To fundraise for a half marathon?

[tilyougetenough]

I’ve entered a half marathon next spring (I do appreciate it’s a long way off but it’s a very popular one and I wanted to secure my place!), and in order to take part I need to raise £375 for a charity.

I want to do things like bake sales, etc., to bring in some money as I think it’ll be tough to hit that amount without doing it. But one of my colleagues has mentioned in passing that it’s not in good taste to do something like this at the moment as times are tough.

I can’t lie, I do expect the majority of it to come from my family - my parents have promised £150 already and my SIL has promised some money too. AIBU to try and fundraise, or should I just stick the link on my Facebook page and hope for the best?

Well done in signing up and entering the race.

Ignore your colleague. The London Marathon. Is the biggest fund raising event in the UK, I believe, so people are still donating.

I guess the only advice is not to force people into donating. Make your cakes, but don’t make people obliged to buy them (some people avoid homemade stuff). Where do you plan to sell them? Also, will there be much profit after buying all the ingredients etc?

Maybe do a quiz night instead? More effort, but more profit?

I’d do it at work. Not bothered about profit, I love baking and would just buy the ingredients out of my own pocket. I wouldn’t recover anything back!

Yanbu at all. I was meant to run the London Marathon this year for charity but couldn't for various reasons. I am carrying over my place to next year. I started fundraising and to my surprise raised over £500 just in donations from friends and family. I also got rid of a load of stuff at a car boot and put half towards the fundraiser. As long as you aren't pestering people to donate it is fine!

The other thing is not to do it too regularly. Maybe once a month at most. The last Friday of the month, for example. ‘Cake Friday’ .

I'll be honest, I don't donate to things like this, as I do see it as paying for someone to do an activity they want to do, and I really think it's on them to cover the full 'donation' for their experience. I do donate directly to charity though.

Why the need for the 'charity place'? Why not pay your own fees for the activity you want to do, and just make your own donation to whatever charity you want to support?

Well done on doing something hard! I would do whatever you want re sponsorship. I get asked to sponsor people for things all the time, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I see absolutely no harm in putting it out there - you're not forcing anyone. It's much easier these days as you can just send a link. I think it was more awkward in the old days when you had to get people to sign a form in person - harder to say no to. Bake sale is also a lovely idea - I love stuff like that! Good luck!

I don't think you should be asking work colleagues to buy your cakes. I assumed you were doing a gneral bake sale, with random members of the public. It's a lot harder to say no, when these things are pushed on you in the workplace.

I wish you luck in fundraising though, and I hope you enjoy your half marathon experience.

Because cancer research means a hell of a lot to me, I donate to them regularly but just thought this was a good way to push myself to do something I really could not do right now

Charity places are often the only way to get into races. Why should she have to self fund? Why should only people who are wealthy get to do half marathons?

I am happy donate if it feels that the event is challenging enough for the participant. If Mo Farah sent around a half marathon sponsorship I’d tell him to get lost but it sounds like it’s a challenge to OP so I’d have no issue in sponsoring her.

I kind of agree with this-it feels like getting people to pay for you to do something prestigious connected with your hobby.

Can’t you pay the entrance fee yourself and then you and your family can donate to the charity that means something to you all?

You can donate to Cancer Research or fundraise for Cancer Research without running a half marathon?

This isn't about raising money for charity, it's about you wanting to do an activity and expecting others to pick up the tab for that by way of a charity donation.

£375 would be a huge stretch for me

Well done for training and signing up for this.

With all fundraising people have the choice to contribute or not.

In my last job quite a few people shared their fundraising challenges through email.with a link to their donation page and some people donated. The fact that those are shared by email means there is no pressure to contribute.

If that was the case I’d have just paid the £60 for a genera entry place

I appreciate it might be diffcult, but your mum has already agreed to donate £150. So that's a big headstart. If you save the money you would have spent on bake sales, and also have a clear out to sell unwanted items, making up the remainder might not be as diffcult as you think.

Go for it and good luck

Sure, but the point is to try and find sponsorships.

I’m always happy to donate to friends doing tough physical challenges like this. A half marathon from basically no running base is hard work! Plenty of people around me are fundraising for stuff a lot of the time, and good for them. I donate to the stuff that resonates and don’t feel bad about not donating to the stuff that doesn’t. Good luck!

So why didn't you do that, and raise money for Cancer Research separately? Serious question.

I presume a 'charity place' is a fast track/guaranteed entrance option, as opposed to the ballot. So you're essentially buying yourself a place by means of a 'charity donation', so it's the cost of doing the activity, which really you should bear.

Because I want the challenge and I want to do something beneficial

I personally wouldn't hold a bake sale in the workplace - awkwardly pressures people to buy even if it isnt your intent. Most charities are doing good not out and out evil, so it makes it difficult to say no. And then before you know if everyone is doing something for charity every week. That being said no one carries cash anyway. I am so pleased COVID killed of the donation envelopes for every birthday/anniversary/baby/retirement etc. It was every week!

I think email is a good idea - but then rhat is just asking for money for nothing which is why you thought of the bake sale in the first place!

It is tricky for sure!

Boot sale FB marketplace with a big sign saying "all money going towards my cancer reasearch half marathon" ?

We still do collections every month for birthdays and everyone is quite happy to chip in, which is why I feel quite confident that they’d even do 50p or something

You haven't answered my question. Why didn't you opt for a general entry place (paid for by yourself), and just fundraise for your preferred charity separately? Why specifically choose the charity place?

Presumably if Cancer Research means so much to you, you personally donate and fundraise for them on an ongoing basis? It's not obligatory to complete a sought after, prestigious activity in order to fundraise/donate to charity. Many people donate/fundraise for charity without expecting something in return.

Because I wanted to do it as a charity thing? Why are you so offended?

Surely you can still fundraise even if you enter via the general admission?

It would mean that you can focus on the race without worrying about reaching the mandatory fundraising goal.