I'm delighted to be running the London Marathon for...
Nah, despite over two decades of talking a great marathon in a professional context, I haven't ever completed that distance in one go, and will not be joining the ranks of contacts in your LinkedIn feed seeking sponsorship as 21 April draws inexorably closer.
We exist in a sector echo chamber where everyone taking part in a mass event is supporting a cause they're connected to, skilfully sharing charity stories and distributing links to online fundraising pages.
The reality - as shared by massive (ltd)'s latest Mass Participation Pulse Report - is that less than a third of people at any given marathon, half marathon, 10k, triathlon, or swim are raising funds for charity. The warm and fluffy motivation of supporting good causes is way down the list after fulfilling personal goals and getting fit.
So, when someone does choose to participate for a charity it makes them VERY SPECIAL INDEED.
Yet in fundraising teams across the land, the familiarity and usual-ness of dealing with event participants means we treat them less like the magical unicorns that they are and, frankly, more like sheep.
Mass emails are sent greeting a "dear supporter," incoming queries are passed around internal teams taking days to recieve a response, the same tired case studies and shopping lists are trotted out again and again, and the vital act of saying thank you is entrusted to operational teams (or even outsourced entirely).
Thing is, it's cheaper and easier than you think to make supporters feel special.
I may be giving away valuable IP and consigning myself to a life of unemployment here, but it's this simple:
1. Draw the supporter journey and have colleagues (or even better, supporters themselves) tell you where it's broken
2. Identify the quickest easiest fixes and do them
3. Repeat
If you'd like some help with that give me a shout.
In the meantime, there's heaps of great insight in the Massive's Mass Participation Pulse Report and it's free, so go and grab it here:
https://lnkd.in/ecxBwsyA
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A white cartoon unicorn has big friendly eyes, a pink snout and hooves, a twirly straight horn, and the most magnificent rainbow mane and tail. It's galloping across a white background, leaping into the air. It came from clipartbest.com.
Swimming Teacher / Run Leader and Sport Enthusiast
6moGood advise Jim👍🏻 Best of luck for a great run