Fun Walk or Run

A fun walk or run is a unique fundraising idea. Before you think a this idea is really hard…I know a high school senior in Oregon who raised $5,000 in her small rural community for her senior project. It can be done and it can be a great experience and raise some much needed cash for your school.

A fun walk or run that is themed can be a great tradition. For example, a turkey trot, jingle bell run (tie jingle bells to participants' shoes) or Homecoming 5K offer opportunities to develop long standing traditions when people come back home for the holidays or special events.

To get started

It is critical to contact the local authorities to understand the policies, rules and fees associated with these types of events. Many fun walks and runs are conducted on the weekend (a lot are on Sundays) due to the streets that will need to be closed or traffic that will need to take other routes.

You will need to have lots of volunteers the day of the event but of course…the planning can have a lot of details that can be overwhelming. But, if you break it down into manageable chunks and stick to your timeline, it can be accomplished. It is a true team effort.

You will need to think about registration, promotion, individual and corporate sponsorship forms, fundraising incentives and prizes, race course logistics, promotion and publicity and volunteer management. There are many companies to help with the important details you will need but a lot of these things can be done with volunteers to maximize your profits.

The best way to raise money for this type of event is to motivate your participants to fundraise. Just simply paying the registration fee will not gain you huge profits because there are expenses involved with the event even if you are able to secure in-kind donations. Specifically explaining in your promotional material what different contribution amounts mean to your organization, school or charity will increase your donations.

Sorry, this portion of our site is still under construction. But coming soon, please check back for an event planning checklist for a fun run or walk.