Fundraising for Dummies

So you've registered for Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer and formed a team. Now you're not sure what to do next.

Fundraising can be a daunting thing, especially if you've never done it before. But there are hundreds of creative ways to fundraise that involve no prior training or skill. We're bringing some of these ideas to you in the hopes that you'll use them to help us raise $200,000 for the nearly 200,000 women that will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

1. Hold an event at a local restaurant.
Chances are you frequent a local restaurant regularly. Use this to your advantage and ask them to hold an event to benefit your fundraising team. Or ask them to donate a portion of the sale from a certain item to your team. Most restaurants are happy to help a good cause, especially if it will draw more people to them. Remember Jenna, our program coordinator? She raised over $500 in one evening by hosting an open bar night. Everyone paid $25 to get in and $10 of that went straight to Jenna's team, The Rack Pack.

2. Bag it up.
Let's face it: grocery stores are short-staffed these days. Most of us bag our own groceries, which takes extra time and is an added annoyance to most customers. So why not lend your services for the day? Find your local grocery store and offer to bag for a day (get your whole team involved). Leave tip jars at the registers for customers. Make sure to advertise this event beforehand as many customers will make sure to shop that day.

3. Embrace community organizations.
Visit your church, synagogue, fitness center or yoga studio and see what they can do to help. Maybe you can hold a Saturday morning pancake breakfast at your church and charge people $2 for a plate. Or maybe your fitness center or studio will hold a special, donations-only class to raise money for your team.

4. Use the kids.
Even if you're not a parent, you can still utilize local schools. Some schools will have a dress down day, where kids can pay $1 to wear jeans.

5. If you're good at something, sell it.
Everyone is good at something. If you like painting on the side, consider selling your paintings for a donation. If you like to make jewelry, sell it. If you're an organizer, offer to help someone organize their home in return for a donation. One of our supporters, Judy Herman, loves making chocolate chip banana cakes. Judy spent six days a week baking hundreds of cakes and raised over $5,000 for Living Beyond Breast Cancer. All she did was ask for a $10 donation for each cake.

Our website has lot's of other fundraising tips and tools for you to check out. The key is to look around you. Everyone is involved in some sort of group or organization, whether it be your work, volunteer organization, fitness center, book club, etc. Use these groups to brainstorm ways to raise money in the community.

Last but not least, ask for money. That form of fundraising is just as effective as ever. Write an email (or letter) to people you think may be interested in getting involved or making a donation. Personal stories always tug at people's hearts. Don't underestimate the impact of simply asking for help.

Do you have fundraising ideas of your own? Share them with others by becoming a fan of YU4LBBC on Facebook and following us on Twitter!

A Snapshot

We can tell you how amazing Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer is (which we do). But pictures also speak for themselves...




Unfortunately nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. That's why we've set a fundraising goal of $200,000 for this year's event. Will you help us? Check out the website and become a fan of Yoga Unites for LBBC on Facebook. And of course...spread the word!

A Brigade for Breast Cancer Awareness

This entry was written by Gina Peracchia, who formed a fundraising team for Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer in honor of her mother:

I know of many people affected by breast cancer in some way. I've known friends' mothers, grandmothers, etc. who were diagnosed with the disease, but never in my life did I think it would hit so close to home.

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer on January 16, 2009. It took awhile for that fact to sink in and myself, my dad and brother were constantly going through the motions. My mom was physically and mentally suffering, and none of us knew what to do. I believe she felt alone throughout much of her diagnosis. When she found Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC), everything changed.

LBBC has become a huge part of my mom's life. This organization undoubtedly gave her a new perspective on life and taught her how to live for tomorrow. After my mom started volunteering at LBBC, I wanted to do something to help as well. She told me about Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer and how she was planning on participating in the event this spring. Because I knew she'd be busy preparing for my wedding in April, I offered to form a team for her. A few weeks ago, the 2nd Base Brigade was born.

Yoga is an amazing form of exercise, especially for our mental well-being. Besides being a great way to fundraise, I think it's also a great way to bring family and friends together, along with breast cancer survivors, and show them how much they mean to us. We want them with us for a long time to come and Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a special way of helping make that possible. I am proud to be a part of the 2nd Base Brigade and I know my mom appreciates the support. I'm happy to say that at this year's event, my mom will be participating as a one-year breast cancer survivor.

Everything I do that involves LBBC is not only for my mom, but for others living with breast cancer. Yes, it feels good to volunteer and participate in an event for a good cause, but it's different when you've seen firsthand what this disease can do to a person. I'm hoping other survivors will find peace on May 16, as we climb the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

(l to r) Gina's mom Susan and Gina

Want to learn more about Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer? Visit yoga4livingbeyondbreastcancer.org. You can also become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Who are you going to raise money for?

New Year, New Goal

It's that time of year again! Our 8th Annual Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer will be held on Sunday, May 16, on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. We surpassed last year's goal of raising $100,000 for Living Beyond Breast Cancer's programs and services. This year, we're raising the bar.

Did you know 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year? We've set a fundraising goal of $200,000 to honor and support these women. In order to reach that goal, we need participants to fundraise! That's why we're encouraging everyone to form fundraising teams and raise at least $75. If you do, you'll get a free event t-shirt. This is an easy goal to achieve, since last year, the average participant raised $300. Why not beat that average? Visit the Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer website for more info. We have plenty of fundraising tools to help you out!

If you've never heard of this event or are on the fence about getting involved, check out the video below. Trust us. This event will change your life.


Get involved & interact with other participants by visiting our social networks! Become a fan of the Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer Facebook Page, follow us on Twitter, or view our videos on YouTube.