If your nonprofit is looking for a new and unique idea to raise funds for breast cancer treatment and awareness, check out the following list charitable events and campaigns. Some of these breast cancer fundraising ideas will cost more than others, but each has a history of success for nonprofits of every shape and size.
The fight against breast cancer is an ongoing one and if you’re one of the organizations that are raising funds towards it, it can feel like a constant struggle to keep funds coming in.
You can use these ideas to raise awareness of breast cancer, along with raising funds for breast cancer treatment, research, and recovery.
Need some new inspiration for breast cancer fundraising? Try these ideas to bring in more funds for your work:
Charity runs and walkathons in the name of breast cancer will likely gain a lot of interest from participants. Women who have survived breast cancer or seen others struggling with the disease are often keen to get involved.
You’ll likely also attract participants who want to raise more awareness of breast cancer — even if they have no personal connection to it.
Promoting your event as a charity run/walk opens it up to more people. Those who want to run can do so but it’s also acceptable to walk the course too.
Take a look at our guide to organizing a charity run for more tips on what to think about.
Another option is to organize a charity bike ride if you want to do something sporty to raise funds for breast cancer.
Pro tip: Give your walkathon or charity a pink theme to highlight your breast cancer fundraising. Ask participants to wear at least one pink item — whether that’s a pair of pink running shoes or a pink piece of clothing.
A fundraising gala can take a lot of planning but it’s highly effective for raising funds. They’re great for bringing your supporters together and encouraging in-person interaction. Your donors are likely to be fairly isolated from each other unless you’re a local organization.
A fundraising gala is a perfect opportunity for donors to meet the breast cancer survivors who have been helped by their contributions. Seeing the real-world impact of your work can inspire more donations. This type of fundraiser would be ideal for nonprofits and organizations carrying out breast cancer research.
Host a catwalk show to raise awareness for breast cancer. It can be a fun way to boost self-esteem for the volunteers who get involved, and it’s a proven way to raise funds.
For maximum impact, recruit women who have personal experience of breast cancer as your models. You can also put out a casting call for volunteers on social media and using local media — especially if you’re looking to have a diverse range of women as models.
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust is a UK organization raising funds through a fashion show.
Jacque Colbert Global incorporates a fashion show as part of a fundraising gala to raise funds for breast cancer.
Here are some tips for organizing a catwalk show:
Charity bake sales are always a big hit. With kids and adults. Encourage some of your supporters to bake cakes and cookies to raise funds for your organization. Even supporters who don’t enjoy baking will likely know someone who does.
You can also offer some savory options for people who don’t have a strong sweet tooth.
Either way, it’s smart to consider having at least one or two gluten-free and/or vegan options to cater to different dietary needs.
You can add a pink theme with the icing to give a nod to breast cancer.
Offices are a good bet as a venue, and some stores may also be receptive to having a bake sale on their premises. Ask around and you might be surprised to see how many options you have — especially when it’s raising funds for breast cancer!
If you can’t find a venue for your bake sale, try hosting it on a street with plenty of foot traffic, if you can get permission for this.
The next step is to promote to the wider community. Promote it on your organization’s website and in your donor communications so your supporters know where they can show up to buy a treat or two.
See if it’s okay to leave flyers in local stores, cafes, and restaurants, for example.
Pro tip: Offer the option to package up cakes for people who want to donate but don’t intend to eat the cake right away.
Your supporters can host their own pamper evenings for friends and family to raise funds for breast cancer.
Manicures, pedicures, and other spa-type treatments are always popular. Paint everyone’s nails and toes pink and if you do makeovers, try to incorporate pink there too.
Pop a rom-com on and turn it into a girly get-together with a difference.
Charge an entry fee to attend, and ask for further donations during the evening. You can either set an admission fee or ask people to donate the equivalent amount they’d spend on a night out.
Pink is strongly associated with breast cancer fundraising and you can play on that link with a “Pink Party”. The basic rule? Get creative and make everything pink — from the decorations to the refreshments.
The event can be a tea party or a lunch date to a larger fundraising event.
Either way, charge an entry fee and encourage attendees to donate during the event too.
Hair loss can be one of the physical effects of breast cancer treatment. Haircut parties are a show of support for this, with women (and men!) coming together to cut their hair and raise funds for breast cancer.
Pro tip: See if you can get a local hair salon involved in your haircut party. Their stylists can offer their time and services for free, with attendees donating what they think the haircut is worth. Opening up the event to the wider public can encourage more people to attend, and the salon can promote it to their customers.
A barbecue is a great way to get the local community involved in your breast cancer fundraising. It’s one that works better when the weather is warmer since rain can put a dampener on the fun factor.
Recruit volunteers to get their grill on and serve up burgers, hot dogs and vegan alternatives — for a donation, of course!
You can make it a bigger event by bringing sponsors on board.
Pro tip: Make sure you secure permission to host a community barbecue — especially if you plan to host in a local park.
Team up with a bar or restaurant and host a karaoke night to raise funds for breast cancer.
You can arrange to split the proceeds — unless the venue is open to the idea of all money raised going to your fundraiser.
You can use social media and local media to find people willing to showcase their vocal talents to the world and raise funds for breast cancer.
Pro tip: See if you can recruit a local celebrity to act as a judge. This can add extra interest for participants — they can pretend they’re on American Idol or The Voice!
You can take the karaoke night idea a step further by hosting a Band Night and asking local bands to get involved. They can promote the event to their fans and help you reach a wider audience.
If you can’t recruit too many bands, extend the invitation to the public. Your supporters can team up together to form bands.
Pro tip: Get a local celebrity on board to judge the bands.
Team up with businesses to have donation boxes next to their cash registers. When customers receive their change, they can choose to put some coins in the donation box to raise funds for breast cancer.
Partner with businesses that receive plenty of foot traffic and whose customers are likely to be paying in cash (rather than credit or debit card).
Take a look at our guide for more tips on how to raise funds through donation boxes.
Your supporters can choose to wear pink for a whole day in exchange for a donation.
They can also encourage their friends and family to sponsor them or start a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
Skydives or zip slides are often a big hit since people can challenge themselves and raise funds for your organization.
Your supporters can set up donation pages and ask friends, family, and the wider public to donate to raise funds for breast cancer.
Pro tip: For safety purposes, adrenaline events are typically organized by third parties. To make this more cost-effective, see if you can encourage several of your supporters to raise funds at the same time.
Ask a local gym or personal trainer to team up with you and host a fitness workout session. The workout session can be anything from aerobics to yoga.
People who take part can get a workout and help you raise more funds for breast cancer.
For a big nod to the cause, you can ask participants to wear something pink for the session.
Charge an entry fee to take part — you can ask for more if the instructor or gym is well-known in your area.
Crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Donorbox offer low-cost tools to raise funds for breast cancer. It’s also fairly unique since your supporters can also receive rewards for donating. Get creative with donor perks — it can be anything from a branded coffee cup to homemade cookies!
Once you’ve set up your crowdfunding page, you can continue your work without having to spend lots of time on fundraising. In a few clicks, donors from around the world can contribute to your crowdfunding campaign.
This is a popular fundraising option for people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are struggling to pay for treatment. It can also work well for organizations supporting breast cancer research and recovery, particularly during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Your donors can also raise funds on your behalf through crowdfunding. They can become ambassadors for your cause and promote your work to their networks.
Pro tip: A lot of crowdfunding campaigns attract most of their donations in the first week. To keep the momentum beyond this, think of creative and interesting ways to get your campaign in front of new audiences. Personal stories around breast cancer are one example, and it’ll likely create an emotional connection for donors.
There are lots of ways to raise funds for breast cancer and raise awareness of the condition — many of which are also fun too!
Hopefully, these ideas have given you plenty of inspiration for running breast cancer fundraisers.
Also read, 35 Cancer Fundraising Ideas for Research, Treatment, & Awareness
Here at Donorbox, we want to help more organizations to raise funds for their cause quickly and easily. That’s why we created a donation platform that streamlines your fundraising efforts and donor management. Join the 35,000 + organizations that are using Donorbox for their fundraising.
Sally Aquire is a copywriter with a background in crafting communications and fundraising for a women's center. She writes about fundraising, nonprofit management, and wellness initiatives.
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Sally Aquire