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Breast Cancer Fundraiser
Breast Cancer Fundraising
A small charity started by a socialite is built into a national model. With
hard work, celebrity support and organizational savvy, the foundation has grown
much faster than its peers.
There were no pink ribbons at the first Susan G. Komen Foundation fundraiser.
Called Toys for Boys, the 1982 event in Texas was a polo party/charity auction
that gave out jumper cables as favors.
In 24 years, a mix of hard work, high-profile supporters and an effective
nationwide structure has transformed Komen from a small charity founded by a
Dallas socialite to one of the country's most notable disease-focused
nonprofits. The group raised almost $200 million last year, about half through
its signature Race for the Cure series, which should draw more than a million
people nationwide this year.
"The Komen Foundation has managed to get the celebrities, get the corporate
partners, get the big events," said Linda Lampkin, with the Urban Institute's
Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy.
In recent years, the foundation has grown three times faster than the average
for disease-specific charities measured in an Urban Institute study. Other
groups work to copy Komen's success, such as the American Heart Association's Go
Red for Women campaign.
"March of Dimes does a walk. We do a walk. A lot of folks do those. They're
clearly doing something special," said Andy Buroker, the heart association's
2006-07 chairman of the board.
Innovative concept
Running to fight cancer was a weird idea in 1980, when Susan G. Komen died of
breast cancer at 36.
"When Komen first started, people didn't talk about breast cancer," said Nancy
Byrd, vice president for the foundation's domestic affiliate network. "I can
remember going into CEO offices with Nancy Brinker, and when you said the word
'breast' they would turn bright red."
But Brinker, Komen's younger sister, had promised to change that culture. She
lived in Dallas, where her husband, Norman Brinker, was turning the local
Chili's restaurant chain into Brinker International, now a $4 billion business.
And in 1982, men, especially oilmen, had the money in Dallas. Hence the first
auction Toys for Boys raised about $750,000, Byrd said, much of that coming from
one man who won a Rolls Royce and gave it right back to be auctioned again.
After that, Brinker wanted to focus more on women. Running had grown popular and
seemed healthy, so she planned a race. In 1983, 800 people coursed five
kilometers through Dallas, the first Race for the Cure. All were women --
Brinker liked the idea of women winning, Byrd said, so men couldn't run.
"Sponsors liked that," Byrd said, because it let them connect with working
women, a coveted demographic.
Making that corporate connection is key to Komen's success. When the first few
companies -- including Jogbra, Lady Foot Locker and American Airlines --
overcame wariness about associating with cancer, they saw they could create good
will and maybe boost sales. Today, Komen brings in tens of millions of dollars a
year in deals with dozens of companies from BMW to the makers of Yoplait yogurt.
Many other charities are chasing "cause marketing" deals, in which companies
generate money and attention on behalf of the charities by giving consumers easy
ways to donate, involving their customers in a cause, said Jeffrey Manning, who
coordinates cause marketing for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The cancer
charity hit its own jackpot, bringing in about $55 million from people buying $1
yellow "Livestrong" bracelets designed by Oregon-based Nike.
Slow, steady growth
After the first race's success, Komen slowly expanded to other cities, but
stayed small and volunteer-driven. By 1989 it had five staff members, compared
with nearly 200 today, and had raised $7 million in seven years.
The turning point came in 1990, thanks to Vice President Dan Quayle and his
wife, Marilyn, whose mother died of breast cancer. The Quayles knew the Brinkers,
who are major Republican donors, and asked to host a race in Washington, D.C.
They involved many government employees, the race drew a big turnout and got
lots of media coverage. "The phone has not stopped ringing since then," Byrd
said, and the foundation has added about 10 affiliates a year since.
Organization is another key to Komen's growth. Having many local affiliates
makes it easier to reach volunteers and to personalize races to suit the tastes
of more than 100 host cities. And people like supporting local causes,
attracting donors and sponsors.
Komen's ability to present its cause sympathetically also fuels success, and
breast cancer survivors have played a big role.
Although heart disease and lung cancer each kill far more women than breast
cancer, they tend to strike older women and leave fewer survivors. Few lung
cancer patients or stroke survivors in their 70s can march, and they get limited
public sympathy. But 90 percent of the 213,000 women diagnosed with breast
cancer this year will survive, many of them in their prime.
"When you have mothers of young children there, it is powerful," Buroker said.
"Pink and pretty"
Upbeat events and efforts to make breast cancer a popular topic with corporate
sponsors and the public may have a downside.
"I do think we have made breast cancer a disease more women are aware of. But I
think we've made it pink and pretty," said Frances Visco, president of the
National Breast Cancer Coalition. "I think we've created a false sense of
achievement around breast cancer," because more than 40,000 women a year die of
the disease, doctors don't know its cause and rates of diagnosis are rising.
Visco's Washington, D.C.-based group focuses on lobbying governments for more
research and better health care.
Still, Komen's ability to involve millions of people and corporate partners is a
model.
The Lung Cancer Alliance, in Washington, D.C., is getting advice from Komen as
it tries to sign its first corporate partner, increase public support and become
"a more attractive disease to partner with," said President Laurie Fenton
"The Komen Foundation is just a top-notch organization," Fenton said. "They've
been extremely helpful to us as we launch our own movement."
Related Pages
Custom Silicone Bracelets - Selling fundraiser bracelets is a great way to support your cause - Custom silicone bracelets are an attractive way to raise funds and show you care.
Red Nose Day - UK charity fundraiser that raises huge amounts for Comic Relief - Wildly popular UK-wide celebrity fundraising effort for charitable causes involving humorous uses of red plastic noses.
How To Write Fundraising
Letters - Sample donor query letter and tips on writing your own donation
request.
Raising Funds By Mail - Five success
pointers for raising funds by mail for your nonprofit - How to use direct mail
to increase your non-profit fund raising.
Six Fundraising Ideas For 2006 -
Tips to improve fund raising results at your non-profit organization in 2006.
Increasing Donor Gift Size - How
to increase the size of donor gifts from your fundraising letters - Proven
methods for getting better donation response rates.
Sample Donation Thank You
Letter - Here's a sample thank you note and tips on how to thank each donor
personally for their contribution.
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Ideas For Fundraisers
Art Raffle
Auction
Bake Sale
Band
Baseball
Bingo
Bowling
Bracelets
Brick
Candle
Candy
Candy Bar
Capital Campaign
Car Donation
Car Raffle
Car Wash
Cash Calendar
Casino Night
Cell Phone
Chair-ity Event
Charity
Charity Poker
Cheerleading
Cheesecake Calendar
Chinese Auction
Christian
Christian Event Ideas
Christmas Carols
Christmas Trees
Church
Church Festival
Church Fund Raisers
College
Cookbook
Cookie Dough
Corporate Grants
Cow Chip
Credit Card
Dance
Dance Team
Discount Cards
Donation Request
Donor Recognition
Earth Friendly
Easy
eBay
Event Tips
Events
Events - Part 1
Events - Part 2
Events - Part 3
Flower Bulbs
Flowers
Food Sales
For The Cure
Free
Fruit
Fun
Fundraising Sample
Gift Wrap
Golf Ball Drop Raffle
Golf Fundraiser
Golf Tournament
Grant Requests
Halloween
Healthy
Hockey
Home & Garden
Holiday Carnival
Individual
Inkjet Recycling
Internet
Jamba Juice
Jingle Bell Run
Jingle Bell Walk
Karaoke
Kathryn Beich
Krispy Kreme
Lip Sync
Location
Lollipop
Magazine
Mardi Gras
Merchant Plan
Mini Golf Tournament
Non-Profit
Pancake Breakfast
Photography
Pink Flamingo
Pizza
Pizza Hut
Political
Popcorn
Product Ideas
Promo
Publicity
Raffle
Raffle Prizes
Raffle Tickets
Relay For Life
Relay For Life Events
Rubber Duck
Sales Tips
Sample Thank You
School
Scratch Card
Scrip
Silent Auction Tips
Soccer
Softball
Spaghetti Dinner
101 Tips
Top Five
Tried & True
Tupperware
Valentines Day
Whiskey Tasting
Wine Tasting
Worlds Finest
Youth Group
Youth Sports
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