DO IT YOURSELF
FUNDRAISING GUIDE
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT FINDING THE CURE FOR M ELANOM A? Join the AIM at Melanoma Foundation and take the fight for the cure into your own hands. Through DIYs, you can do just about anything to raise funds to help AIM end melanoma. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or interested in tennis, running, or social media, you can fundraise your own way. This guide is designed to walk you step by step through your fundraising activity. You can contact us at any time for more information. Let ?s get st ar t ed!
Wh at You 'll Fin d In Th is Gu ide:
Con t act :
Checklist: How to DIY fundraise for AIM at Melanoma
Cindy LeBlanc National Director of Walks & Events AIM at Melanoma Foundation www.AIMatMelanoma.org Cindy@AIMatMelanoma.org 415-521-8119
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Choose your fundraising activity Register online Set your fundraising goal Get the word out Achieve your fundraising goal
Where your money goes: Who We Are & What We Do FAQs
CHECKLIST
How To DIY Fundraise For AIM at Melanoma CHOOSE YOUR FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY When you participate in a DIY, the ways you can fundraise are endless. That's what we mean when we say Fundraise Your Way. Start by thinking about your hobbies, what interests you and your friends, and what you'd enjoy doing to raise funds.
Her e ar e a var iet y of w ays t o r aise f u n ds t o get you t h in k in g:
Start an email writing campaign
Offer a prize drawing or silent auction
Sign up to be an AIM virtual walk team
Host a shopping party (e.g., Kendra Scott)
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Organize a pub crawl
Host a garage sale
Sponsor a holiday gift wrap sale
Sell on EBay and donate your revenues
Sponsor a "Jeans Day" at work
Host a fundraising dinner party or pot luck Start a change collection drive
Organize a local restaurant to host a "percentage of sales" night
Host a fundraising birthday/wedding/retirement party
Host a car wash with your alumni association or local fraternity
Sponsor a community activity where AIM can be the beneficiary
Organize a tennis round robin event
Host an event with your HOA, religious or civic organization, or kids' school Start a Facebook fundraiser for your birthday or another milestone event
REGISTER ONLINE
Registering your DIY with AIM is the next step. When you register online, you'll be asked to tell us a little bit about yourself and what you plan to do to raise funds. You'll also be invited to make your own gift to get your DIY fundraiser off to a great start! AIM at Melanoma provides easy and convenient fundraising web pages free of charge for our DIYs. When you register, your page will be automatically created and ready for you to use right away. Here are just some of the features of your personalized fundraising page: -
Your page may be customized with a photo or video and your own text. This means that you may use your page to share your personal story, fundraiser information, and more!
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You may create a customized URL for your page, allowing for easy sharing and marketing.
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Friends, family, and community members may support your DIY fundraising activity directly through your personalized page. Making a donation online is easy and secure.
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AIM will automatically send a tax acknowledgement letter to any donor to your page.
SET YOUR FUNDRAISING GOAL
When you register online, you'll be asked to set your fundraising goal. Setting a challenging yet attainable fundraising goal is one of the most critical steps as you prepare for your fundraiser. Most DIY goals range from $1,000 to $5,000. Thinking through some of these questions will help you set your goal:
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How many people do you expect will support your fundraiser?
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What is the average amount you expect friends and family to give?
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Can you donate to your fundraiser? If so, how much?
GET THE WORD OUT The best way to get the word out about your fundraiser will depend upon what your activity entails: If you're hosting a "Jeans Day" at work, you'll communicate very differently than if you are hosting a dinner party. Here are some general suggestions to help you spread the word about the good you're doing: -
Share, share, share your personalized URL. This URL is perfect for Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as emails and flyers you create.
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Talk about why you're raising funds for the fight against melanoma. Your story is your most powerful fundraising tool.
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Talk about why you chose to raise funds for AIM. For great talking points, see below ("Who We Are & What We Do") and check out www.AIMatMelanoma.org
TIPS & REM INDERS When you are marketing your DIY fundraiser, please be mindful of these promotion and brand guidelines: -
Your DIY fundraiser should be promoted and conducted in a manner to avoid the appearance of AIM endorsing any product, firm, organization, individual, or service.
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All advertising and promotion must clearly state that AIM at Melanoma is the beneficiary of the fundraiser, not the host, sponsor, or endorser. For example, this language will be appropriate for use: "Join us for {DIY fundraiser name} to benefit the AIM at Melanoma Foundation!"
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Your fundraiser will be considered a legitimate activity after you've registered online. Before that time, we are unable to confirm your activity if an inquiry arises.
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After you're registered online, you may email Cindy@AIMatMelanoma.org to request a copy of our logo to use in your fundraising marketing.
ACHIEVE YOUR FUNDRAISING GOAL Fu n dr aisin g sou n ds t ou gh . Bu t it doesn't h ave t o be! Wit h t h ese t h r ee st eps, you 'll r each you r goal in n o t im e.
St ep 1: M ak e you r ow n gif t Nothing shows your supporters how important ending melanoma is to you like your own personal donation. You may make a gift to your fundraiser during registration or directly on your personalized fundraising page after you've registered. Remember, no gift is too small. St ep 2: Reach ou t t o t h ose closest t o you Make a list of your friends and family members, and reach out to them directly to tell them what you're doing. Don't forget to include your closest co-workers, neighbors, and business partners on this list. Personally call or email this group and ask them to both make a donation and to spread the word about your fundraiser. St ep 3: M ak e you r gen er al appeals Once you've received support from those closest to you, it's time to tell the masses! Take to social media and tell your friends and followers about your event. Create posters or flyers and distribute them around your community. Ask your local church, school, coffee shop, and radio station to help you spread the word. Be creative! You never know who will be interested in helping you reach your GOAL!
TIPS & REM INDERS
WHO WE ARE Where Your Money Goes Founded in 2004, AIM at Melanoma is the largest international melanoma foundation seeking the cure for melanoma.
OUR M ISSION AIM's work focuses on three critical areas: -
In n ovat ive Resear ch . AIM manages and funds global, collaborative, high-impact research initiatives Legislat ion , Policy & Advocacy. AIM serves as the trusted advisor and respected voice in the world of melanoma Edu cat ion & Su ppor t . AIM offers melanoma patients, caregivers, and health care professionals extensive and comprehensive educational resources and support services
OUR REACH AIM at Melanoma's foundational principles include the understanding that melanoma is a global disease, and to both prevent the disease and identify successful therapies, we must work globally and collaboratively. We are based in the United States, but we work with researchers, advocates, and policymakers around the world.
WHAT WE DO INNOVATIVE RESEARCH We believe the cure for melanoma will be found more quickly by bringing together leading global researchers and funding their collaborative research. Rather than following the traditional foundation model of granting individual researchers dollars for their individual investigations, AIM seeks to design, manage, and fund paradigm-shifting, global-scale research initiatives that will accelerate the quest for more effective therapies and, ultimately, find the cure.
LEGISLATION, POLICY & ADVOCACY AIM is the respected voice of melanoma across the nation. When drugs are approved, legislation is drafted, and research is assessed, AIM is at the table, speaking loudly and clearly on behalf of patients and their families. We are the trusted advisors for medical boards, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies on critical topics that affect melanoma patients.
EDUCATION & SUPPORT Both in the U.S. and on a global level we provide comprehensive, easy-to-access melanoma information and resources to patients and health care professionals. AIM's patient, family, and caregiver support offerings? such as our Ask a Melanoma Expert service, which allows patients and loved ones to ask both medical and general melanoma questions, and our Peer Connect program, which matches newly diagnosed survivors with melanoma veterans? serve as models for other cancer foundations.
FAQS Wh y h ost a DIY f or AIM at M elan om a? To support our mission to end melanoma. DIYs give you the flexibility to fight melanoma in a way that is most meaningful to you and your family. It gives you complete control to plan a creative fundraiser from start to finish - how you want and when you want.
Will t h e AIM at M elan om a Fou n dat ion pay f or expen ses r elat ed t o m y DIY? No. We will work with you to ensure you have a positive gain and give you many best practices to use, so you should have few to no expenses. All funds donated online will go to work supporting our mission.
How m u ch do I h ave t o f u n dr aise? Your fundraising goal is entirely up to you! Fundraising goals typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. How do I f u n dr aise? Fundraising is actually much easier than most people think. If you're passionate about finding the cure for melanoma and willing to tell people that, fundraising will likely come easily for you. Try sharing your story with an appeal for donations. Beginning with a Facebook Birthday fundraiser may be a starting point for you. AIM staff is just an email away, so reach out and we can brainstorm with you on where your local community resources are and other ideas to help you. Can I u se t h e AIM at M elan om a Fou n dat ion logo in m y f u n dr aiser 's pr om ot ion s? Yes! Our logo is available for your use as you promote your fundraiser. After you've registered online, email Cindy@AIMatMelanoma.org and request a digital copy.
Can f u n ds I r aise be u sed t o pay expen ses of m y DIY f u n dr aiser ? Yes, you may use a small portion of funds raised offline (either cash or a check made out to you) to cover your fundraiser 's expenses. A guideline is to not allow your fundraiser 's expenses to exceed 10-15% of what you raise in total--less if possible. Any funds that are raised and used for your expenses are not considered tax deductible. It is important to let these offline donors know that a small portion of what they donate may be used to cover your expenses. Once funds are received by AIM either online through your personalized fundraising webpage or via cash or check, they may not be used to cover your expenses.
Ar e t h er e an y r est r ict ion s on t h e k in d of f u n dr aisin g act ivit y I can do? The only 'restriction' is on an activity that may have a negative effect on the reputation of AIM. AIM at Melanoma reserves the right to decline any DIY activity if it so chooses.
How w ill m y f r ien ds, f am ily, co-w or k er s, n eigh bor s et c. k n ow t h at m y f u n dr aisin g act ivit y is legit im at e an d su ppor t s t h e m ission of AIM at M elan om a? After your DIY activity is registered online, we are able to verify your fundraiser and its support of our mission. You'll also have access to our logos so that others will know that you're raising funds on behalf of AIM. Your supporters can rest assured knowing that any donation they make online through your personal fundraising webpage comes directly and securely to us.
FAQS Ar e t h er e AIM at M elan om a Fou n dat ion edu cat ion al it em s available f or m e t o u se at m y f u n dr aiser ? Yes! We are happy to supply you with some printed materials, and we have others you may download and print yourself. You may request materials by emailing Cindy@AIMatMelanoma.org at least 15 business days prior to your event. How do I sen d in f u n ds I've r aised? The easiest way for your donors to support your DIY is by making a secure credit card gift online, directly to your DIY fundraising page. Please note that gifts made online should be made to your personal fundraising page via your unique URL, which is created once you register your event. Additionally, cash or check donations (made to AIM at Melanoma) may be submitted to: AIM at Melanoma Attention: DIY - ?Event Name? 5729 Lebanon Rd. Suite 144-305 Frisco, TX 75034 Email us for more information: Risa@AIMatMelanoma.org In the subject line of each check, please have the donor include your name and your DIY event name. Please allow several weeks after mailing for the gifts to appear on your personalized fundraising webpage. Ar e don at ion s t o m y DIY t ax dedu ct ible? Donations received to your DIY online fundraising page are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. A donor who wishes to make a gift via check must make the check payable to "AIM at Melanoma? in order for the gift to be tax deductible. Keep in mind, federal and state tax laws may vary and change from year to year, and AIM recommends donors speak with their tax advisors with any questions regarding deductibility. I st ill h ave qu est ion s. Wh o sh ou ld I con t act ? Cindy LeBlanc National Director of Walks & Events AIM at Melanoma Foundation
Cindy@AIMatMelanoma.org | 415-521-8119 AIMatMelanoma.org
