As long as cancer exists, the American Cancer Society needs money for cancer research and patient resources. The pandemic added an extra layer of urgency to its fundraising.
An estimated 33,000 Minnesotans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society, and 80 percent of cancer patients nationwide are now facing delayed treatment due to the pandemic.
To raise money this year, nonprofits like the American Cancer Society are having to update strategies to engage with donors. Many fundraising events have been going virtual in response to coronavirus health concerns, but some fundraising events transition online better than others.
RELAY-IN-PLACE
The first Relay for Life was in 1985, when a doctor in Washington circled a track for 24 hours to raise money for cancer research. Now over 5,000 relays take place across the world annually, including more than a dozen in Minnesota.
For the past 26 years in White Bear Lake, up to 500 people have showed up to walk the track at the high school. Over the course of the relay, there are motivational speakers, live music and a luminaria ceremony. As a tradition, 600 lanterns are set up on the high school bleachers to spell the words: “hope, cope, cure.”
This year, the lanterns were set up in event organizer Marlene Lenz’s backyard. In fact, White Bear Lake’s 2020 Relay for Life program was broadcast from her house.
On July 31, Lenz conducted an abbreviated version of the event over Zoom. Thirty relay teams tuned in from afar to listen to the speakers and live music. When it came time to walk the silent lap in honor of cancer victims, many teams walked around their blocks or their yards, she said.
“It wasn’t ideal, but we did the best we could in these circumstances,” Lenz said.
In addition to interrupting the annual in-person relay, the pandemic impacted the fundraiser financially, too. Usually, the White Bear Lake Relay for Life raises up to $200,000. This year, it’s raised just over $75,000.
The organizers for the Relay for Life fundraiser in South St. Paul are facing a similar situation. They’ve raised up to $130,000 in past years but set this year’s goal at $30,000 in light of the pandemic. With less than two weeks away from their socially distanced event, they’re a third of the way there.
Kelly Hemmelman, South St. Paul’s relay organizer, had to cancel six fundraising events she organized. Without in-person events, it’s harder to generate momentum from donors, she said.
“Once you eliminate an event, you lose traction. People forget about it,” she said.
FINANCIAL SACRIFICES
The drop in donations for Relay for Life events in Minnesota is reflective of a larger decrease in funds for the American Cancer Society.
Money raised from community-based events goes toward research and provides free housing for cancer patients who travel to Minnesota for treatment, said Jen Baumgartner, executive director of the American Cancer Society North Region.
In a typical year, Minnesota’s Relay for Life programs raise around $4 million for the American Cancer Society. This year, the organization expects the relays to raise $2.2 million. The organization cut staff this summer in response to the drop in revenue, says Baumgartner.
Still, Baumgartner commends the efforts of those trying to raise money during the pandemic.
“Their creativity and problem-solving is critical so we don’t lose a generation of research and we can keep supporting current patients,” she said.
GALAS GO VIRTUAL
Overall, community-based events like Relay for Life account for 35 percent of American Cancer Society funding. The nonprofit also hosts various galas that engage individual and corporate sponsors. Those types of events are getting a socially distanced makeover, too.
This time last year, nonprofit consultant Glen Fladeboe rarely saw his clients choose to host an online fundraising event. But in the age of social distancing, engaging with donors online is quickly gaining popularity, he said. He’s already done about 50 virtual events and expects to double that by the end of the year.
Most components of an in-person gala, like presentations and auctions, are still achievable virtually. Remote fundraising has its perks, too. Since nonprofits don’t have the added expenses of an in-person gala, some clients are raising more money than they did before, Fladeboe said.
“Fundraising right now is like the wild, wild west. Anything is possible,” he said.
But be warned: Fundraising online still requires a strategy.
“Not every nonprofit can put something on the internet and expect donations to come in. You still have to engage with your supporters,” he said.
FUTURE OF FUNDRAISING
Fladeboe Advancement worked with the Children’s Museum in St. Paul to shift its annual fundraising gala at the museum to a virtual event after the pandemic broke out. It was a success.
The nonprofit raised $250,000, which is $10,000 less than last year. Since expenses for a virtual event were less than an in-person gala, the museum saw overall net growth, said Children’s Museum Vice President Brie Geurink.
Virtual fundraising was a good choice this year in light of social distancing measures and the museum’s reduced budget. But Geurink doesn’t plan to ditch in-person fundraisers all together.
“We hope to have our gala in-person again next year.” she said. “It’s nice to have people at the museum so they can see our mission firsthand.”
Fladeboe also doesn’t expect virtual events to completely replace live ones. But he does think that many organizations will feel more comfortable implementing virtual components to fundraising efforts after the pandemic is over.
Especially in Minnesota, he can imagine nonprofits hosting in-person events in the summer and opting for virtual fundraising events in the winter, he said.
For Lenz in White Bear Lake, going virtual will be temporary. As soon as the pandemic is over, she plans to bring Relay for Life back to the track. For events like hers, it’s just as important to be in the community as it is to collect money, she said.
“I missed all the hugs,” she said. “It’s so hard not to see all the survivors and give them a big supportive hug.”
