Fundraising Tips

1. Fundraise Online
   At the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we have observed that participants raise an average of 60% more when they fundraise online. Online donations are a fast and easy way for your friends, family, and co-workers to support the cause. Simply send an email to your list of contacts with a link to your fundraising page and they donate directly online!
      
2. Double Your Fundraising With Matching Gifts! 
   Some of your donors may work for a company that participates in a matching gifts program. Some companies double (or even triple) their employees charitable donations, which can dramatically increase the amount you raise. Ask the donor to obtain the proper form from their company and turn it in with your pledges or have the donor mail it directly to
   
   The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
   530 Dexter Ave. N, Suite 300
   Seattle, WA 98109 
   
   **Be sure to have your donor include the words "Firefighter Stairclimb" in the description field of they're matching gift forms to ensure proper credit!
      
3. SEND A LETTER
   Tell your friends and family why you've chosen to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Need inspiration? Try our sample fundraising letter (in Word 2000) format.
        

4. Share your idea!

   HAVE A GREAT IDEA?
   Do you have a great idea? Click the lightbulb to send us your suggestion. If we utilize your idea/suggestion for 2010, you will receive a free Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool. Thanks for your support!
    
5. BE ORIGINAL...
   Many Scott Firefighter Stairclimb participants have fundraised for many years and seek new approaches to fundraising. The following are some of the unique and successful strategies that top fundraisers have used. 
    
   a) Organize a car wash or bake sale.
      
   b) Set up a stairclimber or booth outside of your local grocery store to collect pledges.
    
   c)  Enlist the help of local businesses in your area. Some may donate to your efforts, while others may allow you to place a collection box near their cash register.
    
   d)  Suggest that your local newspaper do a story about your department's fundraising efforts and ask readers to send donations.
      
6. SUGGEST A LEVEL OF GIVING
   Don't be afraid to say, "Would you consider a gift of $25 or more?" You may want to tie the amount of money you ask for with the number of flights you will climb. If you ask, "Will you sponsor me $1 for every flight I climb?" the donor may agree to give you $69 (or more). Be creative with this. You will climb 1,311 steps total, which equals 19 steps per flight, 69 flights, and 788 feet of vertical elevation.
    
7. Set A Goal and Plan to Reach It

The following example shows how to raise $300 in six easy steps. 

Sponsor yourself	$25
Ask three family members to sponsor you for $25 each	$75
Ask five friends for $5 each	$25
Ask five co-workers for $10 each	$50
Ask five neighbors to contribute $10 each	$50
Ask three businesses you frequent for $25 each	$75
Grand Total	$300

ALWAYS REMEMBER....

Believe in yourself and the cause. The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is a highly respected event. You are not only completing a difficult physical challenge, you are raising money to cure blood cancers. Never assume that someone will not give. Consider asking everyone you know and meet, from friends and family to local business owners. If you don't ask, you will never know how much someone is willing to give.

Develop an understanding of the devastation caused by the blood cancers- leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma. One helpful resource is the Facts and Statistics page posted on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Web site. For a collection of personal stories shared by patients and family members, visit Life Mosaic.

Be assured that all funds raised will be used judiciously by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for its stated purpose. The Society has dedicated itself to being one of the top-rated voluntary health agencies in terms of dollars that directly fund the mission. More that 75 percent of our funds are spent on research, patient services and education.

Quick Tax-Deduction Facts:

• All donations made to the Society are tax-deductible.
     
• All checks should be made out to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
   
• The Society will automatically send out a tax letter to those individuals who donate $75 or more. If you have a donor who contributes more than $75 in cash, please list their address on your pledge form so that we can send a tax letter. If you have a donor who contributes less than $75 and would like an acknowledgement of his or her donation, please enclose a small note or highlight the individual's name on your pledge form.