close menu

Error submitting form

Please update the form to fix the errors and resubmit.

How I Fundraised with atlasGO (and Why You Should Too)!

Maio 14, 2019 |

The Race Lottery

Finally, the day to register for the lottery of your favorite race approaches. You apply immediately and, then comes the waiting game. You patiently wait a few weeks for that email. That email tells you whether you’ve been accepted through the lottery or you’ll have to try again next year. That email will either make or break your day. That email that says if you’re lucky enough to run one of the world’s most prestigious races. Whether that email is good or bad news, I have good news for you!

 

The NYC Half Marathon

I was in this same position. I’ve always wanted to run the NYC half marathon as I’ve heard amazing things about New York Road Runners (organizers of the race), and I mean, it’s New York City! Need I say more? Anyway, I threw my hat in for the lottery, and on announcement day, I was constantly checking my credit card activity (if you were charged, you were IN!). Sadly, I never received that credit card charge, and then came the Instagram post that all applicants had been selected and the lottery was now closed (I also officially got an email explaining I had not been selected). Feeling sad and not wanting to wait to try again next year, I immediately started researching about running for a nonprofit and which nonprofits were partnered for the race. Frantically scrolling, I found Girls On The Run (GOTR) NYC. I sit on the Associate Board of GOTR Bay Area, so I immediately thought this was a must-do and a no-brainer. However, full disclosure, I cannot stand asking people for donations. I will volunteer all my time/help, but I absolutely hate it when it comes to fundraising. I came to the realization that I would be fine with donating the entire fundraising amount myself if I didn’t make it through others’ donations. I was helping a good cause and knew this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

Fundraising through a Community Challenge

Surprise! I did not have to donate any of my own funds. I was overwhelmed by the number of friends, family, and coworkers who were willing to help me get to The Big Apple. One of the helping factors was that atlasGO created a community challenge for my pledge through their app. They helped promote the GOTR cause while also raising more awareness about the organization. I loved that my friends and family could be working out and logging those miles to help me reach my goal. It really felt like a team effort. I even organized a raffle after one of the atlasGO Tuesday fun runs and had all proceeds donated towards my specific fundraising page. Without atlasGO, I would not have had as much traction and definitely not reached my fundraising goal.

 

atlasGO Virtual Fundracers

The NYC half marathon was definitely a race I will never forget. With all these races becoming more and more competitive, the lottery is a popular choice for race organizers. The London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and NYC Marathon (to name a few) are all based on a lottery. If there’s a race or event on your bucket list and you want to fundraise for a great cause, consider using atlasGO to push you up and over that hill. You can, then, focus more on your training and less on your fundraising.

atlasGO is now also launching virtual fundracers! Want to organize your own virtual fundracer for the cause of your choice? All of your friends, no matter where they are in the world, can participate! Click here to let us know!

 

Follow along as I continue on my running journey! 

Christine O’Connell, our Chief Ambassador Officer!

 

 

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allows us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, please see our Política de Privacidade.

Get a 15 minute live demo

Get your corporate challenge or employee wellbeing program live and empower your team’s wellness journey.

pt_PTPortuguese