SignUpGenius Powers National Pancake Day Partnership

A Sweet Way to Rally Support for a Serious Cause

Free stacks of pancakes are a crowd favorite. For The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Mid-Atlantic Region, they are also a powerful way to bring communities together in support of blood cancer research.

Each year, LLS partners with IHOP on National Pancake Day, inviting diners to enjoy complimentary pancakes while learning how they can support the organization’s mission. Volunteers stationed throughout participating restaurants ask patrons if they would like to donate by purchasing a paper icon valued between $1 and $20.

Over the past 12 years, this annual event has helped LLS raise more than $2 million, proving that a simple idea paired with strong volunteer support can lead to meaningful impact.

One Big Day. A Lot of Moving Parts.

National Pancake Day is where most of the fundraising happens, which makes volunteer coordination especially critical. In the Mid-Atlantic region alone, hundreds of volunteers are needed to cover shifts across 42 IHOP locations.

Volunteers also need to attend training sessions ahead of time so they feel prepared to engage with diners and represent LLS well. With so many locations and time slots involved, keeping everything organized is essential to the campaign’s success.

“The success of the campaign largely centers around mobilizing a large volunteer base on National Pancake Day,” says Judy Irvine, Campaign Manager for Retail Partnerships at LLS. “Our volunteers are crucial, as much of the funds from the campaign are raised on this day.”

Staying Organized When It Matters Most

To manage scheduling for both training sessions and National Pancake Day shifts, LLS uses SignUpGenius to coordinate volunteers throughout the campaign.

For Irvine, having clear visibility into volunteer sign ups makes a big difference. She can quickly export sign up data into Excel to create comprehensive spreadsheets that show how many volunteers are signed up at each location, where coverage gaps exist, and how to contact volunteers when needed.

“(They) enable us to see how many volunteers we have, where we have holes to fill, volunteer contact information and more,” Irvine explains.

Email notifications also help keep organizers informed in real time, making it easier to stay on top of volunteer needs as the event approaches.

More Focus on the Mission, Less Time on Logistics

With volunteer scheduling and communication running smoothly, the LLS team is able to focus on supporting volunteers and maximizing fundraising on a day that matters most.

“This year’s event was a complete success,” Irvine says. “We significantly surpassed last year’s total.”

For nonprofits coordinating large-scale volunteer efforts around a single, high-impact day, having an easy way to organize people and information can make all the difference.

“SignUpGenius is a fantastic option for groups, especially nonprofits such as LLS, who need affordable and effective ways to organize their volunteers,” Irvine adds.

Ready to plan your next volunteer event with less stress?