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?

But you're NOT "doing something for charity", you're doing something you want to do, and trying to get others to 'do something for charity', by getting them to make donations on your behalf.

If you really want to 'do something for charity', then put your own hand in your pocket and donate directly to charity yourself.

If you really want to challenge yourself to run a half marathon (which I think is admirable by the way), then put your own hand in your own pocket and pay the full price entrance fee.

Leave others (and their money) out of it.

Personally I don't welcome fundraising requests in the workplace, whether for colleagues or their children. I prefer to make up my own mind about which charities I will donate to and it can feel awkward in the workplace if you don't agree to donate.

I agree with pps that when it's something like a run or a trek you are essentially paying for someone to do something they enjoy. It might be a challenge but no one does a charity marathon if they don't enjoy running. That's fine if you care about the charity and can afford to make a donation, but not if it's one that you wouldn't normally support or can't afford it.

Are you not bored yet

I also note @dontmalbeconmeyouve no response to the question about the brothers who ran London marathon. Interesting

You're very rude as well as entitled.

Do you really not get it?

You are running the race because it benefits you.

You are expecting other people to pay for you to have this experience.

People do not like this. They want you to pay for your own experiences, and donate your own money to the charities that you wish to support.

You are being selfish and entitled to dress this up as "doing something for charity". It's nothing of the sort.it's foing domething you want to fo (both the run and the donation) but at other people's expense. And during a CoL crisis, that's innapropriate and tone deaf.

I’m the rude one?

Again I ask - what do you think of the guys who ran London marathon with a fridge taped to their back?

I find it very ironic that you talk about a CoL crisis when you then urge me to spend £1000’s on charity. As I’ve said multiple times, if it was just about running a half I’d sign up for one a) a lot more locally and b) pay for a non charity spot.

@tilyougetenough You're rather scraping the barrel by trying to suggest that people who disagree with this type of fundraising are influenced by the sex of the fundraiser.

But you're NOT "doing something for charity", you're doing something you want to do, and trying to get others to 'do something for charity', by getting them to make donations on your behalf.

This is it IN. A. NUTSHELL.

Well I’ve asked her multiple times what she thinks of it and she avoids the question. I suspect she’ll come back with some line about it being a challenge, and prove me right.

I have no idea who you are talking about. But sex is obviously irrelevant. It is the act of making other people pay for your experiences and make donations on your behalf so that you can do an experience you personally want to do at a reduced price that I take issue with.

Run a half marathon if you want to- but pay for it yourself.
Donate to charity if you want to - but pay for it yourself.

The guys who are genuine charity runners may have paid their 300 quid or whatever it costs to the charity who sold them their place, then raised funds separately for a different charity altogether, something close to their hearts. Not something they picked from a list because they wanted to run the race and it was a means to an end.

Even if they were doing it for the same charity that sold them their plac, perhaps that's because that charity does have special significance for them,

If genuinely want to raise funds for whichever charity you are running for, then by all means, YOU strap a fridge to your back or dress up as a giant pair of testicals or run in a bear suit or whatever makes it even harder for you and drawd the required attention to your charity.

But you won't because that's not why you are doing it. Is it?

Ah so now it’s because I’m not putting in enough effort? Because training for a half marathon while working full time, being fat and unfit now isn’t enough.

I am fucking paying for it myself. I genuinely think you’re on a wind up now, or just a genuinely nasty person. I’d see what you meant if the place was normally £375 and I’ve only paid £20 - but it’s not. So you just look spiteful and mean spirited.

Yes, you're rude.
And what £1000s?
And why don't you just sign up and pay for a local half marathon non charity spot yourself? And make your own donation to charity out of your own funds if that's important to you.

Why oh why do you think it's OK to expect others to foot the bill for your choices?

I support charity fundraisers for friends and colleagues if I support the cause and I think some effort is going into it: I don’t give more than I can afford. Hopefully the company itself can sponsor too if it’s private sector.

I don’t judge anyone who doesn’t support, not that I’d know! I’d just assume that they didn’t want to for whatever reason.

I certainly don’t think it’s in bad taste to fund raise.

Eh? It's a bit different when it's kids, who mean well without understanding the wider picture; but why would it matter in the slightest what the sex of an adult doing this was?

Personally, I think carrying a fridge whilst running for 26 miles is a huge, stupid waste of effort that could have been used much more wisely and profitably. Think how many cars you could wash or lawns you could mow to make some money for the charity in a useful way with all of that energy.

If anything, if I were going to sponsor somebody for running a marathon, I would think twice about doing so for them doing such a potentially dangerous thing - as I wouldn't want to encourage or endorse such behaviour. Running that far exhausts you and puts enough strain on your joints as it is, without adding in an irresponsible gimmick which is clearly deleterious to your health and safety and could well see you in hospital.

Why would anybody only be willing to donate to charity if somebody is willing to endanger their health and wellbeing, but not otherwise? It actually sounds abusive to me to be wanting to put your name to it and 'order' a person to do such a thing before you will give to their charity.

Fuck me I’ve decided you’re just slightly thick

I agree you’ve had a hard time on here. The key point is no one has to donate if they don’t want to! I don’t normally donate to this kind of thing but I would if it was a cause I thought was great and a real challenge for the person. I’d definitely buy cakes! I did a sponsored event last year with my son and was a bit reluctant to ask for sponsorship but I did post on Facebook and ask various friends, being really clear I wouldn’t mind in the slightest if they didn’t sponsor us, and we raised nearly £800!

I am in the same boat though of having signed up to do a half this autumn having only been parkrunning for a year. I did a 10k a few weeks ago and did a Runna training plan to get me there, and it worked, I did it! So I guess next step a half! All my best friends are doing it so I signed up due to peer pressure. But it’s just a little local one with a £35 entrance fee and I won’t be fundraising for it.

I am also in the same boat in that I have entered the London marathon ballot (I was drunk when I did it). If I get in I will be panicking! But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Ironic...

You genuinely seem to think I’ve paid £20 for something that costs £375 normally

The place is normally £60, and you've paid £20 for a charity place. And you weren't even prepared to confirm you're going to top up to full ticket price out of your own pocket, in fact you got quite cross at the suggestion...

This. I do not like being asked to sponsor someone for doing something they want to do - I must get at least 10 requests a month.

And having worked for two major charities in the past, I’m very cynical about this sort of fundraising.

Somebody I follow on Instagram ran the London Marathon on a charity place last year. She shared the charity details on her page, and her personal connection to their aims - a connection that I also have, although I'd never heard of them before. So they, through her, got a donation they wouldn't have had (and a few subsequent ones too) if she hadn't had that place. Did she do it primarily because she wanted to run the London marathon- almost certainly. I just think it was a win win and I'm glad I found out about them.

what do you think of the guys who ran London marathon with a fridge taped to their back?

Publicity seeking stunt that might cost them dearly, orthopedically speaking.

What am I supposed to think? I wouldn't be donating to them because they ran with fridges, that's just asking for trouble. Crush injuries, no. There is all sorts of stuff that could go wrong.

I want to play a solo with an orchestra. Orchestra will do it for a donation to charity. I cant afford the donation to charity but I really want to perform the solo. After all I have been learning for years to play my instrument and while I enjoy it, it isnt easy and takes grit.

I'll just ask my friends and coworkers to pay the charity donation instead.