Hello Reader,
Checking in after the Chicago Marathon yesterday and all I can say is, WOW. What a day! While the conditions were less than ideal, it was an honor to be there with so many other incredible charity runners. The Chicago Marathon is the largest day of giving in the state of Illinois and it was an honor to be part of that!
If you're ready to sign up for the Chicago Marathon again, guaranteed and non-guaranteed entry applications are open! Charity teams are already building their spots and if you're ready to run 26.2 in the Second City in 2027, now is your chance to guarantee your spot!
With that said, let's dig in to this week's fundraising tips!
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tl;dr
I know you're busy! If you want an overview for topics in this issue, here are the highlights!
- Featured Resource: Top Fundraising FAQs
- Fundraiser Shop: Shop the Fundraising Support Store
- Hook of the Week: Girls Be Like...
- Fundraising Tips You Can Use Next Week: Week of October 19th
Featured Resource
Fundraising FAQs
This post is dedicated to exploring the top questions asked about marathon fundraising and get answers to help you reach your goals.
At its core, successful fundraising is not about having a huge network or asking for large donations. It’s about telling your story and giving people a reason to care. When people understand why you chose your charity and what this race means to you, they’re much more likely to support you.
Get effective strategies and more in this blog post.
Fundraiser Shop
For my fundraising shopping list with things like letter boards, social media planners, pens, thank you notes and more, check out my fundraising store.
Hook of the Week
What's a hook?
A hook is the opening moment of a video or caption designed to stop the scroll on social and make someone want to keep watching. This is your one-second pitch for the viewer to continue watching. It can be text on screen, a visual, or both and it makes all the difference between someone watching or swiping past.
This week's hook:
Girls will say, "I need this!" but it's literally just running a marathon for [you charity's name]
Example:
Girls will say, "I need this!" but it's literally just running a marathon for Imerman Angels
Here's an example on Instagram.
For your caption: Remind your friends what your charity is about or the impact of where the donations go. Include how simple it is to donate to your charity, whether it’s your link in bio, sending you a Venmo for you to donate on their behalf, or other fundraising events you have coming up.
For more tips on how to document your fundraising journey, check out this post with social media tips for runners!
If you try this idea, let me know! I'd love to know how it goes (tag
@runwanderwear and I'll reshare it)
Fundraising Tips for Next Week
I want to make sure you have enough time to plan out ideas for these fundraising posts. These ideas are meant to give you organic reasons to share your fundraiser!
Here are a few ideas you plan for the week of October 19th:
- Halfway to Boston (October 19): This is the halfway point between Boston 2026 and Boston 2027. Use this as an opportunity to ask fundraisers to get you halfway to your fundraising goal!
- Host a Trunk-or-Treat: Host a trunk show out of the back of your trunk to sell items you'd otherwise donate. You can add pictures of the items to social media to showcase your inventory.
- 10 Days Until NYC (October 22): One more milestone post for the New York City Marathon race! This date marks 10 days until the final World Marathon Major of 2026!
October is here! Get started planning your October ideas and read below for ideas for the whole year:
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See you on the run!
-Liz
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