Display the Quilt
Display the Parkinson’s Quilt in your community to show the impact of PD on your community.
Support the Cure
Thank you for participating in Parkinson's Awareness Month 2011. While April has come to a close, raising awareness can be done all year long. Donate, host a fundraising event or attend one nearby to let the community know about our urgency for funding to find new treatments and a cure!
Here are a few tips:
- Awareness Profile
- Plan a Fundraising Event
- PDF's 30 in 30 Parkinson's Awareness Month Event Challenge
- Dress Casual at Work to Raise Funds
- Shop to Support PD!
Awareness Profile
How can you help support the cure? Hold an event — a bake sale, a car wash, even setting up a lemonade stand can help. In the fight against Parkinson’s disease, every penny counts! Here’s a story that reminds us that contributions come in all shapes and sizes.
The following is a letter received by PDF.
June 14, 2010
Dear Parkinson’s Disease Foundation,
I just wanted to let you all know about something special my kids did.
One Saturday in May, my children, Matthew, age 10 and Juliana, age eight and their friend, Canyon, decided to operate a lemonade stand in front of our house.
They had been outside for a while and had already needed a refill on the lemonade when I went out to check on them. I was wearing my Parkinson’s Awareness Month T-shirt and they asked me about it. So I explained what PDF was and a little about Parkinson’s disease.
My son said, “Hey! That gives me an idea. Let’s donate the money we make to PDF to help Honey!” (Honey is their Grandmother who has Parkinson’s). They all agreed to donate it. I was very proud of them and think it is a great thing to do with their money!
Please accept the donation of $20.40 from my children’s lemonade stand.
Thank you.
Rhonda Cabello
Plan a Fundraising Event
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month! This is a great time to raise awareness and funds that can support the Parkinson’s cause. Donate, host an event or attend one to let the community know about the urgency for new treatments and a cure. Fundraising can seem daunting for some, but grassroots fundraising can actually be the most effective!
Last year, supporters of PDF raised nearly $110,000 for the Parkinson’s Awareness Month Challenge.
You too can do it! Friends and family connected to your cause want to support you. Here are some fundraising tips and tools to help you plan for your event. Contact PD organizations, including PDF, for further guidance in planning your event.
Fundraising Ideas
There are many different types of events to choose from to raise money for the Parkinson’s cause. Here we provide some ideas from PDF’s fundraising staff. If you have an idea for a unique fundraiser, go with it!
- Sports – Get up and go!
Many athletes channel their energy into raising money by running, biking, dancing, organizing a golf tournament or participating in a walk-a-thon. If there is a sport that you particularly enjoy, why not do it to raise money for Parkinson’s? - Workplace Giving – Making your work, work for you!
Many companies already have philanthropic giving programs, so ask your human resources department about matching gifts, corporate sponsorship and any other giving programs available. You can also get your colleagues involved by organizing an annual work fundraiser to benefit PD, or asking them to participate in an event you have planned for outside of work. - Providing Services – Give a little, get a lot!
Everyone needs their cars washed ... dogs bathed … and who doesn’t enjoy a good bake sale? These are just a few things you can do to provide a needed service to community members and raise funds at the same time - Special Events – Turning get-togethers into money-makers!
Fundraising presents the perfect opportunity to get your friends together doing something that you all enjoy — while supporting PDF! Ask people to “ante up" for a poker tournament, or sell tickets to a barbecue, picnic or a fun theme party.
There are many more ways to raise funds for Parkinson’s. Perhaps your child’s school could take on a class fundraising project, or maybe your local businesses would be inclined to designate five percent of their profits during April to PDF. If you have an idea, do not hesitate to ask — you never know until you do!
How to Organize Your Event
The planning of any fundraising event is vital, no matter how simple or complex it is. To get started:
- Make a plan and a budget. Make an outline of your fundraising activity. One way to increase the amount of money that you raise is to reduce costs. Think about the items you will need. This can include a venue, printing costs, food, beverages, etc. Before you pay for these, ask local businesses to pitch in with cash or donated goods. A large company may be willing to sponsor the entire event in return for publicity.
- It’s not what you know, it’s who you know! Recruit your family and friends to support your fundraising efforts. Form a small group to discuss your idea. They can help spread the word through their own networks. Utilizing social networks like your support group or online networks like Facebook and Twitter is a great way to engage friends. The more people you ask, the more money you raise — it’s that simple!
- Determine your objectives. Agree within your group what you aim to achieve. Think beyond just raising money (although this is important) and question how you might spread the word and educate other people about Parkinson’s disease. Use your objectives to develop an action plan detailing who is going to do what, and when.
- Work with your employer. Most companies have a specific budget for community support. Some will donate goods or money and they may also match what their employees raise.
- Go public! Tell everyone you meet about your plans. Put up posters in the community church, shops, library and sports clubs. Ask permission first so they are not removed. In your publicity, emphasize PDF or your PD organization and the difference their support will make. Contact your local radio and press. Sponsors are often willing to donate if they know that you are publicizing the event and may get media coverage. Tell them that it’s a great way to get their name out. Don’t forget to let us know too!
- Always say thank you. Don’t forget to thank all of your donors for their help and support. A great way to do this is to thank them with a letter telling of your fundraising success. Your thanks will keep people interested in Parkinson’s and let them know that their support has made a difference.
Questions to Ask When Planning Your Event
- How many people will you need to invite?
- Is the event interesting and will people want to support it?
- How much will it cost?
- Is it accessible? Does it have adequate parking?
- Will you need insurance to cover accidents or bad weather?
- Do you need to seek professional advice?
- When should you hold the event?
- Will it be competing with another local event?
- Is a time or day of the week more convenient for your audience?
- Do you need a license or permit?
- Do you have written permission from PDF or another PD organization?
- Do you need to rent equipment?
- Will you need to produce posters, flyers, tickets etc?
- Do you have a photographer?
Fundraising Letter Basics
Most fundraising will involve a personal letter from you, letting your friends and family know why the Parkinson’s disease cause is important to you, details of your event and fundraising goals. Most people also utilize emails and personal web pages, available through organizations like PDF. It’s a good idea to have someone who is a good writer take a look to review and edit it for grammatical and spelling errors. Here are some good things to include:
- Personal information about yourself: Let people know why you have decided to fundraise for PDF. Why Parkinson’s disease? How has the disease affected your life?
- General information about PDF or your PD organization: Be sure to include the organization contact info (like a website address and phone number) and let them know that the organization is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Your donors want to know they are contributing to a legitimate charity.
- Your fundraising goal: This lets those who are donating know exactly how much money you are attempting to raise. Give specific instructions on how they can contribute (your personal webpage and a link to the PDF donation page) and include contribution forms.
- Use a bullet format: This allows you to highlight key points so people can get the most important information easily, like how to donate, details on your event and your fundraising goal.
PDF 30 in 30 Awareness Month Event Challenge
Can you help PDF meet its goal of 30 events in 30 days this April? PDF invites people with Parkinson’s, family members and friends to participate in the 30 in 30 Parkinson’s Awareness Month Event Challenge by holding their own awareness-raising and fundraising events in April.
By signing up for the challenge, participants will become part of the PDF Champions, a group of grassroots fundraisers around the US who work in their local communities to move the Parkinson's cause forward. In the past, creative PDF Champions have designed walk-a-thons, bike ride events, bake sales and even golf tournaments! Whatever type of event you decide to host, we'll help you plan it!
As a PDF Champion:
- You will have access to PDF's fundraising staff, who can provide tips on how to plan and coordinate an event.
- All participants can also set up their own personal fundraising pages on the PDF website, where family and friends can view fundraising goals and event pictures, and make online donations!
- All participants will also receive an official PDF endorsement of their event(s) as well as PDF materials, technical assistance and recognition on the PDF website.
Dress Casual at Work to Raise Funds!
Make dressing casual in your workplace a way to raise money for Parkinson’s research! Organize a day when employees dress down or wear jeans in exchange for a small donation to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. If you can wear jeans every day, ask employees to wear a grey top. Display your commitment to the cause by wearing a Parkinson’s Awareness Month sticker.
To request stickers, contact PDF at info@pdf.org or (800) 457-6676. Please allow three weeks to process your order.
Shop to Support PD!
Wear your support on your sleeve ... literally!
- Purchase the Awareness Month T-Shirt! The new t-shirts are now available for purchase! All proceeds support Parkinson's research.
- Shop on PDF’s Online Store: Items include the official Parkinson’s Awareness tshirt, which was designed by a person living with Parkinson’s, awareness bracelets, mugs, bumper stickers and other items.
- Shop For a Cause with iGive.com: Shop online at over 700 brand name stores and a portion of each purchase will be donated to PDF, when you choose us as your beneficiary. Participating stores include eBay, Barnes & Noble, Overstock.com, JCPenney, Best Buy, Gap, and NORDSTROM. Visit www.igive.com to learn more.
