To help spur this transparency along, we’re doing our first yearly review and transparency report including a quick monetary recap down to the very penny.
These recaps serve another purpose as well. All of us at Drink for Pink are relatively new to the world of nonprofits. Before getting this up and off the ground, we didn’t know a 1023-EZ from a 501(c)3. We’re still figuring out taxes and the best way to run events. We’re learning a lot on a weekly basis. Regardless of whether you’re interested in starting your own nonprofit or just curious of what makes one tick, we hope these reviews provide a window behind the scenes.
We’ll divide this out into four sections:
- What went well
- What could’ve gone better
- What we’re focusing on for 2016
- The numbers
What went well…
We’re overwhelmed by the response we received in 2015. Going from two guys sitting in a coffee shop to living, breathing events with cancer researchers, survivors, and supporters all in one room has been an amazing ride.
We raised money. We’re really happy with the results of our first year. We ended up with a total of $5,355.16 in donations (more in the numbers section). We’re looking to double this figure in 2016, but 2015 provided us with a solid foundation.
We made some great partnerships. We’ve been fortunate to work alongside some amazing individuals. We literally couldn’t have done this without Gary Reece and the whole Cancer League of Colorado team, the cancer researchers at Anschutz Medical Campus, Justin Kruger from Project Helping, and the awesome breweries we worked with. Thank you all!
We built up a small army. Between the newsletter and Facebook page, Drink for Pink is now several hundred individuals strong. Considering Drink for Pink started with five individuals, getting to several hundred has been a wild ride. We also were fortunate enough to get some air time on 9News in 2015, which helped promote our mission to the masses.
What could’ve gone better…
We could’ve started planning events sooner. We spent the majority of 2015 working on the basics of starting a nonprofit (bank accounts, IRS forms, etc). Events didn’t start coming together until July, which was a bit late in the game. We’ve already kicked off the planning for 2016 and hope to stay ahead of the game so we can throw even better events in the new year.
We could’ve been more consistent with communication. We started out on fire with our newsletter, Facebook page, and blog. As we started rolling with the events though, those fell to the wayside. This is a huge area for improvement in 2016.
What we’re focusing on…
Getting all of our nonprofit ducks in a row. This includes things like filing for our own 501(c)3, formally establishing a board/having board meetings, figuring out a better way to track expenses, etc. All of the administrative things we’re still figuring out.
Throwing more awesome events. We already have our first event planned for 2016 (an awesome Mother’s Day event you should attend!). We’ll, of course, be planning for a huge October at local breweries in the Denver area. We’re also looking at doing a beer/dinner pairing and another collaboration with Mountain Strong Denver. Want to help us plan an event or throw an event at your brewery? Reach out!
Highlighting the amazing cancer research that’s going on. We’re big believers in the power of cancer research. We want to bring that to the forefront of the discussion with blog posts, speakers, events, etc.
The numbers
Running total:
Cash donations – $956.00
Checks donations – $450.00
Credit donations – $1,137.37
Brewery donations – $2,531.79
Other events – $280.00
Total – $5355.16
Breakdown per event:
Ratio Kick-off
Cash – $370.00
Check – $450.00
Credit – $535.00
Factotum
Cash – $130.00
Credit – $106.95
Beer – $42.00
Mockery
Cash – $105.00
Credit – $38.89
Beer – $400.00
Lone Tree
Cash – $130.00
Credit – $170.18
Beer – $1308.59
Goldspot
Cash – $5.00
Credit – $0.00
Beer – $50.00
Call to Arms
Cash – $30.00
Credit – $0.00
Beer – $100.00
Joyride
Cash – $5.00
Credit – $0.00
Beer – $162.00
Left Hand
Cash – $25.00
Credit – $111.84
Beer – $191.20
Ratio Finale
Cash: $156.00
Credit: $174.51
Beer: $278.00
Winter WODerland at Mountain Strong Denver
Total: $280.00
Expenses:
$594.72 – Marketing materials (flyers, stickers, banner, etc)
$288.90 – T-Shirts
Total donation to breast cancer research: $4,471.54
Wrap-up
We’re super excited to grow Drink for Pink in 2016. A huge thank you to everyone that has supported our mission along the way. We’re looking forward to seeing you in the new year. If you want to stay involved, join our newsletter or reach out directly to find out how you can help!