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It was 40 years ago today....
Greetings!
Pop Quiz: The roots of the multibillion-dollar athletic event fundraising field industry can be traced back to:
1) New York, NY  2) Los Angeles, CA
3) Bismarck, ND
Give yourself a pat on the back if you selected Bismarck. The first Crop Hunger Walk, the original charity fundraising walk, was held there in 1969. This year Church World Services expects 200,000 walkers across the nation supported by 2,000,000 sponsors to raise $15 million, according to National Director of Community Fundraising Terry Allen.
( Click here for an LA Times story on the Crop Hunger Walks.)
Our field has grown exponentially in size and sophistication since those big-hearted midwesterners cooked up the thon fundraising concept 40 years ago.
That's why I'm so excited to invite you to our March conference focused on improving your program's performance in spite of the tough economy.
Our expert faculty will introduce you to cutting edge strategies, tactics and technologies. You'll be inspired by our Pacesetter and Cash, Sweat & Tears awards. And you'll expand your network of "thon" fundraising colleagues.
Special thanks to the Crop pioneers -- and happy Thanksgiving to you all!
President
Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council
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Are higher street-use fees a threat? 
Just down the road a piece from where we'll be holding our conference, authorities in Fort Worth, Texas are shaping an ordinance that could sharply increase fees charged to charity event organizers, according to an article in the Star-Telegram.
Will higher city fees take a serious bite out of athletic event fundraising in 2010? Click here to take part in an instant poll -- it should take you 10 seconds to participate. |
Our first "Tricks of the Trade" Winner 
The adage "When you have lemons, make lemonade" inspired Nick Risom, winner of our first Tricks of the Trade award. Nick is the chairman of Stamford Hospital's Hope in Motion Walk, Run & Ride which raised $830,000 this year.
To recruit participants, Nick and his daughter set up a free lemonade outside a bike store. They offered leftover t-shirts (the lemons) from last year's ride for a $10 donation. They ended up raising $130 in 3 hours and "had many people walking around the shopping center proudly wearing our event's t-shirt!" (the lemonade).
Whether you've got 100 t-shirts or 10,000 energy bars, what could you do to convert them from junk to valuable assets?
Send us a 50 to 100 word "tip of the trade" by Thanksgiving and we'll send you a $25 discount on our 2010 conference. If we publish your tip we'll reward you with a $25 Starbucks card.
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Calling Endurance Program Leaders
Low barriers to entry and the opportunity to raise significant dollars have made endurance fundraising programs our field's  fastest growing segment.
That's why we'll be holding the first ENDURANCE PROGRAM SUMMIT on March 3 just before the start of the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Conference.
The Summit is free to conference registrants or $295 early bird/$395 regular by itself.
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REGISTRATION OPEN
FOR CONFERENCE
MARCH 3 & 4 IN DALLAS
NEW offerings include:
Conference sessions on fundraising incentive design, cost control, using online video +++
December 10 Teleclass:
"LEVERAGING INDEPENDENT EVENTS"
Learn to make the most of independent events from Charity Dynamics, Canadian Cancer Society and Blackbaud executives
SIGN UP NOW
$99 or FREE to members
for free teleclasses and recordings, online promotion of your group or company, a copy of the RWR Thirty CD and more.
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