoted through your local newspaper.
  62. Meet the Press: Contact the editor of your local paper, or your company newsletter—or both! Ask them to interview you about what you’ve undertaken and why, and include a request for support. Be sure they include instructions in the story for how readers can make donations to you.
  63. Babysit, pet sit or house sit for a donation.
  64. Water the Garden: Or walk the dog, feed the cat, bring in the newspaper and mail. In return for your services, ask that a donation be made to JDRF.
  65. Gala Night: Host an elegant or formal party. Have food and beverages donated.
  66. Musician: Ask a friend—or the friend of a friend—to play the piano, violin, or other musical instrument for a fundraising event.
  67. Wine-Tasting Party: Have a wine-tasting and cheese-tasting party. If you know anyone (who knows anyone!) who owns, manages, or works in a winery, ask if they will host it. Charge at the door and ask if a portion of proceeds of all bottles sold can benefit JDRF. Blind tastings are fun. Think about dressing up the event with some very special vintages.
  68. Set up a table in front of your local grocery store: Get permission first, and then ask everyone who enters to support you. While this doesn’t sound very glamorous, it’s very effective. Remember that in addition to raising much-needed funds, you are also playing an important role in raising awareness.
  69. Sweets Party: Have a dessert auction at work! Ask local restaurants, bakeries, and groceries to donate yummy desserts. Post signs at work well in advance, and then bring all of the desserts in to work on Friday.
  70. Movie Party: Host a movie party at your house. Every time the word “walk” is said in the movie, everyone antes up $1 in a donation bowl. Have pizza donated and charge at the door.
  71. Play Tickets: Ask your local playhouse to donate tickets and then auction them off. Better yet, ask them t
  72. New Job: Celebrate landing a new job with a party! Invite everyone you know and ask them to come prepared to support you and JDRF as well.
  73. Creative Friends: Ask a local artist or creative friend to donate a piece or art or jewelry that you can auction off.
  74. Tea Party: Host a traditional “High Tea”, or ask a local hotel to do so on your behalf. Charge at the door.
  75. Host a coffee get-together at your home or at a local coffee shop. Ask your favorite coffee shop to donate the coffee (and maybe even some goodies!). Invite your neighbors and friends.
  76. Pet Birthday Party: Have a fun birthday party for your pet—or a friend’s pet. Serve dog biscuits and ask everyone to wear ears! Charge at the door. Take photos of your guests with the guest of honor.
  77. TV Show Party: Host a party in celebration of the premiere or finale of a favorite TV show. Serve donated hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Charge at the door
  78. Movie/TV Marathon: Host a movie or TV series marathon. Choose a theme (Hitchcock, I Love Lucy, Gilligan’s Island, Seinfeld) and make the popcorn! Charge at the door. Enhance the theme with a suggested $1 donation every time a specific word or phrase is spoken, like every time Hitchcock himself appears, every time the Skipper says “Gilligan!”, every time Jerry has an “aside” with Elaine.
  79. Themed Music/Dance Party: Host a music/dance night—50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s style. Play all of the old favorites. Ask people to come dressed in costume and dance the night away. Serve donated drinks and food. Charge at the door. You can even ask a DJ if they’d donate an evening for you, so you can have a complete selection of tunes!
  80. Scrapbooking Party: Host a scrapbooking party at your house, or at the local store. Ask a professional to lead an inspirational idea exchange and have some great samples on display, some special supplies and/or discounts for attendees. Serve donated food and drinks and charge at the door.
  81. Game Night: Host a game night; Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Poker, Bridge, Bingo. Serve donated food and drinks. Charge at the do
  82. Host a Kid’s Game Day: Invite your kid’s friends, nieces and nephews, the neighborhood kids, the soccer team, to a game day at a local park. Like a drop-off party, you coordinate a couple of hours of fun activities and ask the parents for a donation in exchange. Tetherball, Four Square, Jump Rope, Potato Sack races, Yo-Yo contests, you name it! Have donated snack food and juice boxes available to round out the fun.
  83. Bowling: Ask your local bowling alley to donate some lanes for a fundraising party. Invite your co-workers, your neighbors, your family, or a group of old friends. Charge at the door.
  84. Used Book/DVD/CD Sale: A more focused and versatile version of a garage sale. Ask everyone you know (co-workers, neighbors, family and friends) to donate any books, DVDs, and CDs that they no longer need. Choose a time and place to have a used book sale – maybe your local farmer’s market, school carnival, or workplace. Or take the books to a used book store and use the proceeds to support JDRF.
  85. Swim Party: Ask a local public pool to donate (or rent at a reduced rate) a couple of hours for a private party. This is a great way to get teenagers involved in the fundraising effort. Have donated snacks on hand, and be sure to include a lifeguard. Turn on fun music and charge at the door.
  86. Banner: Have a group of friends, your child’s classmates, a local business, help to design a banner that you can use at the Walk to mark your tent. Suggest a donation minimum.
  87. Special Screening: Ask your local movie theatre to donate a special screening of a new release. Invite everyone you know and post flyers. Charge at the door. Ask if the theatre will also donate a percentage of the concession sales for your event
  88. Baseball Game: Or other local sporting event. Buy a section of tickets at a group rate and charge your family and friends twice the price. Get food donated and host a tailgate party.
  89. Lunch Room: Put up a display in the lunch room at work (a sign with your picture and a note about what you are doing); be sure to include a jar for donations.
  90. Bottle Drive: If you are in a state that requires bottle deposits, start a bottle drive. Put flyers around your neighborhood telling people to put their bottles out on a certain day and you’ll come by to collect and return them. Let your local school, pool, or gym know that you will to do the same for them
  91. 50/50 Raffle: Sell tickets to a 50/50 raffle at a large event or gathering, like a high school football game or at work. The prize is half the “pot.” The winner splits the “pot” with you – you get 50% of the proceeds and they get the other 50%.
  92. Speak at a place of worship: Ask your place of worship if you can speak to your congregation about JDRF, the Walk to Cure Diabetes, and your commitment following a service and set up a table to collect donations afterwards.
  93. Oscar Party: Host a party to watch the Academy Awards and charge an entrance fee. Ask a local bar that has a big-screen television to allow you to have the party there and donate a portion of the food and beverage sales.
  94. Golf Outing/Tournament: Work with a local golf course to plan a charity golf outing. Charge a fee to participate and see if you can get prizes donated for the winner of each hole, or the whole course.
  95. Web-based auction: Get friends and family to donate things for you to sell on an internet auction site. Make sure to let bidders know that the items selling price is going towards your fundraising for JDRF
  96. Choose the Torture – Have donors pay $1 a vote to decide which form of “torture” to inflict on your organization’s leader (i.e. dye hair, dress as a clown, trade a job for a day).
  97. Bingo Is Its Name-O – Get prizes donated and charge an entrance fee.
  98. Trendy Bracelets – Sell silicone bracelets that promote your cause.  JDRF has blue silicone bracelets available that you can purchase and then sell to make a profit to go towards your team.  Check out the JDRF Store at Or you can make friendship, rainbow loom, or other bracelets to sell for you team!
  99. For the Birds – Deliver a group of fake pink flamingos to a donor’s yard and leave a note explaining the cause and asking for a donation to “replant” the flamingos in the yard of the next “victim” the first donor designates.
  100. Coupon Sale: Have coupon books donated by local businesses, and then sell them to students and adults.  You can also contact Sheetz or Boscovs.