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How to Organize a 5K Fundraiser in 8 Simple Steps

Holding a 5K fundraiser will get your supporters active and motivate them to support a good cause. 5Ks are also a great way to bring your community together and form new connections with local businesses, fellow nonprofits, and other institutions. In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of holding a 5K fundraiser, including:

This fundraising idea is a classic for a reason—it’s simple, engaging, and drives revenue for your cause. Let’s walk through the steps you need to get started.

Creating merch for your 5K can be intimidating—but not with Bonfire’s easy-to-use platform.

8 Steps to Start a 5K Fundraiser

1. Set your fundraising goals

First, you’ll need to set a fundraising goal for your charity race. This way, you’ll know how much you need to raise to cover costs, turn a profit, and secure the funds needed to fuel your programs. 

Ideally, this goal should follow the SMART framework:

  • Specific: Select a specific number you’d like to reach (e.g., $10,000), outline strategies to accomplish the goal, and what teams or individuals are responsible for executing those strategies.
  • Measurable: To determine whether the fundraiser was a success, you’ll need to measure your performance. Specify the units you’ll use—in this case, dollars.
  • Achievable: Set a goal you can realistically achieve within the 5K’s timeline. The goal can be ambitious but not impossible. If you typically raise around $5,000, you’re more likely to achieve a goal of $7,000 rather than $15,000.
  • Relevant: The goal should be relevant to broader organizational goals and needs. Make sure the amount you raise is enough to address those needs.
  • Time-bound: Your goal should have a deadline. This will likely be the day of the race.

You may also have some non-financial goals you’d like to achieve with your fundraiser, such as recruiting a certain number of first-time donors or growing your social media following. Collaborate with your team to determine the importance of each goal and prioritize them accordingly.

2. Choose your fundraising method

Next, choose the fundraising method you’ll use. There are many options that can work with a race, such as crowdfunding, pledge drives, text-to-give, or peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising

We recommend the peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising method for ideas like charity races. P2P fundraising gets participants excited about the race and helps you expand your audience to your supporters’ friends and family. Plus, race participants take responsibility for fundraising, removing some of the burden from your staff’s shoulders.

If you choose this option, you’ll need a dedicated fundraising platform to manage the campaigns—we’ll cover this in the next step.

3. Select a fundraising platform

No matter what fundraising method you choose, you’ll need a fundraising platform to get the job done. If you opt for a P2P format, look for a fundraising website that provides individual fundraising pages for each participant, is quick and easy to set up, and is cost-effective. 

Let’s say you launch a P2P 5K fundraiser on Bonfire and have participants raise money by selling custom t-shirts before the race. Here’s what the process would look like:

  1. Your organization designs the custom merchandise and sets up the main campaign page.
  2. You promote the opportunity to fundraise on behalf of your organization to staff members, board members, donors, supporters, and past event attendees.
  3. Volunteer fundraisers create personal giving campaigns and start fundraising for your cause!

You’ll still need to promote the fundraiser across various communication channels. Consider creating marketing materials like social media graphics, caption templates, and a unique hashtag to share with volunteer fundraisers. Doing so makes sharing the campaign and securing donations straightforward, even for beginner fundraisers.

4. Plan the event

Now, it’s time to plan out the logistics of your event. You’ll need to outline:

  • The date, time, and location of the event
  • A rough estimate of how many participants and spectators will attend
  • Volunteer roles you need to fill
  • A preliminary volunteer schedule
  • Design and order race day shirts and other merchandise
  • A waiver for participants to sign and a streamlined way to collect signatures
  • Any additional ways to drive revenue, such as a concession stand
  • Which additional vendors or partners will be present at the event
  • A plan for inclement weather (e.g., a backup date in case of rain)

Additionally, you’ll likely need to work with local law enforcement if you plan to use public roads for the 5K. Be sure to outline the route and share it for approval ahead of time.

5. Recruit and train volunteers

Recruit volunteers to assist with all of the moving parts involved in your 5K. Start by reaching out to supporters who have volunteered in the past. Create detailed volunteer job descriptions so potential volunteers know what they’re getting into. 

You’ll likely need support for the following tasks:

  • Setup and tear down
  • Managing the registration or check-in desk
  • Overseeing merchandise stands
  • Accepting or selling tickets for spectators (if applicable)
  • Greeting and guiding attendees
  • Preparing and handing out snacks and water

To give your event a more polished touch, order custom volunteer shirts for your team. By leveraging premade volunteer shirt templates, you can quickly design custom shirts that look like they were created by a professional. Plus, volunteer shirts clearly denote event staff so participants know who to contact for help.

Remember to communicate clearly with your volunteer team to ensure everyone has a good experience—consider using a volunteer management tool to streamline scheduling and communications. Once the event wraps up, share a customized thank-you message with volunteers to show appreciation for their hard work.

6. Promote your 5K

You’ll need to promote the charity race to engage participants, reach new audiences, and get donations. Use the following tips to spread the word: 

  • Use multiple communication channels. Using a variety of communication channels helps you establish multiple touchpoints with supporters, keeping your fundraiser at the top of their minds. This also increases the chance they will see and engage with the messages.
  • Craft a unified message. Outline an overarching theme or central message for the campaign—for example, Atlanta Mission, an organization that provides services to homeless men, women, and children in the city, holds a 5K in February to raise money. The tagline for its marketing efforts is “Run in the cold for those who sleep in the cold.”
  • Consider message frequency. Frequency refers to the number of times your target audience will see marketing messages during a campaign. The Rule of 7 asserts that audience members need to see marketing messages seven times before making a decision. Going beyond six to seven displays can be ineffective, waste resources, or even annoy your audience.

Keep transparency in mind when creating your campaign’s messaging. While trust in nonprofits has rebounded somewhat in the last year, only 57% of Americans trust these organizations. To foster trust and transparency, share about the purpose of the fundraiser, how donations will be used, and any commitments your organization makes to third-party standards for ethical practices.

7. Host the 5K fundraiser

The day of the event is here! With proper planning, dedicated volunteers, and excited participants, the race should run smoothly. However, these last-minute checks can help put your mind at ease the day before the race:

  • Confirm all race materials (e.g., signage, folding tables, bibs, and timing devices) are packed and ready.
  • Pack backups for supplies like markers, batteries, and extension cords. 
  • Test any technology you’ll use on the event day and ensure you have a good signal or WiFi connection at the starting line.
  • Do a dry run of the race route to ensure there are no hazards, signs are accurate and visible, etc.
  • Send shift reminders to all volunteers, particularly those assisting with setup.
  • Verify parking and traffic control.
  • Check the weather forecast and have backup plans ready.

While you can’t plan for every scenario, these quick checks will nip small issues in the bud to keep the event on track. You might also designate a staff member to be the problem solver—in other words, they’re ready to drop everything to solve any issues.

8. Follow up with supporters

Just because the race is over doesn’t mean your work is! You’ll need to follow up with everyone who helped with the event, including donors, volunteers, and staff members. In your thank-you messages, you should:

  • Greet the recipient by name
  • Acknowledge the specific way they contributed (e.g., volunteering 10 hours, donating $50, fundraising and running in the race)
  • Explain how you’ll use the funds and, if possible, the tangible impact of specific donation levels
  • Share race updates and performance metrics with runners

Prioritize follow-up with first-time donors or attendees who provided their information but haven’t engaged previously. These brand-new supporters represent growth for your organization. 

Show your gratitude for their donation or time, educate them on your work, and share other ways they can help further your mission.

How to Maximize Revenue From Your 5K Fundraiser

Design custom merch

Selling custom merchandise for your 5K race is one of the easiest and most effective ways to boost 5K revenue. Not only will each participant need a shirt for the race, but spectators can purchase them as souvenirs. Rest assured that it’s perfectly fine for nonprofits to sell products, provided those products directly relate to your mission.

Creating 5k Race Shirts the Whole Team will Love: 4 Simple Steps!

To get started, you’ll need to choose a platform that combines fundraising with custom merchandise sales. Bonfire makes it easy to set up your fundraiser and design merchandise that features your colors and logo to keep branding consistent. Plus, our platform offer special capabilities and reduced fees for nonprofits.

When creating the merchandise, select from our catalog that offers:

We also offer free 5K and race design templates so you can create attractive, customized merch without needing a graphic designer. Browse our full list of templates to get inspiration for volunteer shirts, seasonal designs, and more.

Learn more: How to design good-looking shirts for your 5K

Sell concessions

Runners should receive water and even carb-heavy snacks free of charge, but you might consider selling treats to spectators. Consider the time of day and season when choosing the items you’ll sell. For example, hot chocolate and coffee will sell out in no time for a 5K on a chilly fall morning. On the other hand, snow cones or lemonade would likely sell better in the summer.

All the food you offer should be handheld unless you have tables available for onlookers. Consider items like popcorn, soft pretzels, hot dogs, burgers, or cotton candy.

Secure sponsorships

Corporate sponsorships are a type of support nonprofits receive from corporations, often to fund events or specific projects. In exchange for their donation, nonprofits often feature the business’s logo on signage or other marketing materials. 

These sponsorships may be:

  • Financial: Corporations donate money to support the event.
  • In-kind: Businesses provide products, services, or even venues free of charge.

There are other forms of corporate support that can benefit your event, such as matching gifts, volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and more—however, most people aren’t aware that their employers even offer these opportunities. Educate your supporters about the various forms of corporate giving to maximize your revenue.

Partner with other mission-driven organizations

Another way to boost revenue and lower event costs is to partner with other mission-driven organizations to hold a joint event. This will make your resources go much further by:

  • Reducing costs, as each party will only need to cover half of the event expenses
  • Pooling your volunteer base, meaning the event will have twice as much support
  • Providing access to untapped audiences
  • Combining your expertise to enhance your event and present new perspectives

These partnerships will strengthen your connections with other nonprofits in the area, helping you build a robust support network. With continued follow-up and resource-sharing, you’ll form a tight bond and build lasting connections you can rely on.

Stand Out With These Creative 5K Fundraiser Ideas

Because 5Ks are such a popular fundraising idea, adding a creative twist can help your campaign stand out. While the possibilities are truly endless, the twist or idea you choose should be related to your mission in some way. 

If you need a little inspiration, check out these ideas:

  • Choose a theme. Identify a theme related to your mission or just something your organization and audience are passionate about. For example, if your mission is about preserving historical landmarks, you might challenge runners to dress up like their favorite historical figures or era. You could also choose a holiday (e.g., a Turkey Trot), glow in the dark, or pop culture theme.
  • Pair it with another event. Hold two fundraising events at once to save money and engage attendees. You might combine your race with a raffle, auction, shoe drive, or other simple event. Avoid anything formal like a gala or banquet—make it something casual and laid-back runners will want to celebrate with after they complete the race.
  • Add a food- or drink-themed twist. Incorporate specific foods or drinks into the race, either by adding an additional challenge or rewarding participants with food at the finish line. For example, you might challenge them to eat a cupcake before the race or simply have a few food trucks stationed at the end of the race for hungry runners.
  • Offer prizes. Motivate participants to sign up and win the race by offering incentive prizes! You might offer small prizes to anyone who finishes, award those who rank first, or both.

Feel free to adjust these ideas to align with your mission and appeal to your audience. Putting a unique spin on this classic fundraiser will make the run feel more special, and if it’s a big enough success, make it an annual event!

Wrapping Up

Whether you plan to host a classic, no-frills 5K or dress the race up with a fun theme, this fundraiser will engage your supporters, attract new ones, and help you reach your funding goals. To take advantage of the interest you’ll receive from your community, consider creating signage for the event that shares about your organization and mission—and, of course, offer commemorative merchandise.

If you’re looking for more fundraising tips and ideas, browse some of our other resources:

Bonfire’s platform makes launching custom merch for your 5K simple.

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