Marathon Fundraising Success Guide for Nonprofits

Data Analysis of 2010 Boston MarathonOnline Fundraising

Marathon Fundraising Success Guidefor Nonpro!t Organizations:

Marathon Fundraising Success 2

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 3

Boston Marathon fundraising background ............................................................................... 4

Key Learnings for Marathon Fundraising Success .................................................................. 8

Fundraising in practice ................................................................................................................ 18

Additional Resources ................................................................................................................... 21

This report was created by FirstGiving using internal data from 2010 Boston Marathon fundraising pages. This guide offers unique benchmarking data about how the 2010 Boston Marathon runners used FirstGiving to meet and exceed their fundraising goals. In each section

and guide endurance event fundraisers. Interested in using FirstGiving? Contact our sales team: . For further marathon data, download our companion slide deck at http://www.slideshare.net/Firstgiving/going-the-distance-boston-marathon-webinar.

How to use this guide

Fundraising requirementsBoston Marathon online fundraising 2007-2010 Boston Marathon 2010 key data points

Advice from Boston Marathon fundraisers for online fundraising success

Typical online donation amountsTypes of donations required to meet the fundraising requirementsTiming of donationsTop fundraisers versus the rest of the packPropensity of supporters to fundraise againFundraiser motivation through email communication: a pilot test case

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Executive Summary

Charity Teams. The 2010 Boston Marathon was held on April 19, 2010, and FirstGiving worked with 907

For this guide, we analyzed how fundraisers typically raise raise funds, how donors typically donate to fundraisers, and what sets top fundraisers apart from everyone else. In addition, we also created a post-marathon event survey to gather qualitative data about why runners participate in marathon teams, whether or not they would fundraise again for the same charity, and their prior experience in endurance events.

Based on our data analysis of the 2010 Boston Marathon runners and donors, we created this benchmarking report for endurance event fundraising. The benchmarks and best practices in this guide apply to any endurance event with a required fundraising minimum of $3,000 - $5,000.

Our key !ndings include:Online fundraising for endurance events as a percentage of total funds raised continues to grow. Overall, 73% of all donations were collected online, with an average of $2,973 per

requirement.

The majority of donors contribute in the range of either $25 - $75 or $100 - $150. Overwhelmingly, the largest category of donations is in the range of $25 to $75. The second-highest donation range is $100 - $125, and is critical to meeting the Boston Marathon fundraising requirement.

To raise $3,250, fundraisers need a minimum of 36 - 40 individual contributions on their fundraising page. Analysis of number of donations revealed that the median number of donations was 38, and the average number was 36. The majority of fundraisers who met their minimum requirement received between 36 and 40 donations per page.

range than the rest of the pack. Boston Marathon fundraisers who raised over $7,500 generated twice the number of $100-$150 donations.

The majority of the donations arrive in the four months prior to the marathon, but Over 90% of the

donations to fundraisers occurred January - April 2010. However, the average donation size was higher prior to January 2010.

Love the report? There’s even more data available in our data slide deck.

We’ve created a companion slide deck, with additional data about FirstGiving Boston Marathon fundraisers and donors. You can view the Marathon Fundraising Success Guide companion slide deck at http://www.slideshare.net/Firstgiving/going-the-distance-boston-marathon-webinar

http://www.slideshare.net/Firstgiving/going-the-distance-boston-marathon-webinar


Background on the Boston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is considered of the most prestigious endurance events in the world. It is hosted by

1.

2

organizations as charity partner participants, and offers them 15 bib numbers for a maximum of three years.

of $3,250. Runners that do not meet the $3,250 minimum requirement are charged the remainder of the

charity and the amount that they think that they can raise for the charity. For some charities, spots for bib numbers are highly competitive.

The 2010 Boston Marathon was held on April 19, 2010. In 2010, 23,176 runners participated in the Boston

Marathon runners raised money for 117 charities using FirstGiving. We estimate that 10% of the 2010

1

2


Fig. 1: Amount raised on FirstGiving by year

Fig. 2: Number of FirstGiving Boston Marathon fundraisers by year

Boston Marathon Online Fundraising 2007-2010FirstGiving has been tracking individual and charity team fundraising for the Boston Marathon since 2007.

solution.

and the total amount raised online through FirstGiving has increased year over year. The number of FirstGiving Boston Marathon fundraisers has increased 51% from 2007-2010, increasing the total amount raised online by 80%.

599

$1,477,068

$1,876,601$2,020,039

$2,696,896

700

848907

2007

2007

2008

2008

2009

2009

2010

2010


Boston Marathon 2010 FirstGiving Key Data Points

Total recorded online donations: $2,696,896

$73,775

Average amount collected per fundraiser (total): $4,054

Average amount raised online: $2,973

$1,080

Average online donation: $75

Average number of donations per fundraising page: 38


Fundraising pages: 907

815

Qualifying runners (without a charity sponsor)3: 92

317 have a fundraising goal of less than $32504

517 have a fundraising goal of $3250 - $50005

73 have a fundraising goal of more than $5000

3 Approximately4

the Boston Marathon.5 A majority of Boston Marathon fundraisers must meet a fundraising minimum of $3,250.

Under $3,250

$3,250 - $5,000

More than $5,000


Key Learnings for Marathon Fundraising Success

We analyzed donation distribution by size on the average fundraiser page, the number of donations per page, donation timing, typical online donation amounts, the size and types of donations that top fundraisers received in comparison to the rest of the fundraisers, and the propensity of runners to raise money again for

Online vs. of"ine donations

Marathon fundraisers typically employ a number of strategies to reach their fundraising minimum: mailing personal hand-written letters, sending email appeals, posting social network appeal requests, throwing

donations into the donation page manually6to be a proven recipe for success: FirstGiving fundraisers were, on average, able to collect almost the

the average donation far above the minimum, to an average of $4,054 per person.

Donations$1,090

OnlineDonations$2,973

6


Fig. 3: Distribution by number of donation amounts on the average fundraising page7

Fig. 4: Percentage distributions of donation amounts on the average fundraising page

Typical online donation amountsThe majority of donations per fundraising page are in the $25 - $75, or $100 - $150 ranges. The average donation is $75. The vast majority of donations are between $25 - $75, and the second-most popular range is $100 - $149. Further internal analysis reveals that the average donation in the $100 - $149 range is $105. What this tells us is that a typical fundraiser can expect most donations to come in under $75, but that donations of over $100 are also critical to meeting the fundraising requirement.

11 11

4

29

28

2

2

2

12

19

33

Under$25

Under $25

$25 to $49

$50 to $74

$75 to $99

$100 to $149

$150 to $199

$200 to $249

$250 to $499

$500+

$25 to $49

$50 to $74

$75 to $99

$100 to $149

$150 to $199

$200 to $249

$250 to $499

$500+

7

1 1 1 1 1

7 Based on an average of all fundraising pages that raised between $3200 - $3300


Fig. 5: Average number of donations on a 2010 Boston Marathon FirstGiving Page

Number of donations required to meet fundraising minimumsThe average number of donations needed to meet a fundraising goal increases with the size of the fundraising target. There is one exception: fundraisers who raised between $10,000 and $14,999 averaged fewer donations than those who raised $7,500 to $9,999. Top fundraisers received far more donations of $100+ than other types of fundraisers, which may account for the drop in number of donations needed at higher levels of fundraising.

Fundraisers should not be afraid to ask for donations in the $100 - $250 range.Many will give!

To raise $3250, fundraisers need between 35 and 40 donations per page.8

Set suggested amounts in the $25 - $75 range, the most popular giving bracket.

Consider segmenting the donor audience into “inner circle” and “everyone else” networks. Tailor the donation request appropriate to the network segment.

When setting a fundraising target, keep in mind the average number of donations per page for that target goal.

total amount raised. Fundraisers should not focus on donations of less than $25.

8 The average number of donations per page on FirstGiving is 40, the mean is 36, and the average of those who raised between $3,250 - $3,300 is 35.

Key Takeaways

2635

5264

70

8879

115

$10,000 - 14,999

$7,500 - 9,999

$5,500 - 7,499

$4,500 - 5,499

$3,500 - 4,499

$3,250 - 3,300

$0 - 3,250

$15,000+

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Number of donations received

Total raised


Fig. 6: Average donation per month leading up to the April 19, 2010 Boston Marathon.

Timing of donations

However, the largest per person average donation amount typically arrives seven to

Typically, close friends and family tend to donate early and in larger donation amounts. The one exception:

closing in on the fundraising goal at the same time, deeply inspires donors to give. Other reasons may be

runners are contributing to their own fundraising pages to meet the fundraising goal. What we do know is that many runners continue to raise money in the month following the marathon, as corroborated by Figure 7, and these late donors tend to donate in higher average amounts. Another note is that though individual contribution amounts may be higher the month after the event, the vast majority of the aggregate fundraising occurs prior to marathon.

$908,146

$736,967

$440,413$373,823

$123,429$58,862

$9,083$25$37,864 $5,210 $3,164

Sep-09

Oct-09

Nov-09

Dec-09

Jan-10

Feb-10

Mar-10

Apr-10

May-10

Jun-10

Jul-10


Fig. 7: Average donation per month to a fundraising page

Fig. 8: Average donation size compared with number of total donations by month

$99$87 $83

$72 $73 $73 $76

$134

$160

$140

$120

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0

$1,000,000

$900,000

$800,000

$700,000

$600,000

$500,000

$400,000

$300,000

$200,000

$100,000

$160

$140

$120

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0

Oct-09

Oct-09

Nov-09

Nov-09

Total aggregate amount donated Average donation

Dec-09

Dec-09

Jan-10

Jan-10

Feb-10

Feb-10

Mar-10

Mar-10

Apr-10

Apr-10

May-10

May-10


Fig. 9: Most runners plan to continue fundraising after race day9

Early donors tend to give in larger amounts - ask early to show larger amounts on view to other donors.

Runners must begin fundraising at least four months prior to the marathon in order to meet their fundraising goals.

Most fundraisers continue to raise money after the marathon event. Post-event donation solicitations return higher-than-average donation amounts (though many fewer donations are given).

9 Source: FirstGiving post-marathon fundraiser survey

Key Takeaways

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

YES NO


Fig. 10: Donation distributions per page of the top 25% fundraisers.

Top fundraisers versus the rest of the packDonations of $100 - $150 are critical to raising higher amounts of money. Those who raised over $7,500 typically had double the amount of donations in this range than others, and far fewer $25 -$50 donations than average.

We analyzed the FirstGiving fundraisers in the 2010 Boston Marathon that raised over $3,500, which represents approximately the top 25% of the 2010 FirstGiving Boston Marathon fundraisers.

Top fundraisers typically receive higher donation amounts per donor every single month. This may be because the goal is set higher, or the ask amount is higher than average. The breadth or quality of top fundraiser personal networks may also be a contributing factor.

$25 to 50

$50 to 75

$100 to 150

$500+

$3,500-$4,499

$4,500-$5,499

$5,500-$7,499

$7,500-$9,999

$10,000-$14,999

$15,000+

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Number of donations received

Total raised


Fig. 11: Average dollar donation to top fundraisers per month vs. the rest of the pack9

The higher the goal, the less important the $25 - $50 donations. Focus on the donations of $100+.

Those who raised over $15,000 relied heavily on donations of $500+.

Top fundraisers raised more money per donor.

9 Source: FirstGiving post-marathon fundraiser survey

Key Takeaways

$180

$160

$140

$120

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0

Average donations

Oct-09

Nov-09

Dec-09

Jan-10

Feb-10

Mar-10

Apr-10

May-10


Fig. 12: Do you plan to raise money again for the same cause in an endurance event?10

Propensity of supporters to fundraise againThe typical FirstGiving 2010 Boston Marathon fundraiser will likely raise money for the same cause again (Figure 12). Further internal data shows that 93% of Boston marathon runners felt a very strong or

Stay in touch with your marathon fundraisers throughout the year - they are inclined to raise money for your charity again.

Many repeat marathoners are interested in fundraising, even if they have

10 Source: FirstGiving post-marathon survey

Key Takeaways

5929

75


It is never too late to start fundraising:FirstGiving page activation testThough fundraisers who start early meet with the greatest success fundraising, we wanted to test the theory that it is never too late to start fundraising. In our pilot test

Not every fundraiser that creates a fundraising page actually asks for donations. (These are known as inactive fundraising pages.) In the case of the 2010 Boston marathon, those who opened Firstgiving pages

fundraising requirement.

At FirstGiving, we wanted to test the theory that even late-start fundraisers can raise money for a cause. As a pilot test, FirstGiving sent a reminder email to every inactive Boston Marathon fundraising page owner one week before the 2010 Boston Marathon. Our email content reminded fundraisers that it is never too late to begin asking for donations - even one week prior to the marathon.

Page activation reminders motivated runners to start fundraising, even as late as one week prior to the endurance event.

Our key !ndings include:

Last-minute fundraisers activated by FirstGiving raised $14,500 in the week before the 2010 Boston Marathon

week before the marathon event.

Regular communication with your runners keeps them interested in your cause and can motivate even inactive fundraisers to begin seeking donations.

Key Takeaways


Fundraising in Practice: Advice from Boston marathoners for fundraising success

Boston Marathon for a charity team next year?11

the reasons for running. We have gathered the best of their advice, included below:

Start early

Start fundraising early and make sure you have a plan that is actionable.

Start by November/December. Do not wait until later, as it is too late!

earlier. With the stress of training for a marathon, it would have at least lessened the stress of also reaching a lofty fundraising goal.”

Ask everyone

Contact everyone you know, be aggressive, and follow up.

Use social networks to promote.

Send emails, personal letters, and get the word out in as many ways as possible.

to give.

11 Source: FirstGiving post-marathon survey

and a great reason to have a party!”

-Mike raised $6,000 for Doctors Without Borders


Send updates

just asking them for money. Keep them up to date on your goal, and your training!

own personal marathon.

Start fundraising early and send updates every week.

“If you establish weekly emails or a daily training log/blog, then you have a continuous dialogue going and you have people thinking of you and your charity.If I had started sending out updates early, I think I would have been closer to reaching my goal.”

Creative of"ine fundraising

Hold a fundraiser. Plan an event well, and ahead of time.

Set up an event at a local bar or restaurant to really get participation. Rally off items at the event.

Have fundraising parties!

Network with other successful fundraising folks for different ideas that work.

Sell ad space on your jersey, like NASCAR!

“People are kind at heart and they want to support whatever charity you are running for so give them the opportunity to do so. Do something as simple as a get together, or host a party and ask for donations through your FirstGiving page as the RSVP.”

-Dave Granito, trainer for the New England Patriots, raised $4,962 for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.


Remember the reasons you’re raising funds Find a charity you feel some real connection to. It was hard enough to solicit money,

but if you feel some passion for the cause, it makes it easier.

“Ask yourself the real reason you are running and raising money and share that fully and authentically.”


Resources for fundraisers

The Runners blog highlights the successes of FirstGiving fundraising teams, offers regular fundraising and training tips, downloadable tip sheets and training guides, and spotlights on runners.

Facebook group, a supportive online community for runners. Join at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_108926099171285

View and upload training and event photos in our FirstGiving Event Photos Flickr Group.

the runners. Our events page is part of the larger FirstGiving community and highlights the many different types of fundraisers powered by FirstGiving.

Our blog is a

events and individual fundraisers, news about FirstGiving products and industry news about fundraising.

Want to start a FirstGiving fundraising event, team or marathon team? Contact

Have a support question?

question, contact our Help Desk at (877) 365-2949 or send an email to . We now offer live chat on our website during business hours as well.

About FirstGiving

fundraising campaigns and empowers passionate individuals to raise money online for thousands

that care about them. Organizations and individuals alike use our powerful, easy-to-use solution to meet and exceed their fundraising goals, leverage their personal connections, and raise awareness for causes that matter.

Visit for more information.

http://runners.firstgiving.com

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_108926099171285

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1561782@N22/

http://blog.firstgiving.com

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Marathon Fundraising Success Guide for Nonprofits

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