FUNDRAISING GUIDE & TIPS FOR LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
You can share this powerful micro-documentary featuring four women living with ALK positive lung cancer, as well as leading lung cancer researchers, Dr. Christine Lovly and Dr. Vincent Lam. The documentary resides on the ALK Positive youtube page here: https://bit.ly/3ny7N8Y
About Lung Cancer Awareness Month
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM) -- an excellent time of year to raise awareness and funds for research. LCAM is ALK Positive’s largest fundraising campaign of the year. We’ve set a goal to raise $1,000,000 in 2021. A huge thank you to the generous match donors who have pledged $333,000 in matching funds!
That’s right, for every dollar raised--up to $333,000--ALK Positive will receive a dollar for dollar match! Money raised will support ALK Positive’s mission which includes funding ALK-positive cancer research which is critical. ALK Positive’s Research Review Panel reviews grant proposals from scientists around the world and then awards research grants. Eight grants have been awarded in the past 3 years, totaling $2.7 million dollars.
More research means more life! Let’s get creative! Fundraisers of all kinds are successful including Celebrations, Athletics, In Memoriams, DIY Events, and Social Media Campaigns. The ALK Positive Fundraising Team is here to help! Go to https://alkpositive.kindful.com/lcam-2021 to create your personal fundraising page. Have questions? Email us at fundraising@alkpositive.org.
Nervous About Fundraising?
You CAN do this! You are raising vital awareness for a cause bigger than any one of us: much needed and underfunded research on lung cancer and the fight for a cure! Don’t worry about how much you might raise: bringing awareness to lung cancer itself is one of our essential goals. In the words of Gina Hollenbeck, past President of ALK Positive: “Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer!” And we’re educating our wider community of family and friends while we raise vital funds.
How can I set up an ALK Positive Lung Cancer Awareness Month fundraiser?
Go to https://alkpositive.kindful.com/lcam-2021 to begin your fundraiser and follow the site instructions. We are using a new donation platform called Kindful since ALK Positive recently became its own nonprofit. Invite family and friends to make a donation to your fundraising page. To drive awareness and buzz around Lung Cancer Awareness Month, share pictures on social media using the hashtags #LCAM and #MoreResearchMoreLife.
**Tip: Use the “save” button at the top left of the page as you write your “about” section.**
Who are your supporters?
Consider who in your life you can ask to give: check your email addresses, text contacts, and good old paper address books and organize their contact information. Think broad and out of the box: family, friends, coworkers, folks in your church, and others in your wider community. People in your life want to see you succeed and to help raise funds for research!
Name Your Page
Give your page a memorable title that will interest people in learning more.
The Ask: Craft Your Message
Make it personal and tell your unique story. What were you feeling at diagnosis, what gives you hope, and what are your dreams for the future? Tell readers how donations will make a difference to fund important research.
On your fundraising page, use bold and italic fonts and shorter rather than longer paragraphs so it’s easier to read. Add pictures to grab attention. Be sure to include a link to the ALK Positive website for donors who want to learn more.
Handwritten notes are a great way to make your first ask, follow up with personalized emails and prominently feature links to your ALK Positive campaign page. In your email subject line include your ALK Positive fundraiser name to generate interest. Tailor your ask emails to your different audiences. Post your fundraiser on all of your social media accounts and ask friends to share your campaign to further your reach.
Where Does the Money Go?
Funds raised will be used to support ALK Positive’s mission which includes funding cutting-edge research grants. ALK Positive is currently in the Request for Proposal phase inviting researchers to submit grant applications. The ALK Positive Medical Committee, Research Review Panel, and Board of Directors, in partnership with LUNGevity, have all the documentation and agreements in place to soon announce the next round of ALK Positive funded and selected Research Grants, expected to total approximately $1.5 million. It is our hope to eventually transform ALK Positive Lung Cancer into a chronic, manageable condition. Check out the following links for additional information on 2020 research awards and background details on the ALK Positive Support/Advocacy/Research poster.
Matched Donations & Incentives
All donations up $333,000 will be matched! Studies show 84% of people are more likely to donate if their money is being matched. One in three donors indicates they would make a larger contribution because their money is being matched! (nonprofitfoundation.com) You might also consider providing fun incentives based on donation size by offering your talent (i.e., a virtual painting, knitting or guitar class, creating a resume, homemade cookies, get creative!)
How can I share my fundraising page?
Use the “share” “tweet” or “like” buttons on your fundraising page to share it on your social media. You can also copy and paste your personal url (in the navigation bar at the top of your page) and share that link via email, text message, or social media posts.
Donation Methods
Gifts made directly on your fundraiser page can be made by credit card or PayPal.
Gifts made by check eliminate credit card processing fees. We recommend donations $5,000 or more be made via check or wire transfer. This will significantly increase the amount going to research, by reducing fees.
How can I add a non-credit card (check, cash, ACH) donation to my team page?
Fundraisers have the ability to add non-credit card donations as pledges. Log in to your Kindful donor profile and click the link to your name under “Causes” then click “Enter Pledge” in the Actions toolbar.
How can I make a donation by check and where can I mail it?
Please make it payable to “ALK Positive, Inc., write “LCAM [Team name]” on the memo line, and mail to: ALK Positive, Inc. 6595 Roswell Road, Suite G2310, Atlanta, GA 30328
For making a donation via ACH or EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer )
Please contact the ALK Positive Treasurer: treasurer@alkpositive.org
How do I find my list of donors and their contact info?
When logged into your user account in Kindful, go to https://alkpositive.kindful.com/dashboard and scroll down to Reports on the bottom left of the page. Click on the link under the tax reports.
What do I do if I can’t see my or my supporters’ donations on my fundraising page?
Your donor may have accidentally given to another fundraiser’s page or to the LCAM campaign as a whole without choosing your page specifically. Email fundraising@alkpositive.org with the donor’s name if you don’t see credit card donations on your page that have been made. We can move the gift to your page.
Thank You
All donors no matter how large or small appreciate a thank you! Handwritten notes and calls are great for large donors, a thank you email may be a better use of your time for smaller donations. But always personalize your note!
I still have questions.
Contact fundraising@alkpositive.org and we’ll answer your questions. Thanks for fundraising for ALK-positive lung cancer research!
Facts About ALK Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, killing more people every year than colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer combined.
About 15% of lung cancer is Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), which is most often associated with smoking history. The other 85% is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), which is unrelated to smoking.
New technology called comprehensive biomarker testing can identify unique genetic mutations in some cancer cells. One of these mutations is ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase). ALK was discovered in 2007 and the first ALK targeted therapy was developed in 2013.
ALK positive cancer occurs in just 5% of all lung cancer patients (72,000 new cases and 64,000 deaths annually).
It affects young people – about 50% of ALK positive lung cancer patients are diagnosed before age 50, many in their 30’s.
Most ALK positive patients are never-smokers. There is no known cause for ALK positive cancer.
About 90% of patients diagnosed with ALK positive lung cancer are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (stage IV or metastatic cancer) because there are few early symptoms.
Without treatment, half of patients with stage IV ALK cancer would die in less than 1 year. With current targeted treatment, the median survival has increased to almost 7 years. Researchers are working to increase those survival times with new treatments.