fundraising on CafePress

I'm not a caregiver. I'm not a nurturer. I am not good at hugs, or finding the right thing to say to someone who has lost a loved one or who is watching them battle cancer for possibly the last time. I'm simply horrible at that stuff.

So what I do instead, is try to raise money with online fundraising. One thing I don't have a problem with, is spamming my friends and family with my cancer fundraiser store links.

Making money to fight cancer

It's working. I have been successful beyond my expectations. When I raised my first $100, donated to the 2006 Relay, I was cautiously hopeful I could raise $500 to donate in 2007. Then, Google found my shop. Fellow shopkeepers linked to me. Other fundraising sites sent customers my way. October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotion was a huge boon to sales.

Funds raised (cumulative):
$392.55 (as of 10/1/06, payable 10/15/06; sales thru 8/31/06)
$538.51 (as of 11/1/06, payable 11/15/06; sales thru 9/30/06)
$716.32 (as of 12/1/06, payable 12/15/06; sales thru 10/31/06)
$1,274.93 (as of 1/1/07, payable 1/15/07; sales thru 11/30/06)
$1,479.97 (as of 2/1/07, payable 2/15/07; sales thru 12/31/06)

To allow for customer refunds/exchanges covered by their satisfaction guarantee, it takes at least 45 days after a sale before your markup 'clears' and is payable to you, and then checks are mailed the 15th of the month for whatever you'd cleared on the 1st of that month. That's why there is a 60 day gap in the dates above.

So, I need to raise an additional $527 by the end of March to meet my goal of $2,007 by 1-May, to get a check sent on 15-May. Will it happen? Please help spread the word, share the shop link, and I know it will.

Yeah, right, like I could do it too

There was no cash investment. Just time, some simple designs, a little effort, a bit of a learning curve in figuring CafePress out, but nothing significant for someone pretty familiar with the Internet.

Open a store. Basic shops are free. Premium shops start at around $6 a month. (CafePress might upgrade your Basic shop to Premium if you are raising funds for charity. They're still making money.) Check out the community forums at CafePress ... the answers you're looking for are right there, with input from actual shopkeepers using the software along with you. User tips are the best, and easiest to follow. Don't skip this step; I could have saved hours of effort by learning the shortcuts from the veterans first.

Heavenly Hats

This organization was started in 2001 by a 10 year old boy.

I am so impressed with this young man's work.

I hope to be able to donate some warm fleece crowns to him soon.

http://www.heavenlyhats.com

I did write and tell him about CafePress and how easy it is to raise money for your favorite charity with custom t-shirts and gifts. No response yet.

family holiday project :)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLEECE CROWNS FOR CHEMO PATIENTS

Start with one piece of blanket fleece approximately 12 by 18 inches. Fold in half lengthwise. Cut strips 1/2 to 1 inch wide on the long side (open end) approximately 3 inches each in length and tie a knot in every other pair of strips. Put three matching holes in each short open end, at each top, middle and bottom. Take a strip of fleece approx. 1/4 inch by 6 inches and place through the three holes as if you were lacing a shoe and then tie.

The final product is a crown which goes on top of the child's head with the frayed part on top. The crowns keep the patient's head warm and many of the patients wear their crowns throughout their hospital stay. Note that when buying the fleece fabric it's best buy smaller prints or solid colors. (Large crowns are done exactly the same way only the measurements would be approximately 2 inches larger all the way around.)

We had the kids make a bunch of these this weekend when we got together for Thanksgiving. We learned the hard way that the material only stretches one way, so we have lots of "baby" sized crowns, so watch out for that or make them a little longer than 18-20 inches in length. The kids really had fun doing this, and many of them want to make another one to keep for themselves!

idea from here

Livestrong and eBay

I got my Livestrong bracelet back in August from a co-worker. I have worn it from time to time, but not as a fashion (or 'compassion') statement. Before the Tour, people didn't know what it was for, and I could tell them about my experiences with family and friends fighting cancer.

But the bracelets sold out, and demand was high. People decided to buy bulk and sell them on eBay. Why not, if it's legal? The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) still gets their $1 and the message is sent farther and wider. I blame the people buying them off eBay more than the sellers. If people are too lazy to google "livestrong" and see that they can get them for $1 from LAF, that's their ignorance. If they are buying them to be hip and cool, so what? The middleman is entitled to profit from their trendy need.

I am a supporter of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Relay For Life and have used eBay to raise money for my chosen cause. Any of these sellers could say they are giving $5 or 50% or something to LAF for each sale, but then it is left to their conscience. If I sell something on eBay to raise money for ACS, I have them make a check out to ACS and send me a separate one for shipping costs. And not $5.99 when it costs under $2 to ship.

eBay is not unlike a big flea market. No one has to bid. They make that choice. The sellers know that if they don't offer what's hot, someone else will.