Fundraising Update #2

Making the link nice and accessible for you: https://fundraisers.nyrr.org/alexiathomas

This is going to be a little repetitive given that not much has happened since my last fundraising update, but at the time I posted Fundraising Update #1 I hadn't shared this blog with anyone, so it's all new for you guys.

I’m currently at $1,345 out of my $4,000 goal with 73 days left. I’ll be honest, I haven’t made much progress in the past couple of months. The first few weeks were great — donations came in quickly and people were incredibly generous. My family has contributed $500, my professor donated $200, two of my best friends donated $100 each, and a few of my friends’ parents even threw in $100 which was such a cute surprise. Out of my 18 donors so far, 13 of them have given $50 or more. When I first filled out the Marathon Kids application, I had written that I thought most of my donations would be $10–$15 and that maybe a couple family members would give more. I was very wrong about that. So, I feel incredibly thankful to everyone who has really gone above and beyond.

On top of that, when I pictured fundraising, I had thought of people who I knew would donate, people who I would feel comfortable asking to donate, and then people who I hoped would donate. The biggest surprise has been when I've received donations from people who I hadn't expected. I get an email every time someone donates, and a couple times now I’ve seen a name pop up that I haven’t seen in forever. Those moments honestly make my day. So, don’t be a stranger. :)

Also, while I need to shout out those who have donated more than expected, I want to stress that every donation counts. Whether it's $5 or $25, it's helping Marathon Kids get closer to their goal ($40,000 across 10 of us runners). At this point, I'd love to see the number of donors grow rather than just the total amount. Hitting $4,000 with 25 donors would be great, but it'd be a lot cooler to bring in support from beyond my immediate circle.

That said, progress has slowed and now I've got to pull it together and get things moving again. I've been toying with some ideas but honestly, I'm not sold on any of them. I've seen people do those fundraising bingo cards where you "claim" a dollar amount, or those "for each donation, I'll do X" things. I talked to Chat, and he suggested "Donate $30 and I'll post a running vlog" and similar ideas, but I can't see that really drawing people in. I even thought about "for every donation, I'll run a mile" but I feel like that won't grab a lot of attention given that I'm already constantly posting about the miles I've ran.

Another idea is to organize something here in New York, like a workout class or a bar night where part of the entry goes to Marathon Kids. But I don't know if I have the network or the logistic skills to pull that off in a way that actually makes sense. So, I'm at a bit of a standstill, and this is where I could really use your help.

Just a reminder here, I'm fundraising for Marathon Kids, which is honestly a simple cause to get behind. They help kids stay active and build healthy habits through running. I feel like everyone can appreciate this. Right now, Marathon Kids is 100% free at participating schools and programs, and we want to keep it that way. Who doesn't want kids to be active?? Didn't you love recess and gym class??

So, here's the ask: if you've been meaning to donate, now's a good time, even a $10 donation helps (and is incredibly appreciated). If you're not in the place to donate, maybe share the link with your family and friends. If you don't want to share, at least throw me some ideas for ways that would motivate you to donate. Here's the link again: https://fundraisers.nyrr.org/alexiathomas ... and if you ever need to find it, it's always in my bio on Instagram and on the both the "Home" and "Updates" pages of this blog.

And don't forget about corporate matching. A lot of companies will match donations, which basically means you can double your impact for half the cost. Plus, it always looks good to show your company that you are indeed giving back <3

Thank you again to everyone who has donated or shared so far. Also, thanks to those who are just reading these blogs. They're fun to write and I hope you enjoy reading them.

Now, 73 days to go. Let's hit $4,000.