You can download a printable verision of the slides here.

 

Questions and Answers

During the webinar we received many great questions. We thought it might be helpful to share them along with our answers, with you. Please see a sampling below. Can’t find an answer to your question? Leave a comment to this post or email us.

Question: What suggestions would you have for non-profits that are working to recruit runners to do fundraising for them (reaching out to running groups and other networks beyond our non-profit’s traditional circle of supporters, etc)?

Answer: After you’ve reached out to your nonprofit’s network and have asked them to ask their networks, you can try reaching people in the local running or triathlon community. People like to see the direct impact their fundraising efforts and donations are making, so if they’re helping a nonprofit in their backyard, they’re more likely to see the direct impact of their efforts and therefore more excited to help out.

To reach out to the running or triathlon community, there are a handful of ways you can get in touch with them.

• Try searching for local teams on the USA Triathlon website and Road Runners Club of America website and email the contacts to see if they can pass your message along to their team.
• Attend local events, or if you can’t be there, look into adding brochures or fliers to the goodie bags of these races. Also, visit local athletic stores, such as running or cycling shops and leave hand-outs.
• Pair-up with an area running coach – they can help you get the word out to their clients or pass the word on to others in the community that might be willing to help out your organization.
• Ask a local race director if you can be a part of an official “charity program” (similar to what the Boston Marathon does). Perhaps they can give you race numbers that you can encourage supporters to fundraise for or at the very least, they can encourage runners to consider fundraising for your nonprofit.

Also in January, we did a webinar on how nonprofit’s can utilize marathon fundraising. We covered a few different approaches to getting marathoner’s on board and how to start a program - click here to watch it. Please feel free to check it out and let us know if you have any questions.

Question: What are the most common resources that runners need or want from their nonprofit in order to succeed at raising funds? Photos? Videos? What else?

Answer: Most importantly, fundraising runners need to feel like they are making a difference and doing a most rewarding and wonderful thing. If they feel appreciated and that their efforts are making a difference, they’re going to keep helping and being involved. You can do this by thanking them regularly, showing them how their funds raised are already making a difference, and as they reach certain goals, reward them (at the very least - publicly thank them or give them a little token of appreciation like a t-shirt or a gift certificate to a nearby restaurant).

Also help them be an ambassador for your nonprofit. Arm them with information, photos, videos, etc. about your nonprofit such as the direct impact donations make or pair them up with someone who benefits from your nonprofit so they can truly understand the impact.

Other nice-to-have resources that your nonprofit can provide your runners with are:

• handouts of your nonprofit
• give-aways (eg, pins, stickers, pens, etc) that they can give to select donors
• any copy that might help them get the message out, ask for donations or thank donors.

At Firstgiving, we do many kick-off meetings for marathon fundraisers. We created this resource section for nonprofits so that they can support their runners best – please feel free to use it.

Question: Do you have recommendations for how people (runners) should set their goal? how high to reach?  Some people have goals of $500 and some set goals of $5,000

Answer: A fundraising goal can be determined by the following:

• Amount that a charity designates as the minimum
• How passionate and confident a fundraiser is at setting their goal

If these two factors haven’t been determined and a fundraiser is looking to just set a goal for a marathon, I’d recommend starting at $1500.

As the fundraiser gets closer to their goal (say at $1200 or so), encourage them to raise it another $500. They can keep adjusting the fundraising goal to encourage more support from their networks.

I’d also encourage them to email their supporters each time they raise their goal and celebrate it – here’s some example copy: I’m so amazed by your generosity and support that I’m raising my fundraising goal to $2000. Your donation will benefit…”

Also, check out our fundraising tips for runners on setting your goal and raising it.

 

Question: What is the average giving amount? (How much should you suggest donors give to you?)

Answer: The average donation on Firstgiving is just over $50. That said, many fundraisers have greater success by asking for a lower amount so that donors unable to give large amounts aren’t discouraged from donating. Those wishing to give more tend to do so, even if you ask for less. $26.20 is a common ask amount for marathon pages. The minimum donation on Firstgiving is only $1, and every dollar donated gets you closer to your goal.

 

Question: Do you have stats for cycling events? What is the average amount raised per participant?

Answer:  Cyclists on Firstgiving raise an average of $600. This isn’t to say that cycling isn’t worth as much as running. While the Boston Marathon and Team in Training have broken barriers for fundraising minimums, there hasn’t been the same impetus to push the limits in the cycling world. It is rare to see a cycling event with a fundraising minimum of more than a $100 - $150.

 

Question:  Have people done “virtual” marathons or runs for people who maybe aren’t able to actually do the run but who would like to raise money for the event anyway?

Answer:  We’ve had real events offer a ‘virtual’ registration option, and some have seen some pockets of success with doing so.

More interesting perhaps is the idea of an entirely virtual event. Last year Firstgiving took part in World Run Day, a virtual event celebrating running and charitable giving. You can read more about it here: http://www.teamfirstgiving.com/firstgiving-celebrates-world-run-day/