February 2011
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Does Buying Beneficiary Rights Make Sense?
 
Greetings! 

 

Competition for endurance fundraising participants has grown so intense that an increasing number of nonprofits are investing in naming and/or beneficiary rights deals with event producers.

 

Most of the activity is in the marathon and half marathon field.   The Competitor Group's Rock 'N Roll Marathon series has deals with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Team Challenge in Las Vegas, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training in San Diego, Komen's Marathon for the Cure in Dallas, and the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation in Chicago, New Orleans and Seattle.

 

In the burgeoning triathlon field, LLS struck an exclusive deal three years ago with the Nation's Triathlon in Washington, DC.  

 

The costs of these relationships for nonprofits can reach six-figures, but sometimes there's no cash involved. 

 

That was the case when The AIDS Foundation of Chicago's Team To End AIDS (T2) was named the official charitable training program for the Chicago Triathlon.    AFC was designated the event's official charity which means it will be the only charity granted a page on the triathlon's website among other promotional benefits.

 

The Chicago Triathlon's team was impressed with T2's enthusiasm, commitment and local nature, according to T2 National Director Mike Dilbeck who expects to bring 200+ participants to this year's event.)

 

Benefits of beneficiary deals range from the extreme of total exclusivity -- Komen, for example, is the exclusive beneficiary of the Dallas Rock N Roll Marathon -- to packages involving special promotional, fundraising and participant opportunities.

 

Some of the exclusive relationships are driving nonprofits to competing events.  US Road Sports & Entertainment Group links participation by about 20 new nonprofits in its Chicago Half Marathon & 5K to the American Cancer Society's exclusive deal with the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon.

 

Are nonprofits earning positive ROI on their investments in special rights?  That's sure to be a topic of discussion at our Endurance Fundraising Summit on March 1.   Hope you'll join us!

 

 

David Hessekiel

President
Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council
[email protected] 

PS -- Great news! We've just announced a conference scholarship program made possible by Event 360. This is a great opportunity, especially for Georgia nonprofits, to attend this year's conference.  Visit http://web.event360.com/rwr2011/ to learn more.  Entry deadline is February 13.

Hot Ticket in NYC: Five-Boro Bike Tour
 
The city of New York closes down streets in all five boroughs for only two events a year: the ING NYC Marathon and the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour.
 
Both events are extremely difficult to get into (this year's bike tour sold out in two days).   Taking a page from the marathon's playbook, Bike New York just launched a charity guaranteed entry program.
 
Thirty-four nonprofit groups are spliting up 1,300 guaranteed entries for the May 1 event, according to Project Manager Jamie Defour.   Each group selected had to commit to filling at least 20 slots, which cost them $200 each.   Each charity participant must raise a minimum of $1,000.
 
The application process is over for this year, but it will open up again in mid-November.   "We know a lot of charities have taken a hit in this recession and we want to be fair about giving many groups an opportunity," said Defour.

Reinvent Your Event Fundraising
One in a series of tips sponsored by Event 360
  Event 360 logo
 

Think in segments.  Identify segments in your participant pool and then target those segments differently.

 

With online tools you can customize your communications across dozens of segments, messaging differently depending upon participant status, participant activity, geographic and demographic factors, and so forth. Just focusing on a few simple segments could most likely greatly improve performance.

 

A warning: Be selective in your segmentation.  Be sure to consider the operational questions. It is all well and good to identify 50 unique segments, but who will write separate communications for each one? It is essential that you identify, up front, how many segments you can actually administer.

 

For more practical thon fundraising tips, visit www.event360.com/blog

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In This Issue
NEW: 5-Boro Bike Tour Charity Program
Smart Segmenting
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Marathon Fundraising Strategy Teleconference: February 16
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