Wanting to sponsor a fun run for a fundraising project is different from organising one. Are you sure that you want the actual work of organising the activity to be done by you? Because we’ll tell you this early: You’ll have the least fun in the fun run event when you’re the organiser. Well, if you’re all set to organise the event, then take a look at the following tips:
Think About Safety First
Before anything else, find a company that can sponsor the onsite safety and PPE products needed on the site of the event. If you can’t find a sponsor, squeeze this into the budget. You should not scrimp on the safety measures that will be put in place. The safety of all the participants is on your hand.
Form a Team
You cannot do everything alone. Find a reliable team that can be with you until the event has commenced and finished. You should be able to depend on your team members. Divide the chores according to their strengths and weaknesses. Try not to micromanage them because people work better when they are left on their own and only receive guidance for the big stuff.
Find a Great Location
Talk with the local government about finding a place where you can have the fun run event. They can suggest universities, high schools, track fields, roads in the business district during weekends, parks, and many more. They will also be the best resource for planning the route of the fun run. They can help with the crowd control and assist you in completing the necessary permits for the event.
Engage the Community, Media, and the Organisation
Start planning more than six months in advance. That will give you enough time to handle all the logistics and the finances of the event. Talk with the organisation about for whom you are planning the fundraising. They can help create awareness about the event months before it happens. If you are raising funds for breast cancer, do it in October during the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If it’s about cancer, plan it in February during the World Cancer Day.
Also, talk to local media and ask for sponsorship. In exchange, they can have access to the events for free. They can send local reporters to cover the event and write about it on their magazines, news websites, and papers.
Look for Sponsors
Talk to local businesses and non-profit organisations in the area. Tell them about your fun run event and how they can help raise awareness of your cause. This could be a part of their corporate social responsibility. Discuss with them the benefits of supporting your event, especially if it’s a big one with lots of participants. Leverage the number of attendees you expect to have.
Share on Social Media
Finally, share the news on social media. Ask your friends to share the link on their news feeds, too. Open the registration at least three months before the actual event. That will give everyone time to prepare for the run and fix their schedules accordingly.
Once the fun run event is over, your work is not done yet. Aside from the fact that you have to measure the success of the event, you have to look after the cleanup of the venue, too. Fun runs are, unfortunately, messy events. There will be lots of paper cups lying around, ribbons, number tags, etc. Make sure that your team has volunteers to handle this step.
