April 2010
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Ready, Set, Raise Money as Running Grows
 
Greetings!  
 
The enthusiasm and attendance at our first Endurance Summit last month reflected the tremendous growth of programs that engage supporters in raising money by participating in existing endurance events.
 
Supporting that trend are the record levels of participation in marathons in 2009 recently reported by Running USA.   The organization recorded the greatest number of finishers (467,000) and the highest percentage of growth (10%) in 25 years. 
 
Running USA's Media Director Ryan Lampa provided me with another startling statistic.    Not yet released data indicates that half marathon finishers broke the 1 million mark in 2009.   Although dwarfed in overall participation by 5Ks (about 3.5 million), half marathons have been running's fastest growing segment since 2003, he pointed out.
 
That dovetails well with the advice Staci Brown of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Team Challenge shared at The Endurance Summit:  fundraisers should focus on half marathons.
 
Lampa expects half marathon participation to continue to grow in the years to come.   It draws runners  from two pools:  those who are "trading up" from 5Ks and "trading down" from marathons.  
 
I can relate.   I ran one painful, but exhilirating marathon through Team in Training in 1997 and have been toying with doing a half in this the year I hit 50.  
 
A Reader Challenge:   If 50 of you email me by Friday encouraging me to run a half before I hit 51, I will.   What's more, I'll select a group to fundraise for drawn from a pool of all the groups from which I receive at least five recruitment emails!
 
Ready, set, go!
 
David Hessekiel
President
Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council
Dempsey Challenge Raising the Ante and Going Multisportdempsey challenge
 
Two big announcements out of Lewiston, Maine:
 
1) To accommodate more participants, The 2010 Dempsey Challenge has been expanded to a two-day format and includes a 5K AND 10K Run/Walk on Saturday, October 2 and a 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-mile cycle tour on Sunday, October 3.
 
2) Recognizing that this is first and foremost a fundraising event, all Dempsey Challenge participants must now hit a $150 fundraising minimum in addition to paying a registration fee.
 
I applaud the Dempsey Challenge for incorporating a fundraising minimum -- a step that many events shy away from.   
 
Although I've heard it before, I was once again shocked at this year's conference to hear from experts that, overall, 70% of thon fundraising event participants don't raise any funds.
10 Steps to Greening Your EventFit Planet: May 18 
 
Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important issue for athletic event planners as municipalities, sponsors and participants alike demand 'greener' events.

Join Bruce Rayner, founder and chief green officer of Athletes for a Fit Planet, in this teleconference as he presents a practical and cost-effective approach to greening your event. From recycling to carbon neutrality to greening your supply chain, Bruce will share insights and ideas for how you can create a long-term sustainability plan. 

Click to register
 
$99 or FREE to RWRFC members
 
Convio Study Reflects Good and Bad News About Thon Registrants
 
Convio just released its voluminous, annual Nonprofit Online Benchmark Study.    One bit of data jumped out at me on page 10:
 
The Good News:  Visitors to the websites of nonprofits with thon fundraising events offer up their contact information at a rate nearly 8 times the nonprofit industry average.
 
The Bad News:  Unfortunately, a very high percentage of thon participants and their sponsors don't re-engage with the nonprofit once the event is over. 
 
Great rewards await those who can crack the code on converting more of those folks into long-term supporters!
 
You can read a summary report and download your own copy of the study by clicking here.
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In This Issue
Big Moves at Dempsey
Greening Your Event
Good and Bad News
 
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