Marathon Fundraising Success Guide

for Nonprofit Organizations:

Data Analysis of 2010 Boston Marathon

Online Fundraising
 Table of Contents

Executive  Summary  ...................................................................................................................... 3

Boston  Marathon  fundraising  background  ............................................................................... 4

Fundraising  requirements
Boston  Marathon  online  fundraising  2007-­2010  
Boston  Marathon  2010  key  data  points

Key  Learnings  for  Marathon  Fundraising  Success  .................................................................. 8

Typical  online  donation  amounts
Types  of  donations  required  to  meet  the  fundraising  requirements
Timing  of  donations
Top  fundraisers  versus  the  rest  of  the  pack
Propensity  of  supporters  to  fundraise  again
Fundraiser  motivation  through  email  communication:  a  pilot  test  case

Fundraising  in  practice  ................................................................................................................ 18

Advice  from  Boston  Marathon  fundraisers  for  online  fundraising  success

Additional  Resources  ................................................................................................................... 21

How to use this guide

This  report  was  created  by  FirstGiving  using  internal  data  from  2010  Boston  Marathon  
fundraising  pages.  This  guide  offers  unique  benchmarking  data  about  how  the  2010  Boston  
Marathon  runners  used  FirstGiving  to  meet  and  exceed  their  fundraising  goals.  In  each  section  
ZHKLJKOLJKWGDWDSRLQWVDQGVXPPDUL]HNH\WDNHDZD\VWKDW\RXUQRQSUR¿WFDQXVHWRLQVSLUH
and  guide  endurance  event  fundraisers.  Interested  in  using  FirstGiving?    Contact  our  sales  
team:  VDOHV#¿UVWJLYLQJFRP.  For  further  marathon  data,  download  our  companion  slide  deck  
at  http://www.slideshare.net/Firstgiving/going-­the-­distance-­boston-­marathon-­webinar.  

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 2

 Executive Summary
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Charity  Teams.  The  2010  Boston  Marathon  was  held  on  April  19,  2010,  and  FirstGiving  worked  with  907  
IXQGUDLVHUVZKRUDLVHGIRUFKDULWLHV2XUIXQGUDLVHUVUHSUHVHQWQRWRQO\WKHRI¿FLDOFKDULW\
WHDPPHPEHUVEXWDOVRTXDOL¿HG%RVWRQ0DUDWKRQUXQQHUV

For  this  guide,  we  analyzed  how  fundraisers  typically  raise  raise  funds,  how  donors  typically  donate  to  
fundraisers,  and  what  sets  top  fundraisers  apart  from  everyone  else.  In  addition,  we  also  created  a  post-­
marathon  event  survey  to  gather  qualitative  data  about  why  runners  participate  in  marathon  teams,  whether  
or  not  they  would  fundraise  again  for  the  same  charity,  and  their  prior  experience  in  endurance  events.  

Based  on  our  data  analysis  of  the  2010  Boston  Marathon  runners  and  donors,  we  created  this  
benchmarking  report  for  endurance  event  fundraising.  The  benchmarks  and  best  practices  in  this  guide  
apply  to  any  endurance  event  with  a  required  fundraising  minimum  of  $3,000  -­  $5,000.  

Our key findings include:

Online  fundraising  for  endurance  events  as  a  percentage  of  total  funds  raised  
continues  to  grow.  Overall,  73%  of  all  donations  were  collected  online,  with  an  average  of  $2,973  per  
SDJH2IÀLQHGRQDWLRQVRIDQRWKHUEURXJKWWKHDYHUDJHIXQGUDLVLQJSDJHIDUDERYHWKHPLQLPXP
requirement.  

The  majority  of  donors  contribute  in  the  range  of  either  $25  -­  $75  or  $100  -­  $150.  
Overwhelmingly,  the  largest  category  of  donations  is  in  the  range  of  $25  to  $75.  The  second-­highest  
donation  range  is  $100  -­  $125,  and  is  critical  to  meeting  the  Boston  Marathon  fundraising  requirement.

To  raise  $3,250,  fundraisers  need  a  minimum  of  36  -­  40  individual  contributions  
on  their  fundraising  page.  Analysis  of  number  of  donations  revealed  that  the  median  number  of  
donations  was  38,  and  the  average  number  was  36.  The  majority  of  fundraisers  who  met  their  minimum  
requirement  received  between  36  and  40  donations  per  page.  

7RSIXQGUDLVHUVZHUHDEOHWRVHFXUHVLJQL¿FDQWO\PRUHGRQDWLRQVLQWKH
range  than  the  rest  of  the  pack.  Boston  Marathon  fundraisers  who  raised  over  $7,500  generated  
twice  the  number  of  $100-­$150  donations.    

The  majority  of  the  donations  arrive  in  the  four  months  prior  to  the  marathon,  but  
GRQDWLRQDPRXQWVDUHKLJKHVWVHYHQWR¿YHPRQWKVSULRUWRWKHHYHQW  Over  90%  of  the  
donations  to  fundraisers  occurred  January  -­  April  2010.  However,  the  average  donation  size  was  higher  prior  
to  January  2010.  

Love the report? There’s even more data available

in our data slide deck.
We’ve  created  a  companion  slide  deck,  with  additional  data  about  FirstGiving  Boston  Marathon  
fundraisers  and  donors.  You  can  view  the  Marathon  Fundraising  Success  Guide  companion  slide  
deck  at  http://www.slideshare.net/Firstgiving/going-­the-­distance-­boston-­marathon-­webinar

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 3

 Background on the Boston Marathon
The  Boston  Marathon  is  considered  of  the  most  prestigious  endurance  events  in  the  world.  It  is  hosted  by  
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¿QLVKWLPHDVVLJQHGWRDQDJHEUDFNHW,IDUXQQHUGRHVQRWTXDOLI\IRUWKHPDUDWKRQWKHUXQQHUPD\DSSO\WR
SDUWLFLSDWHLQWKHPDUDWKRQWKURXJKRQHRIWKHRI¿FLDO%RVWRQ0DUDWKRQFKDULWLHV1.  

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organizations  as  charity  partner  participants,  and  offers  them  15  bib  numbers  for  a  maximum  of  three  years.  
7KH%$$PDQGDWHVWKDWRI¿FLDOFKDULWLHVPXVWUHTXLUHWKDWWKHLUSDUWLFLSDWLQJUXQQHUVUDLVHDPLQLPXP
of  $3,250.  Runners  that  do  not  meet  the  $3,250  minimum  requirement  are  charged  the  remainder  of  the  
DPRXQW,QRI¿FLDOFKDULWLHVFRPELQHGWRUDLVHGPRUHWKDQPLOOLRQ

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charity  and  the  amount  that  they  think  that  they  can  raise  for  the  charity.  For  some  charities,  spots  for  bib  
numbers  are  highly  competitive.

The  2010  Boston  Marathon  was  held  on  April  19,  2010.  In  2010,  23,176  runners  participated  in  the  Boston  
0DUDWKRQ0DQ\TXDOL¿HGUXQQHUVDOVRUDLVHGPRQH\IRUWKHLUIDYRULWHFDXVHV,Q%RVWRQ
Marathon  runners  raised  money  for  117  charities  using  FirstGiving.  We  estimate  that  10%  of  the  2010  
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1  

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2
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Marathon  Fundraising  Success 4

 Boston Marathon Online Fundraising 2007-2010
FirstGiving  has  been  tracking  individual  and  charity  team  fundraising  for  the  Boston  Marathon  since  2007.  
3ULRUWRWKDWFKDULW\WHDPVSULPDULO\FROOHFWHGGRQDWLRQVRIÀLQHRUZHUHUHTXLUHGWRXVHDODUJHVRIWZDUH
solution.

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and  the  total  amount  raised  online  through  FirstGiving  has  increased  year  over  year.  The  number  of  
FirstGiving  Boston  Marathon  fundraisers  has  increased  51%  from  2007-­2010,  increasing  the  total  amount  
raised  online  by  80%.

$2,696,896

$2,020,039
$1,876,601

$1,477,068

2007 2008 2009 2010

Fig.  1:  Amount  raised  on  FirstGiving  by  year

907
848

700

599

2007 2008 2009 2010

Fig.  2:    Number  of  FirstGiving  Boston  Marathon  fundraisers  by  year

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 5

 Boston Marathon 2010 FirstGiving Key Data Points

  $2,696,896
Total  recorded  online  donations:  
   
 7RWDOUHFRUGHGRIÀLQHGRQDWLRQV   $73,775

   

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  Average  amount  collected  per  fundraiser  (total): $4,054

  Average  amount  raised  online: $2,973

 $YHUDJHDPRXQWUDLVHGRIÀLQH $1,080

 
  Average  online  donation: $75

  Average  number  of  donations  per  fundraising  page: 38

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 6

   Fundraising  pages:   907
   
 2I¿FLDOFKDULW\VSRQVRUHGUXQQHUV   815

  Qualifying  runners  (without  a  charity  sponsor)3:   92

   



Under  $3,250
  

$3,250  -­  $5,000



More  than  $5,000

  317 have  a  fundraising  goal  of  less  than  $3250 4

  517 have  a  fundraising  goal  of  $3250  -­  $5000 5

  73 have  a  fundraising  goal  of  more  than  $5000

3
 Approximately
4
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the  Boston  Marathon.
5
 A  majority  of  Boston  Marathon  fundraisers  must  meet  a  fundraising  minimum  of  $3,250.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 7

 Key Learnings for Marathon Fundraising Success
We  analyzed  donation  distribution  by  size  on  the  average  fundraiser  page,  the  number  of  donations  per  
page,  donation  timing,  typical  online  donation  amounts,  the  size  and  types  of  donations  that  top  fundraisers  
received  in  comparison  to  the  rest  of  the  fundraisers,  and  the  propensity  of  runners  to  raise  money  again  for  
WKHVDPHQRQSUR¿WFDXVH,QWKLVVHFWLRQZHKLJKOLJKWNH\PHWULFVDQGWDNHDZD\VIURPRXUGDWDDQDO\VLV

Online vs. offline donations

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Marathon  fundraisers  typically  employ  a  number  of  strategies  to  reach  their  fundraising  minimum:  mailing  
personal  hand-­written  letters,  sending  email  appeals,  posting  social  network  appeal  requests,  throwing  
RIÀLQH³UHDOZRUOG´IXQGUDLVHUVDQGGHYHORSLQJFUHDWLYHRQOLQHIXQGUDLVHUV2XU¿QGLQJVUHYHDOWKDW
IXQGUDLVHUVFROOHFWWKHPDMRULW\RIWKHLUGRQDWLRQVRQOLQH7KH\DOVRFROOHFWRIÀLQHGRQDWLRQVDQGHQWHUWKHVH
donations  into  the  donation  page  manually6$EOHQGHGDSSURDFKRIRIÀLQHDQGRQOLQHIXQGUDLVLQJDSSHDUV
to  be  a  proven  recipe  for  success:  FirstGiving  fundraisers  were,  on  average,  able  to  collect  almost  the  
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the  average  donation  far  above  the  minimum,  to  an  average  of  $4,054  per  person.

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Donations
$1,090


Online
Donations
$2,973


6
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Marathon  Fundraising  Success 8

 Typical online donation amounts
The  majority  of  donations  per  fundraising  page  are  in  the  $25  -­  $75,  or  $100  -­  $150  
ranges.  The  average  donation  is  $75.  The  vast  majority  of  donations  are  between  $25  -­  $75,  and  
the  second-­most  popular  range  is  $100  -­  $149.  Further  internal  analysis  reveals  that  the  average  donation  
in  the  $100  -­  $149  range  is  $105.  What  this  tells  us  is  that  a  typical  fundraiser  can  expect  most  donations  to  
come  in  under  $75,  but  that  donations  of  over  $100  are  also  critical  to  meeting  the  fundraising  requirement.  
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11 11

1 1 1 1 1

Under $25  to   $50  to   $75  to   $100  to   $150  to   $200  to   $250  to   $500+
$25 $49 $74 $99 $149 $199 $249 $499

Fig.  3:  Distribution  by  number  of  donation  amounts  on  the  average  fundraising  page7

3 2
3
2 12
Under  $25
$25  to  $49

19 $50  to  $74

$75  to  $99
28 $100  to  $149
$150  to  $199
2
$200  to  $249
$250  to  $499
$500+
29

Fig.  4:    Percentage  distributions  of  donation  amounts  on  the  average  fundraising  page

7
 Based  on  an  average  of  all  fundraising  pages  that  raised  between  $3200  -­  $3300

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 9

 Number of donations required to meet fundraising
minimums
The  average  number  of  donations  needed  to  meet  a  fundraising  goal  increases  with  the  size  of  the  
fundraising  target.  There  is  one  exception:  fundraisers  who  raised  between  $10,000  and  $14,999  averaged  
fewer  donations  than  those  who  raised  $7,500  to  $9,999.  Top  fundraisers  received  far  more  donations  of  
$100+  than  other  types  of  fundraisers,  which  may  account  for  the  drop  in  number  of  donations  needed  at  
higher  levels  of  fundraising.

140
Number  of  donations  received

115
120

100 88
79
70
80 64
52
60
35
40 26

20

0
0

0+
25

30

49

49

49

99

99

00
Total  raised
3,

3,

4,

5,

7,

9,

4,

5,
 -­  

 -­  

 -­  

 -­  

 -­  

 -­  

-­  1

$1
$0

50

00

00

00

00

0  
,2

,5

,5

,5

,5

00
$3

$3

$4

$5

$7

0,
$1

Fig.  5:  Average  number  of  donations  on  a  2010  Boston  Marathon  FirstGiving  Page

Key Takeaways

Fundraisers  should  not  be  afraid  to  ask  for  donations  in  the  $100  -­  $250  range.
Many  will  give!

To  raise  $3250,  fundraisers  need  between  35  and  40  donations  per  page.8

Set  suggested  amounts  in  the  $25  -­  $75  range,  the  most  popular  giving  bracket.

Consider  segmenting  the  donor  audience  into  “inner  circle”  and  “everyone  else”  networks.  
Tailor  the  donation  request  appropriate  to  the  network  segment.

When  setting  a  fundraising  target,  keep  in  mind  the  average  number  of  donations  per  page  for  
that  target  goal.  

7KRXJKRIGRQDWLRQVDUHXQGHUWKH\DUHSURSRUWLRQDOO\DYHU\VPDOOSHUFHQWDJHRIWKH
total  amount  raised.  Fundraisers  should  not  focus  on  donations  of  less  than  $25.

8
 The  average  number  of  donations  per  page  on  FirstGiving  is  40,  the  mean  is  36,  and  the  average  of  those  who  raised  between  
$3,250  -­  $3,300  is  35.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 10

 Timing of donations
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However,  the  largest  per  person  average  donation  amount  typically  arrives  seven  to  
¿YHPRQWKVEHIRUHWKHPDUDWKRQ

Typically,  close  friends  and  family  tend  to  donate  early  and  in  larger  donation  amounts.  The  one  exception:  
WKHDYHUDJHGRQDWLRQLQWKHPRQWKIROORZLQJWKHPDUDWKRQLVDOVRKLJK:KLOHZHGRQRWNQRZGH¿QLWLYHO\
ZK\WKHDPRXQWVDUHKLJKHVWDIWHUWKHPDUDWKRQZHFDQVSHFXODWHWKDW¿QLVKLQJWKHHQGXUDQFHHYHQWDQG
closing  in  on  the  fundraising  goal  at  the  same  time,  deeply  inspires  donors  to  give.  Other  reasons  may  be  
WKDWUXQQHUVDUHDGGLQJRIÀLQHGRQDWLRQVWRWKHSDJHDVDWRWDODPRXQWDIWHUWKHHYHQWKDVRFFXUUHGRU
runners  are  contributing  to  their  own  fundraising  pages  to  meet  the  fundraising  goal.  What  we  do  know  is  
that  many  runners  continue  to  raise  money  in  the  month  following  the  marathon,  as  corroborated  by  Figure  
7,  and  these  late  donors  tend  to  donate  in  higher  average  amounts.  Another  note  is  that  though  individual  
contribution  amounts  may  be  higher  the  month  after  the  event,  the  vast  majority  of  the  aggregate  fundraising  
occurs  prior  to  marathon.

$908,146

$736,967

$440,413
$373,823

$123,429
$58,862 $37,864
$25 $9,083 $5,210 $3,164
09

10

10

10

0
-­0

-­0

-­0

-­1

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l-­1
p-­

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ct

ov

ec

ar

pr

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Fig.  6:  Average  donation  per  month  leading  up  to  the  April  19,  2010  Boston  Marathon.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 11

 $160
$134
$140

$120
$99
$100 $87
$83
$73 $73 $76
$80 $72

$60

$40

$20

$0
9

10

10

0
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-­0

-­0

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n-­

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Fig.  7:  Average  donation  per  month  to  a  fundraising  page

$1,000,000 $160
$900,000 $140
$800,000
$120
$700,000
$100
$600,000
$500,000 $80

$400,000 $60
$300,000
$40
$200,000
$20
$100,000
$0
Oct-­09 Nov-­09 Dec-­09 Jan-­10 Feb-­10 Mar-­10 Apr-­10 May-­10
Total  aggregate  amount  donated Average  donation

Fig.  8:  Average  donation  size  compared  with  number  of  total  donations  by  month

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 12

 100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
YES NO

Fig.  9:  Most  runners  plan  to  continue  fundraising  after  race  day9

Key Takeaways

Early  donors  tend  to  give  in  larger  amounts  -­  ask  early  to  show  larger  amounts  
on  view  to  other  donors.

Runners  must  begin  fundraising  at  least  four  months  prior  to  the  marathon  in  
order  to  meet  their  fundraising  goals.

Most  fundraisers  continue  to  raise  money  after  the  marathon  event.  Post-­
event  donation  solicitations  return  higher-­than-­average  donation  amounts  
(though  many  fewer  donations  are  given).  

9
 Source:  FirstGiving  post-­marathon  fundraiser  survey

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 13

 Top fundraisers versus the rest of the pack
Donations  of  $100  -­  $150  are  critical  to  raising  higher  amounts  of  money.  Those  
who  raised  over  $7,500  typically  had  double  the  amount  of  donations  in  this  range  
than  others,  and  far  fewer  $25  -­$50  donations  than  average.

We  analyzed  the  FirstGiving  fundraisers  in  the  2010  Boston  Marathon  that  raised  over  $3,500,  which  
represents  approximately  the  top  25%  of  the  2010  FirstGiving  Boston  Marathon  fundraisers.

Top  fundraisers  typically  receive  higher  donation  amounts  per  donor  every  single  month.  This  may  be  
because  the  goal  is  set  higher,  or  the  ask  amount  is  higher  than  average.  The  breadth  or  quality  of  top  
fundraiser  personal  networks  may  also  be  a  contributing  factor.  

40

35
Number  of  donations  received

30

25

20
$25  to  50
15
$50  to  75
10
$100  to  150
5
$500+
0
9

0+
,99
49

49

49

99

00
4,

5,

7,

9,

14

Total  raised
5,
-­$

-­$

-­$

-­$

-­$

$1
00

00

00

00

00
,5

,5

,5

,5

0,0
$3

$4

$5

$7

$1

Fig.  10:  Donation  distributions  per  page  of  the  top  25%  fundraisers.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 14

 $180
$160
$140
$120
$100
$80 7RS
$60 Average  donations
$40
$20
$0
9

10

10

0
-­0

-­0

-­0

-­1

-­1

-­1
n-­

b-­
ct

ov

ec

ar

pr

ay
Ja

Fe
O

A
D

M
N

Fig.  11:  Average  dollar  donation  to  top  fundraisers  per  month  vs.  the  rest  of  the  pack9

Key Takeaways

The  higher  the  goal,  the  less  important  the  $25  -­  $50  donations.  Focus  on  the  
donations  of  $100+.

Those  who  raised  over  $15,000  relied  heavily  on  donations  of  $500+.

Top  fundraisers  raised  more  money  per  donor.  

9
 Source:  FirstGiving  post-­marathon  fundraiser  survey

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 15

 Propensity of supporters to fundraise again
The  typical  FirstGiving  2010  Boston  Marathon  fundraiser  will  likely  raise  money  for  the  same  cause  
again  (Figure  12).  Further  internal  data  shows  that  93%  of  Boston  marathon  runners  felt  a  very  strong  or  
VRPHZKDWVWURQJSHUVRQDOWLHWRWKHQRQSUR¿WRUFDXVHWKDWWKH\ZHUHVXSSRUWLQJWKURXJK)LUVW*LYLQJ

5
7

29
59

Fig.  12:  Do  you  plan  to  raise  money  again  for  the  same  cause  in  an  endurance  event?10

Key Takeaways

Stay  in  touch  with  your  marathon  fundraisers  throughout  the  year  -­  they  are  
inclined  to  raise  money  for  your  charity  again.

Many  repeat  marathoners  are  interested  in  fundraising,  even  if  they  have  
QRWUDLVHGPRQH\LQWKHSDVW0DQ\TXDOL¿HG%RVWRQ0DUDWKRQUXQQHUVDUH
LQWHUHVWHGLQUDLVLQJIXQGV'HYHORSZD\VIRUWKHPWR¿QGRXWDERXW\RXU
QRQSUR¿W¶VKLVWRU\RIIXQGUDLVLQJZLWKHQGXUDQFHHYHQWVDQGUXQQHUV

 Source:  FirstGiving  post-­marathon  survey

10

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 16

 It is never too late to start fundraising:
FirstGiving page activation test
Though  fundraisers  who  start  early  meet  with  the  greatest  success  fundraising,  we  
wanted  to  test  the  theory  that  it  is  never  too  late  to  start  fundraising.  In  our  pilot  test  
FDVHFKDULWLHVEHQH¿WWHGIURPDODVWPLQXWHDFWLYDWLRQUHPLQGHU

Not  every  fundraiser  that  creates  a  fundraising  page  actually  asks  for  donations.  (These  are  known  as  
inactive  fundraising  pages.)    In  the  case  of  the  2010  Boston  marathon,  those  who  opened  Firstgiving  pages  
EXWGLGQRWVWDUWIXQGUDLVLQJZHUHOLNHO\WREHTXDOL¿HG%RVWRQ0DUDWKRQUXQQHUVZKRGRQRWQHHGWRPHHWD
fundraising  requirement.  

At  FirstGiving,  we  wanted  to  test  the  theory  that  even  late-­start  fundraisers  can  raise  money  for  a  cause.  As  
a  pilot  test,  FirstGiving  sent  a  reminder  email  to  every  inactive  Boston  Marathon  fundraising  page  owner  one  
week  before  the  2010  Boston  Marathon.  Our  email  content  reminded  fundraisers  that  it  is  never  too  late  to  
begin  asking  for  donations  -­  even  one  week  prior  to  the  marathon.  

Page  activation  reminders  motivated  runners  to  start  fundraising,  even  as  late  as  
one  week  prior  to  the  endurance  event.

Our key findings include:

    RSHQHGWKHSDJHDFWLYDWLRQUHPLQGHUHPDLO
 RIWKRVHZKRRSHQHGWKHUHPLQGHUHPDLODFWLYDWHGWKHLUIXQGUDLVLQJSDJH
    Last-­minute  fundraisers  activated  by  FirstGiving  raised  $14,500  in  the  week  before  
 
the  2010  Boston  Marathon
 1RQSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQVEHQH¿WWHGIURPDODVWPLQXWHDFWLYDWLRQUHPLQGHU

Key Takeaways

'RQRWJLYHXSRQTXDOL¿HGUXQQHUVUDLVLQJPRQH\IRUDQRQSUR¿W

3DJHDFWLYDWLRQHPDLOVVSXUTXDOL¿HGUXQQHUVWRVHHNGRQDWLRQVHYHQRQH
week  before  the  marathon  event.

Regular  communication  with  your  runners  keeps  them  interested  in  your  
cause  and  can  motivate  even  inactive  fundraisers  to  begin  seeking  donations.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 17

 Fundraising in Practice: Advice from Boston
marathoners for fundraising success
:KHQDVNHG³EDVHGRQ\RXUH[SHULHQFHZKDWSLHFHRIDGYLFHZRXOG\RXJLYHWRVRPHRQHUXQQLQJWKH
Boston  Marathon  for  a  charity  team  next  year?11´RXUUXQQHUVJHQHURXVO\RIIHUHGIXQGUDLVLQJDGYLFH7KHLU
DGYLFHIDOOVLQWR¿YHEURDGFDWHJRULHVEHJLQIXQGUDLVLQJHDUO\DVNDVPDQ\SHRSOHDV\RXFDQNHHS\RXU
VXSSRUWHUVLQIRUPHGRI\RXUWUDLQLQJDQGIXQGUDLVLQJSURJUHVVFUHDWLYHRIÀLQHIXQGUDLVLQJDQGUHPHPEHU
the  reasons  for  running.  We  have  gathered  the  best  of  their  advice,  included  below:

Start early
 $VNIRUZKDW\RXQHHG*HWGRQDWLRQVHDUO\DQGRIWHQGRQ¶WEHHPEDUUDVVHGWRDVN
    Start  fundraising  early  and  make  sure  you  have  a  plan  that  is  actionable.
    Start  by  November/December.  Do  not  wait  until  later,  as  it  is  too  late!

³,EHJDQODWHDQGZDVZRUULHGDERXWPDNLQJP\JRDO,VKRXOG¶YHSXWXSP\SDJH
earlier.  With  the  stress  of  training  for  a  marathon,  it  would  have  at  least  lessened  
the  stress  of  also  reaching  a  lofty  fundraising  goal.”

Ask everyone
  Contact  everyone  you  know,  be  aggressive,  and  follow  up.
  Use  social  networks  to  promote.
 ,W¶VDZRQGHUIXOH[SHULHQFHDQGSHRSOHDUHPRUHJHQHURXVWKDQ\RXWKLQN
    Send  emails,  personal  letters,  and  get  the  word  out  in  as  many  ways  as  possible.  
  KHSHUVRQ\RXGRQ¶WDVNPD\KDYHDVSHFLDOFRQQHFWLRQWR\RXUFDXVHDQGEHZLOOLQJ
7
to  give.

³'RQ¶WEHDIUDLGWRDVNIRUGRQDWLRQVDQGXVH\RXU
QHWZRUN,W¶VDJUHDWZD\WRJHWLQWRXFKZLWKROGIULHQGV
and  a  great  reason  to  have  a  party!”  
-­Mike  raised  $6,000  for  Doctors  Without  Borders

11
 Source:  FirstGiving  post-­marathon  survey

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 18

 Send updates
  HRSOHORYHXSGDWHVDQGLWPDNHVWKHPIHHOOLNHWKH\DUHLQYROYHGDQGWKDW\RX¶UHQRW
3
just  asking  them  for  money.    Keep  them  up  to  date  on  your  goal,  and  your  training!
  HFUHDWLYHDQG¿QGZD\VIRUSHRSOHZKRGRQDWHWRIHHOOLNHSDUWRIVRPHWKLQJWKHLU
%
own  personal  marathon.

    Start  fundraising  early  and  send  updates  every  week.

“If  you  establish  weekly  emails  or  a  daily  training  log/blog,  then  you  have  a  
continuous  dialogue  going  and  you  have  people  thinking  of  you  and  your  charity.
If  I  had  started  sending  out  updates  early,  I  think  I  would  have  been  closer  to  
reaching  my  goal.”

Creative offline fundraising

  Hold  a  fundraiser.  Plan  an  event  well,  and  ahead  of  time.
     
Set  up  an  event  at  a  local  bar  or  restaurant  to  really  get  participation.  Rally  off  items  at  
the  event.
 'RQ¶WEHDIUDLGWRZULWHKDQGZULWWHQOHWWHUV
    Have  fundraising  parties!  
 'RQ¶WIRUJHWDERXWWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIPDWFKLQJIXQGVFRPSDQ\RUIURPIULHQGV
  Network  with  other  successful  fundraising  folks  for  different  ideas  that  work.
  Sell  ad  space  on  your  jersey,  like  NASCAR!

“People  are  kind  at  heart  and  they  want  to  support  
whatever  charity  you  are  running  for  so  give  them  the  
opportunity  to  do  so.  Do  something  as  simple  as  a  get  
together,  or  host  a  party  and  ask  for  donations  through  
your  FirstGiving  page  as  the  RSVP.”  
-­Dave  Granito,  trainer  for  the  New  England  Patriots,  raised  $4,962  for  the  New  
England  Patriots  Charitable  Foundation.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 19

 Remember the reasons you’re raising funds
   
Find  a  charity  you  feel  some  real  connection  to.  It  was  hard  enough  to  solicit  money,  
but  if  you  feel  some  passion  for  the  cause,  it  makes  it  easier.  

 ,W¶VDZRQGHUIXOH[SHULHQFHDQGSHRSOHDUHPRUHJHQHURXVWKDQ\RXWKLQN

“Ask  yourself  the  real  reason  you  are  running  and  raising  money  and  share  that  
fully  and  authentically.”

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 20

 Resources for fundraisers
,I\RXDUHRUJDQL]LQJDQHQGXUDQFHHYHQWWHDPZHRIIHUPDQ\UHVRXUFHVIRUUXQQHUV

 6
 XEVFULEHWRRXU)LUVW*LYLQJIRU5XQQHUVEORJDEORJIRUUXQQHUVDQGQRQSUR¿WV  The  Runners  blog  
highlights  the  successes  of  FirstGiving  fundraising  teams,  offers  regular  fundraising  and  training  tips,  
downloadable  tip  sheets  and  training  guides,  and  spotlights  on  runners.  KWWSUXQQHUV¿UVWJLYLQJFRP

 : HHQFRXUDJHUXQQHUVDQGQRQSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQVWRVXEVFULEHWRRXU)LUVW*LYLQJIRU5XQQHUV
Facebook  group,  a  supportive  online  community  for  runners.
  Join  at  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_108926099171285

  View  and  upload  training  and  event  photos  in  our  FirstGiving  Event  Photos  Flickr  Group.  
 
 7DJ\RXUSKRWRVZLWKWKHQDPH³)LUVW*LYLQJ´DORQJZLWKWKHQDPHRI\RXUQRQSUR¿WWKHHYHQWDQGHYHQ
the  runners.  Our  events  page  is  part  of  the  larger  FirstGiving  community  and  highlights  the  many  different  
types  of  fundraisers  powered  by  FirstGiving.  

 7 KH2QOLQH)XQGUDLVLQJ%ORJLVDJHQHUDOUHVRXUFHIRUIXQGUDLVHUVDQGQRQSUR¿WV  Our  blog  is  a  

OHDUQLQJFRPPXQLW\IRUIXQGUDLVHUVDQGQRQSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQV:HRIIHUFDVHVWXGLHVVSRWOLJKWVRQ
events  and  individual  fundraisers,  news  about  FirstGiving  products  and  industry  news  about  fundraising.
  KWWSEORJ¿UVWJLYLQJFRP

  Want  to  start  a  FirstGiving  fundraising  event,  team  or  marathon  team?
  Contact  VDOHV#¿UVWJLYLQJFRP

  Have  a  support  question?&KHFNRXWRXUUHVRXUFHVVHFWLRQIRU)$4VKRZWRYLGHRVQRQSUR¿WWLSVDQG

 
WULFNVDQGRXUFRPPXQLW\IRUXPDWKWWSVXSSRUW¿UVWJLYLQJFRPIRUXPV,I\RXKDYHDFXVWRPHUVXSSRUW
question,  contact  our  Help  Desk  at  (877)  365-­2949  or  send  an  email  to  VXSSRUW#¿UVWJLYLQJFRP.  We  
now  offer  live  chat  on  our  website  during  business  hours  as  well.  

About FirstGiving
)LUVW*LYLQJKHOSVFQRQSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQVSODQH[HFXWHDQGPHDVXUHVXFFHVVIXORQOLQH
fundraising  campaigns  and  empowers  passionate  individuals  to  raise  money  online  for  thousands  
RIFDXVHV)LUVW*LYLQJLVWKHSURYHQRQOLQHIXQGUDLVLQJSDUWQHUIRUQRQSUR¿WVDQGWKHVXSSRUWHUV
that  care  about  them.    Organizations  and  individuals  alike  use  our  powerful,  easy-­to-­use  solution  
to  meet  and  exceed  their  fundraising  goals,  leverage  their  personal  connections,  and  raise  
awareness  for  causes  that  matter.

Visit  ZZZ¿UVWJLYLQJFRP  for  more  information.

Marathon  Fundraising  Success 21