Let me begin by saying that I am in no means an expert. Every year, I learn something new about event planning and race coordinating. Every year, new goals are set to improve fundraising efforts. My advice is purely based on my own experiences.
- Choose a cause. Choose something that is close to your heart. For my family, my grandfather passed away after he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, due to his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Despite this, he was proud of his service. We chose to hold our 5K in memory of him and selected a nonprofit, Operation Homefront, an organization who financially assists veterans and their families. Research to find a nonprofit that matches the cause you wish to support.
- Develop a team. My aunt had mentioned the idea of organizing an event for my grandfather. I brought the idea back up and she was all in! Her experience organizing athletic events is extremely useful. Then, I reached out to family and friends for help spreading the word, recruiting runners and walkers, and finding volunteers.
- Hire a timing company. Timing companies will time the race for you. There is an option to time the race yourself, but for anyone inexperienced in 5K’s, a timing company is the best option. Many of them will handle online registrations for you, too.
- Create social media accounts. One of the biggest challenges is spreading the word. Social media allows for you to reach many people outside of your family and friends. For our 5K, we have a Facebook page and an Instagram. We share the registration link, important updates, and raffle prizes.
- Make a logo. When you make an event, it is important to create a logo that can be used for flyers, t-shirts, and other items. For us, we use our race name: Roger A. Cote Run for Courage and include the Operation Homefront logo.
- Design flyers. Once the logo is created, you can design flyers to post in local places. You can use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or apps such as Canva to create flyers. Important information to include on the flyer is: the name of the event, the date, time, and location, a quick blurb about the event’s cause, and any sponsorships.
- Seek out sponsors. Speaking of sponsors, you should seek them out. Find local businesses or foundations who support your cause. Restaurants, other races, and sportswear shops are great places to start.
- Purchase t-shirts and medals. A great way to get the word out is through t-shirts! Runners and walkers like to get a t-shirt to remember the race. Chances are, they will wear it again, and more people will see. Also, medals are great to have for race prizes.
- Raise money using GoFundMe. From the beginning, you should set a goal of how much money you want to raise for your cause. In order to ensure that you raise that money, it is good to start a GoFundMe to pay for race costs. All of the other money raised then goes straight to the nonprofit.
- Share that registration link and recruit runners and volunteers! Spread the word about your race. Share it on social media, post flyers to local restaurants and shops, go to local races and pass out flyers to runners, or post them to cars. This may be the hardest part of the process and the number of registrations will fluctuate. Don’t lose faith. The number will grow and, no matter how small of a race it is, you will still make a difference!
I hope these tips are helpful and may even inspire more people to take leaps into supporting a cause they are passionate about.
Best of luck,
Hayley
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