We started Virtual Strides prepared to make donations to our featured charities at the conclusion of each event, even though we had many start-up costs and fixed monthly costs to overcome that could prevent us from ending each month with a positive net income. We do not think it is fair to pass these expenses on to the charities we feature, so rather than promise to donate an unstated “portion of proceeds” or a vague “percentage of profits,” we follow the Better Business Bureau’s cause-related marketing best practice of stating exactly how much of each registration fee will be going to the featured charity.
We are committed to giving at least $5 from each registration made to that event’s featured charity. We always round up, and when we have extra medals at the end of the race period, we donate for those too, assuming that they will eventually sell from our Past Virtual Runs page. These donations apply to all registrations, including any discounted ones and even the ones we give away for free via contests on our Facebook page. Every single person who participates in our virtual races is making a difference.
We do not set minimum or maximum total donation amounts. Whether we are able to donate $2500 or $25,000 to a given charity, that is $2500 or $25,000 more than the charity would have if Virtual Strides didn’t exist. Our largest donation to date was $33,000 donated to Be the Match. Visit our Charities page to see all of our featured charities and the donations we have made.
Our virtual runs both help spread awareness and raise funds for worthwhile causes, but if you are looking to maximize your contribution to a specific charity, by all means, please donate to them directly.
Looking for an even longer answer? Please read more about Our Philosophy.
