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Legitimate fundraising for a cause- how have you been successful?
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No, I'm not fundraising for anything yet.

Here's what I'm thinking though. My mom has Alzheimer's - it's been pretty hard for me- but I have found that running really helps. I joined a training group and it 1) makes me take time for myself 2) keeps me in shape all of which make me much better able to deal with reality when I have to ;-)

So, I'm wondering about combining these into fundraising. I don't want people paying for my race etc. I'm more than willing to contribute for costs +.

Has anyone done matching funds? Or ponied up the first few k?

How far in advance did you plan an event? What were your best methods of fundraising? The $$$ for some of the races are intimidating.

I'd love to hear some success stories while I'm thinking about this. I did once raise about $1200 for a bike ride (but I think $300 was from me).

Is going through one of the organized groups helpful?

I'd love some insight of people who did this and feel it was worth it- or not.

What races do you feel do the best job of handling this?
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Re: Legitimate fundraising for a cause- how have you been successful? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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I did Ironman Florida last year via the Children's Tumor Foundation. Did I fundraise to pay for race? Yes and No. I would say YES given I had to raise $5,000 instead of pay $700 race fee. I would say no, because I paid more than $700 out of my own pocket towards the $5,000 (i.e., I could have covered a general entry). My charity path was simply to gain access to a sold out race (not purely an "I cannot afford to otherwise race"); that said, I wouldn't have committed myself to fundraising if it was something that didn't align with something I felt strongly about. Long story short, perception can go both ways (since technically the race fee is no longer the ~$700, but a much larger amount) - so just be prepared for that.

Given your connection to Alzheimer's, I don't believe many would question your intentions (but I'm sure there are still some who may do just that).

To answer your questions:

1. I didn't do matching funds; purely reached out to people in my network (via LinkedIn). Kept the subject line to the point and said I was fundraising; didn't want to mislead people into an e-mail asking for money. Fewer people probably read the e-mail, but those that did were the ones more likely to donate anyhow. I did put in the first few hundred, and added more later on (it was a matching scenario, but the impact was minimal which is why I say I didn't use it as a main way of fundraising).

2. I signed up in January with Ironman Florida in November. Believe fundraising was due October 1.

3. Best methods of fundraising (for me): e-mail via LinkedIn and Facebook. I know others who held silent auctions, received donated gifts for a golf outing, reach out to alma mater (high school) to sell dress down tickets (with 50% going to school, 50% going to charity), and many others. My employer would not assist with monetary donation or allowing e-mail communication to solicit donations - something that likely would have helped tremendously.

4. Going through CTF was great. Helped with fundraising, but the best part was racing with a broader group on race day. Some of the best relationships in the tri community came via this experience (and also met with local non-triathlete people who support CTF and got involved in fundraisers that didn't just benefit my own fundraising initiatives, but that of another local CTF chapter). I urge you to get involved in ways that don't pertain to you race, if not already.

Ultimately, you know your network and can gauge whether the amount is doable. If not, only you know if you are willing to pay the balance in order to secure your spot for the race.

Feel free to PM me with any other questions; hope this was helpful!

Best of luck!



@CycleHeavy
Last edited by: TriMeSBR: May 28, 15 10:31
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Re: Legitimate fundraising for a cause- how have you been successful? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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I've done some informal fund-raising. I've been involved with a well-known non-profit for a long time and have privately challenged their board members to either make a lump-sum donation or pledge an amount/mile when I've done some local races.

You have a be a somewhat sensitive and/or respectful if the race you're doing is already aligned with another charity or non-profit. You don't want to be perceived as piggy-backing on their marketing or promotional campaigns to promote your own cause.

Good luck with your fund-raising.

Mark
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