RARE DISEASE DAY CHALLENGE TOOLKIT
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is just one of the 6000 rare diseases that affect more than 300 million people worldwide. This Rare Disease Day, we have a rare chance to make twice the impact. To honor Rare Disease Day and the daily reality of women living with LAM, an anonymous donor has offered a powerful challenge: If we raise $15,000 by February 28th, The LAM Foundation will receive a full $15,000 match! This toolkit contains content to help you raise awareness and funds for lymphangioleiomyomatosis for Rare Disease Day. Let’s get started!
CREATE A FUNDRAISING PAGE
Facebook Fundraisers
Create your own Rare Disease Day Facebook Fundraiser. Click here to get started.
Start your own fundraising team
Utilize The LAM Foundation’s fundraising software to create an entire fundraising team! Invite your friends and family members to join you in the Rare Disease Day Challenge. It’s easy! Click here to get started.
THINK ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW
Along with friends and family, you have acquaintances, current and former colleagues, fellow alumni, community and religious groups, neighbors, and even businesses you frequent. Share your fundraising link! Given the opportunity, most people are happy to contribute. Don’t hesitate to ask!
HOW TO ASK FOR DONATIONS
Social media channels have made fundraising user-friendly, allowing you to message everyone in your group. You can reinforce this through text, phone, email, or in person. Make sure everyone knows how much this cause means to you.
To help boost your fundraising during the challenge, try these examples of what to say and when to say it:
WEEK 1 – 2/1/26 (Kickoff Day)
Match your donation with the #RareDiseaseDay Challenge!
Email, text, and/or message your donor circle. Make a self-donation to encourage others. Post a link to your online fundraising post/site and let everyone know that no donation is too small.
WEEK 2 – 2/7/26
Reminder: My #RareDiseaseDay fundraiser is underway – join me!
Ask five family members, 10 close friends and four neighbors to each make a $25 donation. Ask ten members from a house of worship or community group to chip in $5 each.
WEEK 3 – 2/14/26
Here’s a status report on what we need to reach our goal
Reach out to three local businesses you use, like dry cleaners, coffee shops, nail salons, and hair stylists, to give $25 each.
WEEK 4 – 2/21/26
Last chance to help me double my donation!
This is the last week to make your goal – remind everyone to pitch in so you can get a dollar-for-dollar match for all donations. In other words, almost there!
WEEK 5 – 2/28/26 Rare Disease Day
It’s Rare Disease Day! Last day to help me double my donation.
This is the last day to make your goal – remind everyone to pitch in so you can get a dollar-for-dollar match for all donations. In other words, almost there! Share the provided graphics to help spread awareness of LAM with a link to your fundraiser.
Week 6 (Thank you, donors!)
We did it! Thank you for making a difference for women with LAM!
Amazing group effort. Thanks to you, we’ve raised awareness and funds to help the worldwide LAM community. Here’s the final tally….
YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
Use or tweak the sample text below and combine it with Rare Disease Day awareness graphics to post on any or all of your social media channels.
SAMPLE CAMPAIGN TEXT:
Join me for #RareDiseaseDay in February to support The LAM Foundation’s mission to find a cure for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), one of 6000 rare diseases worldwide. LAM impacts thousands of women around the world, including [me/my sister/my patients]. We’re progressing towards a cure, but we’re not quite there yet. Can I count on you?
This year, we have a rare chance to make twice the impact. To honor Rare Disease Day and the daily reality of women living with LAM, an anonymous donor has offered a powerful challenge: If we raise $15,000 by February 28th, The LAM Foundation will receive a full $15,000 match! Please consider contributing here [link to to help fund critical research and provide hope to women with LAM.