Fargo Marathon Charities
The Fargo Marathon began in 2005 and the community quickly rallied around the event. As the event grew, volunteers even coordinated a Charity Team program that encouraged individuals running in Fargo Marathon events to do so on behalf of a favorite organization.
Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) acquired this fundraising program in 2010 and found that it was at a tipping point. DMF wanted a hands-on leader to bring the volunteer-run program to the next level.
DMF brought Reach Partners on board to revamp and manage the program. Rachel worked closely with the nonprofits -- those that had already participated in the volunteer-led program and those that hadn’t -- to develop a plan for the project. She asked the right questions to keep the group focused and moving forward. She researched best practices, comparable programs and industry trends to bring context and ideas to the conversation.
She also led the charge for creating resources that charities of all sizes could use to encourage and support runners who raised funds for their organization.
“(Reach Partners) tackled the big challenges, little hiccups, and celebrated our charities’ successes, empowering them every step of the way,” said Patrick Traynor, executive director of DMF.
Even more importantly, Reach Partners managed stakeholders throughout the project, facilitating strong collaboration and clear communication among the partners.
“Through the ups and downs of the program, Reach worked through the challenges,” Traynor said.
What We Delivered:
View the Runner's Fundraising Toolkit
Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) acquired this fundraising program in 2010 and found that it was at a tipping point. DMF wanted a hands-on leader to bring the volunteer-run program to the next level.
DMF brought Reach Partners on board to revamp and manage the program. Rachel worked closely with the nonprofits -- those that had already participated in the volunteer-led program and those that hadn’t -- to develop a plan for the project. She asked the right questions to keep the group focused and moving forward. She researched best practices, comparable programs and industry trends to bring context and ideas to the conversation.
She also led the charge for creating resources that charities of all sizes could use to encourage and support runners who raised funds for their organization.
“(Reach Partners) tackled the big challenges, little hiccups, and celebrated our charities’ successes, empowering them every step of the way,” said Patrick Traynor, executive director of DMF.
Even more importantly, Reach Partners managed stakeholders throughout the project, facilitating strong collaboration and clear communication among the partners.
“Through the ups and downs of the program, Reach worked through the challenges,” Traynor said.
What We Delivered:
- Researched and studied best practices, industry trends for charity fundraising during racing events
- Developed budget requirements
- Prioritized project goals
- Set and managed project timeline
- Established expectations for stakeholders
- Wrote a communications plan for awareness and consistency among charity teams
- Designed toolkits for runners and charities to use
- Presented coaching and nutrition workshops for runners
- Set up an online fundraising tool for easier giving
- Designed VIP events for charity runners on race day
View the Runner's Fundraising Toolkit