Best Practices

To help athletic event fundraising organizers avoid “reinventing the wheel”, we'll be turning to authors and organizations to share insights into best practices.

Best Practices Articles

  • 5 Event Fundraising Best Practices  Fundraising events can be extremely valuable sources of revenue and awareness for any nonprofit organization. However, there is a lot more to successfully pulling one off than mobilizing a few volunteers and getting participants to encourage pledge donations to walk (or run or swim or bike, etc.). In a webinar presented by nonprofit technology solutions provider Convio, 5 Best Practices for Event Fundraising: Proven Success Strategies of the Top Run-Walk-Ride Events, James Young , senior open strategy manager of Convio, and Jeff Shuck, president and CEO of event fundraising consultants Event 360, discussed the important aspects of executing successful fundraising events.  permalink
  • Academic News: Ask and You Shall Receive  New research from the Stanford Graduate School of Business verifies the old adage, “Ask and you shall receive.” A series of studies (including one involving Team in Training participants) reveals that people tend to grossly underestimate how likely others are to agree to requests for assistance.  permalink
  • Cashing in on race day  If you're a runner, you know the local organized opportunities to hit the road with those who share your passion are almost limitless. The sport has developed from a handful of enthusiasts in the late 1960s to what is estimated to be nearly 8 million runners a year participating in organized runs. The road race circuit also is paying off for corporate sponsors, track clubs and businesses that specialize in event marketing.  permalink
  • Extreme Fundraisers Take Charity to the Limit  Forget extreme sports. If you want people to really applaud while you take your favorite leisure pursuit to the limit, try extreme fund-raising. Just a decade ago, the riskiest thing people would do to raise money for charity might have involved pulling hot cookies from an oven. These days compassion fatigue has forced fund-raisers to drive themselves to increasingly outlandish deeds -- climbing the world's highest mountains, motorcycling at breakneck speed across continents, or jumping out of airplanes. permalink
  • Faith, Hope & Charities: John "The Penguin" Bingham on Charity Runs  Running for something other than yourself is the greatest gift of our sport, writes Runner's World columnist John Bingham. permalink
  • Is Twitter Important for Thon Participants?  Some early analysis of integrating Twitter into online thon fundraising from Blackbaud's VP of Product Development Ian Gruber. permalink
  • Peer to Peer Fundraising and Social Media  Convio's Sally Heaven opines that "the real power for nonprofits to exploit social media lies in the peer-to-peer fundraising area, much more so than direct fundraising", suggests why and offers up a personal example. permalink
  • Pre-Event Communication Key to Incentive Program Success  A white paper by Turnkey Promotions shares results of a rigorous study on the dramatic impact of incentive program communication on fundraising success. (You must share your contact information with Turnkey to receive a copy of the white paper.) permalink
  • Reducing the Runner's Footprint: NY Times  Biodiesel buses. Biodegradable cups. Organic T-shirts. Trophies made from recycled bicycle parts. Yes, the great green phenomenon has come to marathons too. The November issue of Runner’s World magazine ranks the 10 greenest races. The Austin Marathon wins, with its finish-line farmer’s market, Porta Potty toilet paper made from recycled materials, and biodiesel support vehicles.  permalink
  • Running for a Cause: Why Fitness and Philanthropy is Such a Popular Mix  When breast cancer survivor Eloise Caggiano decided to participate in last year’s 3-Day Walk, she was excited both to raise money for a cause so close to her heart and take on a significant physical challenge. “Walking 60 miles is a true commitment of time and physical effort,” she says. And since the walk requires participants to raise at least $2,200, “everyone who does it is really passionate about the cause.”  permalink
  • Windy City Meltdown: Reflections on the 2007 Chicago Marathon  Running industry expert Don Allison reflects on the challenges faced by "mega" events when they are hit by extreme conditions such as the heat at the 2007 Chicago Marathon. permalink

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