Support a Loved One's Cancer Battle with a Personal Fundraiser

[mandydollie]

I need some help!

I have a cousin who was just diagnosed with testicular cancer. I would love to do a fundraiser for him and his family to help cover the medical bills. If this works, do they need to have a separate type of fund set up with the bank to accept the money or will PC just write a check to the family?

Help! I want to present this to them, as she was scheduled to have a show in December but now can't because he's going in for surgery to remove lymph nodes as a proactive attack against the cancer spreading

 

[Paige Dixon]

I believe they need a separate account set up.

 

[mandydollie]

but can it just be in their name... like for example... it could just be a savings account under the name of Grecian Medical Fund

 

[chefann]

Mandy, I think they can do that. HO won't write a check to an individual, but if they can get an account set up that will allow them to deposit checks made out to an "entity" (like joe's medical fund), they should be Ok.

Sorry to hear about your cousin.

 

[mandydollie]

Thanks Ann. My cousin works at a bank so she said that setting up an account would be no problem. I have never done a fundraiser so I'm at a loss about how I would approach this. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

[chefann]

Just talk it up big. If you really get something going with a lot of catalogs and emails out (and don't forget to set up the FR on your PWS), you can really have a BIG show - take a look in the CN at those numbers! Wow! The unfortunate part is that we get paid less on fundraisers (15 or 17%, depending on whether you've hit $15k in career sales). BUT FRs count towards commissionable sales for career club and for sales promos.

I'd make up a flier, and hand it out to everyone you know and meet while out. Setting up the FR online will allow people to purchase without you having to invest in hundreds of catalogs. Let people know that they can get holiday shopping done while helping your cousin. And if there's nothing in the book they want right now, they can get a gift certificate.

If you can find a hall/community room at little to no cost, hold a demo, just like a regular cooking show. If people know it's a fundraiser, they'll come prepared to spend. When doing that, also put out a tin for cash donations. And remind folks that if they book their own show, that's an additional $3 to the fund.

There are lots of great ideas on this site. Take a look and pull out those that sound like they'll work for you.

Good luck!

(BTW, where is Riverside in IA? It sounds familiar. I went to college in Mt. Vernon - about 20 miles east of Cedar Rapids along US 30.)

 

[mandydollie]

Riverside is 12 miles south of IOwa City....

 

[Gina M]

I'll be thinking about your cousin - I have a brother-in-law who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in his 20's and is 12 years cancer free!! Here's hoping he has a speedy recovery!

Gina

 

[lacychef]

Sorry about your cousin Mandie! This is awesome of you to want to do a fundraiser though I hope it goes well for both of you!

 

[mandydollie]

Update... in the first day of the fundraiser we had over $600 in sales. That's without any family really getting involved yet! We still have three weeks to go!

 

[lacychef]

Awesome:d :d

 

[tlennhoff]

Update... in the first day of the fundraiser we had over $600 in sales. That's without any family really getting involved yet! We still have three weeks to go!

That is great. It is always wonderful to see people come together to help someone in need.

 

[pcheframsey]

I did something similar to this for a friend of mine who's newborn daughter ended up having to have 2 major surgeries before she was even a month old. We ended up listing the hospital as the organization and the check went directly to paying her medical bills. I used to work for the Bone Marrow Transplant Center here in Orlando, so I know about cancer patients and how big their medical bills can get. This might be another idea for you besides having the check written to a bank account. I wish you well with this!

Heather

 

[gilliandanielle]

When you do a fundraiser like this make sure you ask people to collect orders too. Having one person order helps, but emphasize that even if they collect two or three more orders they help tremendously!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I did a FR for a friend w/cancer in April....I set it up as an online show, and had everyone involved then send out invites to everyone on their email list....I also made up packets for people to take and gather orders - it ended up as a $5000 FR - so make sure you get Everyone involved in gathering orders! I would think that especially this time of the year getting people to help would be easy !

 

[mandydollie]

Just wanted to update on my fundraiser. It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but I ended up with just over $1600 in sales. I guess that's better than nothing for my first one!!!!

 

[Flamingo]

GREAT JOB!!! That is $1600 they didnt have so every little bit helps.... Don't forget to change your best show total.... Mabey you could do this again in FEB. and promote it with a love theme. People might be willing to donate as a valentine type thing..CONGRATs again..

 

[SillyChef]

So how much will that person end up getting?! I have a cousin with cancer and that would be GREAT for her, esp. with all the medical bills she has to pay.

 

[mandydollie]

Pampered Chef will donate 15% ($250) and I'm donating 10% of my commission ($25.00) so it's not great, but it's $275 that they didn't have before we did the fundraiser. I had a lot of people tell me that they would just give money directly to the family since pampered chef fundraisers don't donate a very good percentage. I dont' know if I would do another fundraiser like this. It is kind of embarrassing when people ask how much the family will get out of the $1665 in sales and I have to tell them $250.00 They think that's pretty low and personally I have to agree.

 

[Shonda1107]

I was part of a women's group that was offered a fundraiser via a DS company. It never took off because one woman said openly (and honestly) she would much rather write a check and have 100% of the money go to the benefit than whatever % was being offered. Everyone else followed the lead and even I, a person always interested in the power of DS wondered, how do you beat that? But in actuality, no one, not even the one who suggested the idea, ended up writing a single check. So 15% of something is far more than 100% of nothing in the end.

So, I thought this one thru for just a moment and realized that 1 - not everyone can afford to simply write a check, especially for a cause or person they have no real connection, but may be willing to purchase something they need AND will really use feeling even better about the purchase because of its philanthropic benefit. Furthermore, this is a fundraiser that is often presented to key stakeholders but the idea is for those persons to extend beyond the core group and present to non-affiliated/connected persons. So, if a group thinks you are just asking for their sale, they've already limited to potential. I don't think anyone does this intentionally, it is a matter of people not really knowing what is being asked of them (and our not having the answers up front).

Since I work closely with schools, I asked the question of why do they continue to run these FR with overpriced wrapping paper and candy that no one needs; why don't I ever see just a petition letter go out to families for whatever $$ they can donate. The answer is that the majority are not willing to do that (for various and credible reasons) and having something to sell makes it easier for the individual to buy but to get their circle of influence to contribute too versus simply asking for money. And that is the key, fundraisers through us should not be geared to just asking the person's circle of influence to contribute, but for them to be "workers" in collecting orders on their behalf.

 

[mandydollie]

very good points!!!! Thanks!

 

[Shonda1107]

One other benefit that I can think of for a "Personal" FR versus a FR for a group or organization. Having people write a check out to you or simply for you makes the receiving of "charity" far more difficult than simply knowing that by purchasing a product they decided on and needed, you are being helped too. It is the ever present double-edged sword of charity - being able to give without any discomfort and embarrassment to the recipient.

 

[SillyChef]

Pampered Chef will donate 15% ($250) and I'm donating 10% of my commission ($25.00) so it's not great, but it's $275 that they didn't have before we did the fundraiser. I had a lot of people tell me that they would just give money directly to the family since pampered chef fundraisers don't donate a very good percentage. I dont' know if I would do another fundraiser like this. It is kind of embarrassing when people ask how much the family will get out of the $1665 in sales and I have to tell them $250.00 They think that's pretty low and personally I have to agree.

Yeah, I totally agree that is quite low considering you made quite a bit in sales. I wanted to do one with my cousin, but I am not sure it is worth all that trouble, she might just rally and do something else. Hmm. That is something to think about...