RWRF Council Logo
RUN WALK RIDE SUCCESS
February 2008
 
Greetings!
 
I'm just back from the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Conference -- what a great chance to learn from some incredibly sharp people.
 
At the conference we premiered the second annual study of athletic event fundraising --  the 2007 Run Walk Ride 30.
 
Among the highlights:
  • Total revenue grew 12.1% in 2007 for the top thirty programs to $1.64 Billion, gross
  • American Cancer Society's Relay for Life was #1 once again with $406 million raised.  It also registered the biggest dollar increase: $31 million
  • The fastest growing program was Walk Now for Autism which expanded by 49.2%
In spite of the challenging economy, survey participants predicted revenue growth in 2008.  The mean figure among those positing a prediction: 12%.
 
How will they achieve those goals?  Some plan to attract more participants, some will add events and others will focus on increasing the average raised per participant.  All agree that in an increasingly competitive field working smarter is essential.
 
Whatever your strategy, we're here to help!
 
David Hessekiel
President
Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council
Tel: (914) 921-3914
LLS & Nation's Triathlon PartnershipING logo
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society recently announced its second major co-branded event.   America's largest triathlon is now The Nation's Triathlon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

"LLS's goal is to do for triathlons what we've done for marathons over the past 20 years," said Nancy Klein, senior vice president, LLS Marketing Communications, speaking of the fundraising program that grew from 40 runners to more than 360,000 in 20 years.  "LLS is once again getting ahead of the wave, and we're ready to put the muscle behind this campaign. More importantly, triathletes are ready for the spaces to open to them."

Teleconference on March 11: Lessons from "Summit for Someone"Summit for Someone
Big City Mountaineer's Summit for Someone program is a classic example of how a small nonprofit can earn big rewards from a signature program.
 
Executive Director Mark Godley will share the story behind Summit for Someone and practical guidance for groups seeking to develop an athletic event fundraising program that reflects their unique positioning. 
 
Admission to the live one-hour session and accompanying presentation is $49.95 or FREE to RWRF members.
 
Ride Without Limits Gets Kudos from Bicycling MagazineING logo
The editor of Bicycling Magazine recently devoted his monthly column to praising United Cerebral Palsy's Ride Without Limits.
 
"The Ride Without Limits in Tampa was the best-run, most rider-friendly charity event I've ever participated in," wrote editer Stephen Madden.
 
Congratulations to United Cerebral Palsy and Event 360 which helped produce the Ride Without Limits.
In This Issue
LLS & Nation's Triathlon
Don't Miss 3/11 Teleconference
Ride Without Limits Praised
 

Get Your Own Copy of the Data
 
If you'd like to benchmark your athletic event fundraising programs, the Run Walk Ride 30 Data CD is the one and only source to turn to.
 
Based on a combination of self-reported data from leading nonprofit organizations and public information, the data CD is your guide to 50 leading programs.
 
Join the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council today on an organizational ($750) or individual ($250) level and we'll send you a copy of the data CD right away.
 
TIME TO CHECK OUT

It's the site dedicated to supporting athletic event fundraising professionals.  Don't miss:

 
 
 
and much more!