What do you do with the money you raise?
The first thing we use our money for is to maintain the chapter. That means funding any equipment and insurance that we need for our Saturday workouts and runs. We get our chapter shirts which volunteers earn by “sweat equity.” They must volunteer at least three times to earn a shirt. This promotes team unity and makes us recognizable to each other and people who see us out running.
The second thing we use our money for is to sponsor our athletes for races. Entry fees can be prohibitive and many people with disabilities have reduced work schedules or need to spend a large percentage of their income just to keep even with the rest of the world. When we sponsor our athletes we will sometimes get a tent or other official space to promote our chapter and recruit more athletes and volunteers. Historically, we have done one destination race per year. The athletes and volunteers must raise a minimum part of the costs, the chapter has helped defray a portion and then the individuals pay the remainder.
Third is promotion of our chapter. This means cards to hand out, brochures to distribute or our banner to display. Many organizations have generously provided their services as a donation, at cost or a deep discount in support of our chapter (take a look at the amazing video on our website) but there are costs associated with looking professional. We also have a dedicated volunteer board that donates time, effort and money to the chapter, but can’t handle everything. We have one part time employee who helps keep everything going in the right direction when work or life takes the lead in our volunteers lives.
What don’t you do with the money your raise?
We don’t have any full time employees taking a bite out of our fund raising efforts. We don’t take spa trips to the Carribbean.