Part two in a mini-series on nuggets gleaned from our marathon fundraising panel experts.

NPO development directors and marathon team coordinators listen to panelists

Expert advice, continued: here are more tips for success and getting the most out of marathon fundraising from Ashley, Beth, and Kristina.  If you missed Part 1, it’s here.

3.  Help your runners coordinate their marathon training schedule with their fundraising schedule.

• Training begins 4 months before the race, so should fundraising!  Encourage your runners to set up their fundraising pages right away and ask for donations early and often.
• Encourage your team to send out periodic updates on their training and fundraising progress to their network of supporters.  This will often motivate people to give.

4. Teach your marathon fundraisers to “treasure-map” their networks to think about their broadest reach for fundraising asks.

Running a marathon is a huge, inspiring thing, and people will respond!  Think beyond immediate networks like family and friends to religious communities, alumni associations, etc.

• Fundraisers should invest a significant amount of time in thinking strategically about who is in their networks and how they can tailor their message to those people.
• Thinking about extended networks allows fundraisers to reach their networks and their networks’ networks.  You never know who will be inspired by what your runners are doing.
• Fundraise both offline and online, depending on your audience.
• Emphasize the importance of one-to-one or person-to-person asks
• Research corporate matching opportunities, and pursue them!  Donors are even more motivated to give when they know their gift has additional impact.
• If your fundraisers are already using online social networks and media tools, they can use them to publicize their fundraising goals.  For example, a fundraiser can post the URL to their fundraising page in their Facebook “status.”

5.   Use your organization’s resources to support and give additional legitimization to your fundraiser’s efforts.

Make your runners feel good about fundraising and give them the tools they need.

• Create a page on your website or blog with your runner-fundraisers’ profiles and links to their fundraising pages.  It could look something like this.
• Create a blog for your team.  Include links to your runner’s own blogs and fundraising pages, a discussion board, announcements, and training links.  Team Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary has a great one here.
• Ask your general donor database to make a special one-time donation to your marathon runners.  Receiving support in the form a donation from someone they don’t know personally is a powerful motivator!
• Include your marathon team’s achievement in your general fundraising plan.  Be sure to mention their success in your organization’s videos, newsletters, etc.  This is great for publicity and may even garner support for your team in the future.