Drink for Pink was founded on a simple idea: that raising money for breast cancer research could be done on a local level with every penny accounted for. As we ended our third year of operation, we have been overwhelmed with how that idea has resonated in Colorado.
2017 was an incredible experience for all of us. We more than reached our goal of doubling our 2016 donations, raising over $17,000. Along the way we worked with some amazing people at some fantastic breweries, and ventured outside the world of beer for the first time by working with Colorado Cider Company. Everything we have done in the last three years is because of you. Without your donations and enthusiasm, Drink for Pink would never have gotten off the ground.
As we move forward to 2018, we are setting lofty goals. We are looking to hit the magic $25,000 total that would allow us to fully fund a seed grant on our own. With your help, we believe we can make it there.
As we have done in 2015 and 2016, this report is divided into the following sections:
What went well…
We doubled our donations from last year. Every year we hope to double the year before, and in 2017 we achieved it, climbing from $8,000 to just over $17,000. Seeing this sort of growth is amazing, and really helps us appreciate how generous you all are!
We continued to try new events. While everyone loves visiting a brewery, it’s important to give people options. In 2017 we continued our partnership with Brewery Bootcamp, holding a morning workout at Dry Dock for the second year. We also tried some new themes, including an October costume contest, a weekend event at Avery, and Christmas stocking decorating at Ratio.
We added new breweries to the team, and ventured outside beer. We were thrilled to add some Colorado beer heavyweights to our brewery family in Avery and Wynkoop. Additionally, we partnered with our first cidery in Colorado Cider Company. We can’t thank all of our partners enough for their support!
What could’ve gone better…
We need to be more consistent in our social media presence. We have a wonderful group of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, who form the backbone of what we do. We need to put more emphasis on providing the best content to them, highlighting our programs and events, and showing support for our partner businesses.
Capitalizing on our growth. While we are thrilled with the partners we have gained, we are always looking to provide our donors access to more options. There are no shortage of breweries and cideries in Colorado, and we hope to maintain our momentum by bringing new friends into our group.
What we’re focusing on…
Maximizing our impact. Drink for Pink is a 100% volunteer organization, which is our biggest strength. It is, however, difficult to staff a large number of events without a paid staff. To help us cope with the workload involved in a growing organization, we are looking to form more long-term partnerships that allow for through-the-month fundraising as opposed to one-off events.
Bringing in outside funding. As mentioned above, being a volunteer organization is very important to us. We take pride in knowing that none of the money you donate goes to us. Unfortunately, even without staff salaries, running a non-profit isn’t free. We need supplies for events, there are government fees for us to operate, and the Drink for Pink merchandise we sell costs us to produce. Securing grants is a priority in 2018 so that we can use that money to cover the required overhead, allowing us to pass as much of your donations on to researchers as possible.
The numbers…
In:
Events – $17,029.82
T-shirts – $2,608.60
Refunds – $39.16
TOTAL – $19,677.58
Out:
Marketing – $1,840.04
Fees – $21
Business expenses – $446.67
TOTAL – $2,307.71
The Events income line includes t-shirts purchased with cash, as well as basic donations received and money given by the event hosts. The bulk of the Marketing expense was for the shirts, with event posters and flyers comprising most of the rest. Business expenses is mostly operational costs such as website and meeting expenses.
Total donation to breast cancer research: $17,469.47
In 2016, we donated $8,000, so 2017 was a huge step up for us! We will present the check to Cancer League of Colorado at a spring meeting. The funds will then be awarded through their grant application program.
Wrap-up
Every year at Drink for Pink is a learning experience. While we are thrilled by the growth you have helped us achieve, we are humbled by how far we have to go. We cannot thank all of our donors, partners, and supporters enough for everything they have done in the last three years, and we cannot wait to continue to grow. 2018 will be another amazing year, and we are glad you have joined us on the way!