Charity Doesn’t Begin at a Marathon Start Line
I often hear about people running a marathon or climbing a mountain to raise money for a good cause. While charity and fitness are both great, I cannot see the connection between the two. I don’t understand how someone running 42km is going to help starving children, unless of course they are running through a farm pulling vegetables out of the ground to send to the kids.
Personally I would love to have someone sponsor me to climb a mountain. I get to go on a life changing holiday while someone else picks up the tab. Nonetheless, I’m not so sure it’s ethical to claim that my climbing a mountain will help earthquake victims. If anything, investing in mountain gear for myself will mean having less money to donate.
So what exactly is the harm in running a local marathon and getting people to sponsor you? You have a sense of achievement and money is raised for cancer research. The trouble is that this seemingly win-win situation is inefficient. You aren’t actually doing anyone a service by running. The hours you spend training for the race could be used to work a part-time job and your extra earnings could then be donated to charity. And your friends who support cancer research could donate without you having to realise how horribly out of shape you are.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I think even awareness campaigns which people mindlessly where colored wrist bands or ribbons twisted to bows doesn’t serve the purpose (some people don’t even know what they are supporting, and have not read past the first two lines of the awareness campaign brochure).
To me it is perhaps a show of solidarity, perhaps a sentiment or a message that this is a cause on our mind – but as you argued not a very efficient ways of doing things.
Oops, I meant wear (not where)
Some of these charity sporting events are often no more than a way for corporations to drum up good publicity.
But it serves as awareness for others as well , doesn’t it ? I agree it being inefficient though
I suppose it does create awareness but like you said there are more effective ways to do that.
Like what?
Please provide .. Specific examples of charities that are of quality (meaning they use the funds raised for actual research not rent in a high priced space or retreats for chair members).
What ways do non profit health specific organizations have to “spread awareness”?!!
Here’s an idea: How about if I go to work next week for 40 hours. You can sponsor me at say, $1/hour. Then like you suggested, I could contribute to my cause as well. Much more efficient. But not so fun. If we want to put fun into fundraising, I guess it won’t every be as efficient as simply giving. The fun part costs time/money. But if having the fun part increases the total giving enough, and we won’t give without the fun, I guess fun can be profitable for charity. I never thought of fun as overhead expenses before.
I see what you are saying, but you running isn’t exactly fun for the people donating. I suppose something like a bake sale or a car wash makes the most sense because there is actually a service involved and it’s fun.
Right. Me running is not exactly fun for those donating (though I believe they would find it hilariously entertaining to see me trying to keep up in a race). When I sponsored a friend to walk for their cause, it wasn’t “exactly fun” for me, but it was meaningful. The person walking was waking in memory of a relative who had died. So I somehow became involved in a ritual that included a purpose for the future and personal connection to people I care about.
Somehow, I came to share the passion of the person walking- empathy with them for their loss and their cause. Donating without the walking ritual would not have created the same connection I felt to the cause. Making the walker’s commitment visible made a difference even though walking was unrelated to the cause. On the other hand, donating for someone to walk without the personal relationship/purpose/story may have actually decreased my connection and attraction to the cause because of using the walking as a gimmick/tool to get my participation.
I’m interested in this discussion because I’m involved in caused based marketing and have concern about the dynamics of social networks, individual motivation, funding potential and relationship ethics. Thanks for initiating the conversation about meaning and efficiency in fundraising.