Marathons, long-distance cycling events, triathlons and long distance hikes are fast becoming the charity fundraising event of choice. If you want to raise more money than a typical coffee morning, and you want to get fit and have a great time doing it, then you need to get an endurance event in your calendar.
To understand the appeal of these events and why they are great for charity fundraisers, we’re taking a deep dive into what it takes to complete an endurance event, and how individuals and teams are using them to supercharge their fundraising efforts.
What is an endurance event?
Endurance events challenge your physical fitness and your mental endurance at the same time. It’s not your usual 5K fun run that most people could complete without any training, it often requires commitment on the run up to the event to make sure you’re physically fit enough to finish it.
While there are certainly people who launch into these events without training, you’ll get more from the event if you prepare in advance. This is one reason that this type of event is so great for fundraising. You’re not just asking people to sponsor you for the event, you’re inviting them to come along for the journey and sponsor your commitment to the training schedule as well as the final event.
Why are endurance events great for fundraising?
To ask someone to sponsor you, it’s helpful if you’re taking part in something challenging. This could be a physical challenge, such as completing a long-distance cycle, or it could be a mental challenge, such as throwing yourself out of a plane with a parachute. The idea is to ask for sponsorship because you are completing something difficult.
With endurance events, the average person wouldn’t be able to complete it without significant training, so there is the added pressure of also having to commit to a training plan for your event. If you’re not known to be active, then this further ups the ante and makes the feat even more impressive. For those who are already quite active, they can push themselves further with challenges that seem daunting even for them.
How do these types of events help charities?
Charities benefit from the fundraising that goes into these events, but also from entry fees. Participants will often pay an entry fee to take part, and this can be quite significant for events that are in high demand. There may also be a minimum fundraising amount, and this helps to protect charities against people taking part just for the experience, but not prioritising fundraising.
People will also ask for sponsorship to help motivate them and hold them accountable. There is the added pressure of knowing that you have told people you’re taking part, so you can’t back out or fail to complete the challenge without good reason. It also helps to keep training on track, as you’ll be able to update your sponsors on your progress.
The chatter around the preparation is also great for building awareness for the charity you are raising money for. Other people might be unaware that the charity exists, or they might be unaware of the work they carry out. You might inspire others to take part in fundraising events, or to volunteer with the charity. All exposure is good exposure when it comes to raising money for charity.
How to maximise fundraising efforts
If you’re taking part in an endurance event and want to make sure you’re raising as much money as possible for charity, consider the following tips.
- Get started early – don’t delay your fundraising efforts until the event, you can get started with asking for sponsorship as soon as you know you’ll be taking part.
- Share your journey – your training plan can help to showcase the effort you are putting into your training, allowing you to rack up more donations by demonstrating your commitment.
- Get social – social media is great for documenting your journey and encouraging your friends and family to donate. Remember that you can also leverage your professional networks, so don’t be shy about sharing on sites like LinkedIn.
- Showcase your struggles – it doesn’t all have to be smooth sailing. Sharing the highs and the lows will help to humanise your story and demonstrate that it is a real challenge for you. Obviously, you’ll need to strike a balance between sharing your struggles and complaining.
- Say why it matters to you – people often get involved in fundraising for deeply personal reasons. So if you’re taking part in memory of a loved one, don’t be afraid to mention this. It could help you to connect with more sponsors, as they might recognise their own struggle in your sharing. It can also help to showcase your knowledge of the charity and who they help.
