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?

Because it’s fun and some of us enjoy doing community things instead of living a lonely solitary life

Wow OP, you’re coming across as increasingly entitled. Not happy (or can’t afford) to pay £375 yourself but expecting your friends and colleagues to chip in to fund your hobby and your charity of choice. I don’t buy that your whole office is happy with these sorts of fundraisers otherwise why would your colleague have made the comment that prompted you to start this thread in the first place 🤔

I’ve said multiple times I don’t expect anyone to donate. What I’m not happy with is people casting aspersions on me.

This started because one of your coworkers approached you about it being inappropriate due to the severe economic crisis. You say people in your workplace are happy to hand over their money to fund coworkers' personal hobbies and projects and I just don't believe that. Your defensive replies when challenged on your belief that this is all cool reinforce my position that this should not be brought into your workplace, especially if you get snide and nasty with them like you are here when you aren't being supported.

No one is casting aspersions. They just believe your hobby and charity should be funded by you, not your coworkers.

Use your own SM. Would you be putting this on your work SM or would it not be allowed? If not, then it shouldn't be in the workplace either.

I hope your training goes well and you run your race.

Yes I’d very happily post it on LinkedIn or email it around my workplace. I don’t understand this idea that you should leave everything personal out of the workplace. Do you not chat to and like your coworkers?

There are always particular kinds of thick skinned people who are a little hard of thinking that don't realise that regardless of what they delude themselves in to thinking that actually many people are thoroughly sick of being asked for money in the workplace.

The fact that you responded to the previous posters by saying other people are strange for not wanting to chat/act like a community says it all.

I worked in an office with 8 other people who all had the same job title but significantly different salaries and vastly different home life finances such as one being a single parent through to one with some inherited wealth. It is very insensitive indeed to coax other people into giving money to YOUR chosen charity that YOU care about.

I have particular charities I am more than happy to give to - usually small charities without big CEOs etc and also in line with my personal views and faith.

There are many of the big charities I wouldn't dream of giving money to under any circumstances whatsoever as I fundamentally disagree with them on the the way they operate and I do not appreciate being coaxed into donating by work colleagues as this would mean I can either choose to ignore my personal strongly held convictions or have an awkward conversation in the workplace.

I do think it’s strange that people are saying “this is personal, keep it out of work” - why? Do you not chat to your coworkers?

Yes. Some have been close personal friends. But we're at work to work, not shoot the shit and our work was intense, to say the least. We save the personal stuff for outside of work. I worked with some marathon runners. They asked for no funding. You're mixing funding your personal hobby with co workers helping you fund that and that's where you're going wrong.

And the requests from money from everywhere are out of control now. I can't pay for something using my card without being asked to round up to the next dollar so the company can get a tax break for charity donations. We tip and pay a service charge or delivery fee on top. We even got pressured at one workplace to sign up for a percentage to go to x charity and they wanted 100% compliance.

I chat to my colleagues daily. But I don’t ask them for money to subsidise my hobbies and/or support charities of my choosing.

Let's say I'm going to learn to ski. The lift fees that are too much for me alone to pay but they will go to my charity of choice.

I think I'll try to hit up my coworkers to fund my lift fees for me going skiing because that money goes to charity and I get to ski.

Do you truly not see where that goes south? One coworker already spoke up about it. If one says something, others are thinking it.

I guess it’s just how different people view it. I’ve mentioned it to a few more colleagues today who have asked for the link and to be kept up to date on my progress!

But that’s entirely different 😂

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Different strokes for different folks I guess, we all get on very well and chat on the daily!

How?

I want to ski. The lift fees go to charity. Hit up coworkers for lift fees because I can't afford the full lift fees.

You want to run a race. Your fees go to charity. You want to hit up coworkers for fees because you can't afford the full race entry fees.

Well no, because skiing isn’t intrinsically hard or something you have to train for for a year, nor is it something where charity places are offered.

Are people this begrudging of children who raise money for charity or their sport club or activity?

I see it as: someone wants to raise money for charity to thank them for supporting them/their friend/family member or to help continue research into important area. So they will do a hard thing, like run 13.1 miles, and ask if people will sponsor them to do so. Or buy a cake with the money going to the charity.

Where did that become a cheeky thing to do? It would be cheeky if people were being forced to hand over a tenner under menacing actions. Not pay a quid for a bun.

I know some people will only donate if they think the person asking for donations is putting in equal or more effort than it takes to put their hand in their pocket. It still isn't equal to demanding strangers to pay for a skiing holiday!

Plus running 13.1 miles is bloody hard if you aren't a frequent runner! It's hard to do even if you are a regular runner too. (I know, I've done it 8 times).

If you flip it around and assume that everybody who gives not only has £X spare but also truly wants to give it to the same charity without any 'encouragement', why on earth would they require you to do anything before they will give it - and presumably will keep back for themselves this money that they otherwise dearly wanted to give to that charity if you don't do it?

With this in mind, I think it's safe to say - especially for the massive household-name charities - that pretty much all active fundraising (i.e. apart from a poster and a bucket left discreetly for anybody who passes by and happens to want to donate) includes an inherent element of persuasion/coercion which, by definition, most people won't genuinely welcome.

You’re either deliberately refusing to acknowledge the point people are making here or are actually being a bit thick. Of course when you mention it your colleagues are not going to tell you to your face that they think it’s an inappropriate request. One colleague has already hinted at this. Others probably will ask for the link when put in that position to avoid awkwardness. Some will be genuinely happy to donate. I’ve had situations at work where direct reports of mine have asked me to sponsor their charity runs and I feel obliged to smile and donate as I don’t want them to think they have a tight boss or create an awkward dynamic but in my head I’m definitely thinking that they should fund their own bloody hobby instead of hitting up their boss and colleagues. It’s not even about the money, I can easily afford to put in a tenner whenever someone asks and I do, but they can also easily afford to cover their own charity costs and I find it presumptuous and inappropriate for them to ask in the first place in the workplace, so I do judge them a bit for that.

This is how I feel. I could just save up over the next year, donate £375 to them and be done.

But it doesn’t really convey how I feel, and about my messaging behind it. I have a reason why I want to do this, related to the person whose memory I’m running in. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Actually I do have a bit more sympathy for kids trying to fundraise if they are actually doing something (as opposed to mum or dad selling chocolates in the office on their behalf). It’s a bit different as usually the kids have been asked to raise money by or for the school, guides etc and it teaches them some good lessons so definitely not the same as a fully grown adult wanting others to fund their hobby which is just cheeky. However if it was just that the parents had directed the kids to go around selling cakes or cookies in the neighbourhood because they feel like raising money for a particular charity I’d also find this unacceptable. Also, it’s rarely a case of someone wanting to support a charity so they decide to do something hard and uncomfortable to convince others to donate, more like they want to do a run or whatever and need to make a minimum charity contribution to get a place. In the OPs example she’s lost weight, gotten into running, wants to do a half marathon and now needs others to pay for her place essentially, she’s said as much herself. If she cared that much about the charity she could save the hotel and transport costs she mentioned and just donate all that to her charity without doing the run.

I think you’re extrapolating what I’m saying. I enjoy a nice little 4 or 5km easy run, with some breaks and maybe an ice cream after.

If I just enjoyed running that much? I’d go out and train to run 20k and just do it round my local area. I’m pushing myself massively out of my comfort zone to do this, purely because I want to do something hard for charity. If I just wanted to run a half marathon I’d either do it round my local area or pay to run a half marathon. It’s not just about that.

Nothing wrong with mentioning it once and asking for donations via mass email at work and a social media post.

I wouldn't do any more than that though, so as not to put people on the spot or come across as pushy if its repeated every week

That way people can choose to ignore the post/email or donate if they want

I'll be honest, I've stopped sponsoring people at work. There is a fundraiser email sent round about every 2 weeks because so and so is running a marathon/doing a triathlon/kid is going to Kenya etc and I've got sponsorship fatigue.

I have charities that I personally donate to and other than very close family/friends, thats enough fundraising for me.

I do wonder if all the people being so disparaging and nasty feel the same about the brothers who ran London marathon this weekend, one of whom with a fridge on his back, for a dementia charity? Or is it only when women do it that it’s an issue?

Oh I’d not keep asking each week, I plan on just doing one thing towards the end of the year. But this is genuinely a huge thing for me, physically and mentally, so I will mention my experience while I’m training for it because outside of the fundraising it’s going to basically take over my life 😂