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ScottP
11-04-2005, 03:27
The Cause:
I am a college senior and a member of Phi Delta Theta. Our national philanthropy is ALS, Lou Gherig's disease (Lou Gherig was a Phi Delt). ALS is a degeneritive nervous disorder that strikes all types of people, but most often athletic males. Two years ago my chapter started the first Walk to D'Feet ALS in the town our college is located in: Appleton, WI. That year an alumni from our chapter, Joel Ungrodt, spoke on ALS--he had the disease. By last year's he was no longer with us.
Last year over 150 walks to D'Feet ALS raised a total of 9 million dollars to fund ALS research. The average around three miles, but a chapter of Phi Delts in San Francisco walk over 60 miles to try to raise funds.

The Goal:

I would like to go even further; I would like to organize and participate in an Appalachian Trail thru-hike to raise money for ALS I am currently working on a proposal to submit to both the Nationals of my fraternity and to the ALS Association, and I would like any help or advice that I can get from this forum.
My goal is to collect a few other Phi Delts from across the country to thru-hike with myself. I would also like to find outdoor gear, grocery, and shipping corporations to supply the trip and other businesses and individuals to contribute on the charity end. I would be Southbound in June '06. The individuals on the trip would pay for any expenses incurred in town (hotels, restaurants, bars, etc.).
I realize that Khatadin is seperated by distance from Springer Mountain and thru-hiking is a large undertaking. If all goes well I hope to raise money in the tens of thousands from this walk.



Personal information:

I have lead two weeklong outdoor trips, one for my fraternity to BWCA and one for the school's outdoor club to the Smokies. I have also organized/participated in a weeklong trip to the Adirondacks and many extended-weekend trips in lower Michigan. I have participated in another weeklong trip in the Smokies and two 5-day kayaking trips in the Apostle Islands. I have become more lightweight every trip that I have taken.
I wrestle in college (division III, #197), and play rugby for my city’s men’s league team. I consider myself highly athletic. I am working on a philosophy major with my concentration in Pragmatism and a religious studies minor with my concentration in Buddhism, especially Zen.

Questions:
I would like as much help and input as possible into writing a proposal to send to Phi Delt nationals, ALSA, and to outdoor gear companies. I have trolled through the forum, as well as making some posts last winter and spring when I was shopping for some gear upgrades and planning my spring break.

Would it be possible to use this website as a publicity source?

Would anyone on this forum (potentially) make some form of contribution to the cause?


Thanks for any input or advice. Once I have enough to write an actual proposal I'll post it here first for editing.

Thanks,

Scott

justusryans
11-04-2005, 03:41
I think you should fund your own thru-hike. Any money you raise should go directly to alsa. That way you avoid any conflict of interest.

ScottP
11-04-2005, 04:00
In general, companies are very willing to donate thier own product for charitable events, but less willing to give money directly. The cost of the trip is from expenses in towns , gear (outdoor company sponsor), food (grocery store sponsor), and shipping (maildrops, I already have a company that would sponsor this aspect), there is no conflict of interest. There would be nowhere for money to go but to ALSA.

Sly
11-04-2005, 04:16
< long time writing, short time deleting >

HYOH

ScottP
11-04-2005, 04:49
I think you should fund your own thru-hike. Any money you raise should go directly to alsa. That way you avoid any conflict of interest.


Oh, thanks by the way. My response to this is probably a very important party of my proposal to be.

Whistler
11-04-2005, 04:57
ScottP, you might have thought of this already: You might want to look into setting up an account for the PhiDelt hikers at www.trailjournals.com, so college folks, alumni, other chapters, other hikers, etc to keep track of your progress. That site has rules against soliciting, but you can request to put up a link to another donor site.

Good luck.
-Mark

thestin
11-04-2005, 07:50
Be aware that this is not a new idea, and you may find some resistance.

Other things to consider.

What happens if you don't complete the hike? The odds are you won't...not being negative, but the success rate for thru-hikes is under 25 percent.

How will you raise the money? Soliciting while on the trail will not be looked on kindly, and is possibly against the law on some state and federal lands.

What is your motivation? Are you deeply committed to your cause, or are you trying to find a way to fund your thru-hike? What means more to you, the cause or the hike? Once again, not trying to be negative, but you will get some hard questions from potential sponsors.

Good luck with your planning.

Burn
11-04-2005, 10:52
there is nothing new about this idea. you could contact Jan Liteshoe...i think she raised 30k for hospice with doing more than asking 3 time on her journal and good folks from her area gave. she wrote a great journal, which helped folks keep up with her progress, and yes, folks from the hiking community did send some funds, but mostly it was the folks from her area.

nationally it could be done with help from your organization getting behind it and pushing it. i would bet, if it really ever was actually used and endorsed in a major way, even millions could possibly come into play. i would guess you would need news coverage and constant reminders and info about your hike in the media....imagine hiking into NYC and sitting down with Katie and Matt and the ALS information team discussing ALS, the AT, yer experiences so far, your journal and the way people can contribute nationally.

it could happen.

don't be discouraged if it just doesn't happen, these organizations are bombarded with fund raising scemes that never pan out, so they are most likely gun shy, and not willing to throw direct national support, that doesn't mean yer local gang couldn't raise 1000's. involve as many as possible and overlook all the nay sayers. ( i got a friend who hiked for cancer) he was always forcing us to listen to his cause and message. we heard it 100's of times. it was who he was. we love him. but the better way would be to just have fun on trail and talk about it when and if asked or keep it in yer journal and hopefully on national TV. good luck!

Mini-Mosey
11-05-2005, 14:38
A book called "A Walk for Sunshine" by Jeff Alt is a book you might want to read. It chronicles Jeff's thruhike to raise funds for the organization running the homes for the disabled where his brother lives. It includes a section containing tips on how to carry out a thruhike for charity. You can check for it at a library; you can also get it from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

weary
11-05-2005, 16:06
Two thoughts.

The trail is a charity that is supported by the work and donations of supporters. Why use the trail that needs your help to support a non-related charity?

It's my observation that very few of these "hike for charity" efforts raise much money. Certainly some (most?) don't raise any more money than if the hiker simply got a job and donated the pay from six months of labor to the charity.

Certainly, hiking the trail is more fun than most jobs. But I think that folks who choose the hiking for charity route need to analyse their motives carefully.

Weary

Uncle Silly
11-05-2005, 16:06
A fellow named LoJack did a thru-hike to raise money for charity this year. He's probably got some good tips for you. There's a thread about it here: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7199

Old Spice
11-14-2005, 17:12
not be a killjoy or anything, but couldn't you raise money for your casue in a way that doesn't have such a high overhead? in all seriousness, it is going to cost you a few thousand bucks just to thru-hike... do you plan on raising at least that much for the charity on top of this?

smokymtnsteve
11-14-2005, 17:46
Two thoughts.

The trail is a charity that is supported by the work and donations of supporters. Why use the trail that needs your help to support a non-related charity?

It's my observation that very few of these "hike for charity" efforts raise much money. Certainly some (most?) don't raise any more money than if the hiker simply got a job and donated the pay from six months of labor to the charity.

Certainly, hiking the trail is more fun than most jobs. But I think that folks who choose the hiking for charity route need to analyse their motives carefully.

Weary


Goddess bless U weary,,

Having worked with several ALS patients as a Hospice volunteer, perhaps I could suggest working as a volunteer in a Hospice for the 6 months it would take to thru hike this would make it much easier to raise $$$ for ALS due to better comunications and also I would be more likely to listen to someone doing a 6 month volunteer stint and actually working hands on with ALS patients than I would someone doing a thru hike

one's own recreational resume does not motivate me to donate to the recreationist 's cause...however a ZEN who would take 6 months out of thier time to volunteer in a hospice would motivate me to listen,

plus if ur a real ZEN , U know where ever U go there U are, so working in the hospice would B just as "fun" as doing a thru hike,,,and perhaps even more enlightening than a thru hike, ;)

Peace B to U in the name of the Mother Earth!

Papa Razzi
11-15-2005, 11:56
I spent a lot of time hiking with a fellow who was using his thru-hike to raise money for the American Cancer Society. A lot of other people that met this individual likely didn't even know that he was raising money for charity - he didn't talk about it much or try to actively solicit donations along the trail. Charity cause or not, this fellow was going to thru-hike anyways and decided that he may as well use his hike to help a good cause while he was at it. Sure, perhaps he could have raised more money had he done something else. But that's beside the point. The important thing is that he was able to do some good with the situation at hand and raise money for a worthy cause that wouldn't have been raised had he done nothing with his hike. If somebody else wants to do something similar with their own thru-hike, I say go for it.

Tramper Al
11-15-2005, 15:55
Hi,

I try very hard never to point out spelling errors online. However, since you are a college student and are raising funds for ALS, you should definitely aim to spell the ballplayer's name correctly, as I think it would add credibility to your 'pitch'. I believe it is spelled Gehrig.

And good luck!

http://www.alsa.org/

Moxie00
11-16-2005, 00:00
Every year someone tries to hike for charity and thinks it's an origional idea. It isn't, you are at least the 1000th person to come up with the idea. As Weary says, why use a charity that needs money , The Trail, to help another charity. Smokeymtsteve has a great point, spend 6 monthe as a volunteer with ALS or Cancer and then hike the trail for yourself. Thestin has a real valid point, thousands start the trail but only a few hundred finish and some wonderful hiker friends of mine never made it because if illness, injury, or personel problems. You are going to look like an idiot if you start out with fanfare and cheering fans and then drop off the trail at Rainbow Springs with shin splints or bad knees. That will do ALS no good and possibly some harm to future fundraisers. The only reason I would want to hike the trail again is for myself. Charity begins at home, not on the approach trail to Springer Mountain. Raise some money at home, work at a clinic or with an individual patient, then hike for the sake of hiking when you have done what you fel is enough. I belong to Sigma Chi and every year we raise money for The Miller Lite Foundation to buy beer for homeless alcoholics but I would never take this very worthwhile charity on the trail with me.
:p

QHShowoman
11-16-2005, 10:14
I think some of you guys are being pretty harsh. If ScottP wants to hike for charity, well, then, good for him. And you're right, Moxie, it's not an orginal idea -- but I don't think ScottP ever said that it was. Depending how you set up the fundraising for it, it doesn't even have to be about finishing -- you can have people pledge by the mile, and that way, no matter how far you get, you'll still be raising money. But, with that said, I do have some reservations about ScottP's proposal. First of all, to maximize the contribution to the charity, I really think you need to find a way to fund the hike on your own -- otherwise, you are basically using the guise of hiking for charity to fund your thru-hike. Wouldn't it be better for your cause to get your own gear and save up enough to fund your hike, that way, rather than asking companies to cover the cost of your groceries or gear, they can donate to your charity instead? I think the idea's a good one, your approach is just a little off, in my opinion. As someone already mentioned, read "A Walk For Sunshine" -- that might give you some idea on how to set this up. Another thing you need to consider is what those who donate will be getting in return. Will there be a trail journal they'll have access to? A special newsletter updating supporters on your progress? Or are you just going to take their money and never report back to them again? And as others have said, above all, hike because you want to hike. If you can raise a few dollars for charity along the way, then great, but if you are not hiking for the AT because you enjoy it on some level, there are other ways you can raise money for your charity (trust me on this, fundraising is my business). And don't set your goals so high. Even events sponsored by established non-profits don't always bring in "tens of thousands" in donations -- set your goal at a realistic $5,000 or so. Folks are more apt to contribute if they believe that their donation of $25 might actually make a dent in your goal. So, in your proposal, start out with the "what" -- what you are planning on doing and "why" -- how you want to hike in the memory of your friend -- its a good hook and personalizes the hike for readers. Include a timeline of "when" your hike will take place -- highlight significant milestones (halfway, etc). Then move on to the "how" -- how you are funding the hike. Include an estimated budget of your expenses and make sure that you can personally fund a good chunk of them (otherwise reveiwers will feel like you are asking them to send you on an expense-paid hiking trip). Leave out the part about staying in hotels and going to bars. You can just put that in a Misc. Expenses line or something. Finally, explain what donors will get in return -- access to an online journal, newsletters updating them on your progress, postcards from towns along the trail, etc. The return shouldn't cost you tons of money, because you don't want to detract from your charity's share, but you HAVE to stay in touch with these donors somehow. To gain support from local businesses, offer to have their logo screenprinted on your shirt, etc. There are tons of things you can do on the cheap to show appreciation for your donors. Finally, keep good track of who contributes how much. Because you'll probably end up writing one big check to the charity to cover it all, you'll need to supply your charity with the names and addresses of those who contributed so they can be officially thanked by the organization (we call this a "soft credit"). So, good luck with your hike. I am sure your charity will appreciate whatever you can raise for it.

QHShowoman
11-16-2005, 10:15
Sorry that's so hard to read, apparently, my formatting didn't take.

jackiebolen
11-16-2005, 11:53
Raising money for charity is a good thing, but like some of the others said, getting people to pay for your vacation is not such a good idea. If you have 3 or 4000 of your own money to pay for the hike and then raise money on top of that for charity, people will respect you a lot more than if you try to get a free vacation.

ScottP
12-06-2005, 15:12
below is the proposal in its almost-final draft. This proposal is currently being reviewd by other members of my house, and will eventually be sent to Phi Delta Theta and ALS, organizations that know the basics of ALS and our charity events. It addresses many problems, specifically the conflict of interest issues raised above.

Oh, and just to clarify for Steve: Zen is my minor in college, not my religion.



To Whom It May Concern:
Our names are Scott xxx and Michael xxx. Scott is a senior member of Phi Delta Theta and Michael, a sophomore, is a pledge that will be initiated in the beginning of January. We both study at Lawrence University, the location of the Wisconsin Beta chapter. Our Chapter has run the first two annual Appleton, WI Walks to D’Feet ALS in 2004 and 2005.
We, however, are interested in starting a new tradition: We would like to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail to raise money and awareness for ALS. The Appalachian Trail is a 2,170 mile trail following the ridges of mountaintops from Mount Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia (1). Thru-hiking the trail is an arduous task, taking from five to seven months (2). We would begin in Mid-June, 2006.
We believe that thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail is a serious undertaking that has the potential to raise a significant amount of money for ALS. Other individuals have used a thru-hike to raise money for their charities of choice. Jesse Saperstein thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail for an AIDS related charity and has raised over $18,000 (3,4). He continues to raise money after his hike (3,4). Jeff Alt’s thru-hike began a yearly tradition that has to date raised over $100,000 for a home for the disabled (5).
We have three goals with our thru-hike: we would like to raise $10,000 with this year’s hike, we would like to increase national awareness of ALS, and we would like to make thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail for ALS a tradition of Phi Delta Theta.
We intend to raise money by soliciting donations from individuals on our campus, family members of our chapter’s brothers, other chapters, through news outlets, and by directly contacting businesses. We intend to keep a trail journal updated on www.trailjournals.com, a site that allows solicitations for charitable causes and will allow us to provide some report for those who have already donated to our cause (7). We will attempt to get articles printed in newspapers and broadcasts on local television. With combined resources of ALSA, Phi Delta Theta, and us and individuals we believe that our thru-hike can raise a significant amount of money for charity.
We see three potential obstacles to the success of this charity.
The first is a potential conflict of interest. A thru-hike is expensive; the average thru-hike costs $3000 (2). We intend to avoid any conflict of interest three ways: firstly, we intend to minimize our expenses, especially unnecessary expenses incurred in ‘trail towns’ that often make up a significant chunk of a thru-hike’s cost. Secondly, we hope to obtain our gear through donations from outdoor recreation companies, and thirdly we hope to fund the remaining overhead personally, through our chapter, and through friends and family. We will then be able to inform target donors that any money they give will go directly to ALSA or towards the solicitation of more donations.
About one-fifth of all those that intend to be thru-hike the trail actually complete it (2). People quit because they do not have a powerful enough reason to endure the hardship, are not athletic enough, do not know the outdoors, or get injured. Thru-hiking is not easy, however I believe that we can both complete this hike. We both have a powerful reason to complete our thru-hike: to raise money for ALS. We are also both athletic; Scott wrestles for our college’s varsity team and plays Rugby for the Fox Cities Gargoyles. Michael trains in ju-jitsu and boxing. Scott has taken part in many backcountry trips. He has led trips including a nine-day expedition to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for our chapter and a weeklong trip to Great Smokey National Park for the Lawrence Outdoor Recreation Club. He will again be leading a 2006 spring break trip to the Great Smokey National Park. Additionally, if either of us suffers an injury the other will be able to complete the thru-hike.
Finally, getting the trip to be repeated by other brothers of Phi Delta Theta in 2007 may be a challenge, but one that we feel we are able to accomplish. Michael is a sophomore, so after returning from our thru-hike he will be able to serve as an inspiration and a resource to current students. Also, by raising a significant amount of money and publicizing our accomplishments we should be able to find brothers that are willing to repeat our success.
If both Phi Delta Theta and ALSA approve of this event we would like both organizations’ aid in three ways. Firstly, we would like a letter of support to attach to our requests for gear, donations to the ALSA, and publicity through the media. Secondly, if Phi Delta Theta, ALSA, and the two of us decide to go through with the event, we would like your organizations’ to help publicize our event both online and in print. Finally, we would like to be able to receive or purchase health insurance as a volunteer/employee of one of the organizations.
Thank you for reading our letter and for any assistance you choose to provide. The above proposal is, of course, open for modification. We are both looking forward to a thru-hike made special by a worthy cause and to collaborating with Phi Delta Theta and ALSA.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>


Thanks,


Michael xxx


Scott xxx
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>
(1)http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.727749/k.91A1/AT_Essentials.htm
(2)http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/trails/at/at-faq.cfm
(3) http://www.hikeforaids.org/
(4) http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7199
(5) http://www.awalkforsunshine.com/
(6) http://www.trailjournals.com/

Frosty
12-06-2005, 15:40
Very interesting. I've heard about people hiking for charity. I donated to one in 2003, but had I known that my donation was going to be used to buy the hiker a pizza, I wouldn't have given anything.

I guess if I wanted to give money to ALS, I would send them a check. That way ALS would get all the money I gave, and you would have to buy your own beer and pizza, and pay for your own hostel/motel rooms.

There are a lot of ways that you could earn a lot of money in five months for ALS, a lot more than you could by walking the AT. If your goal is to earn money for ALS, why not do that? It sounds to me like your goal is a subsidized thru-hike, not to earn money for ALS.

ScottP
12-06-2005, 15:50
I'm sorry for being unclear. How should I reword the rollwing?
The first is a potential conflict of interest...We intend to avoid any conflict of interest...we hope to fund the remaining overhead personally, through our chapter, and through friends and family. We will then be able to inform target donors that any money they give will go directly to ALSA or towards the solicitation of more donations.

ScottP
12-06-2005, 15:50
rollwing=following

Tha Wookie
12-06-2005, 15:51
Wow-

I read that whole thing. Interesting. I could pick it apart for weeks. But I think the whole naive thing actually works for you. I think you really could raise some money and do it.

So don't let people knock you down, go do it. But you have to find a way to fund your own personal expenses, or the fundraiser seems like a sham. Secure some major pledges first, and then get a business or someone to fund you personally. Keep the money separate!

ScottP
12-06-2005, 15:53
To your first point, what do you mean the 'naive thing?'

the above post, I believe, responds to your second post.

RWBlue
12-06-2005, 16:20
It is hard to tell if you are looking for a free hike or are really trying to do something here. I would suggest you alter the paragraph below. Comments are bracketed ( ).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
We intend to avoid any conflict of interest three ways: <S>firstly, we intend to minimize our expenses, especially unnecessary expenses incurred in ‘trail towns’ that often make up a significant chunk of a thru-hike’s cost. </S>(I could care less spend all your personal money you want to spend). First we will not spend any money that was raised for ALSA. We will support our hike with house funds, and personal funds. Secondly, we hope to obtain our gear through donations from outdoor recreation companies. We will donate the list price of the donated gear back to ALSA. We will then be able to inform target donors that any money they give will go to ALSA or towards the solicitation of more donations. (You need to figure our how much money will be used for solicitation of donations. Set it as a minimal hard number or percentage if larger amounts of money if you meet your donation goals.)

Frosty
12-06-2005, 16:52
I'm sorry for being unclear. How should I reword Simply say, "All money donated goes to ALS."

If that's what you said, I guessed I missed it, so ignore my post. The way I read it, you were using donations to pay for your hike. Talking aobut minimizing town stops, and saying "you hope to fund it personally" gave me the impression you were looking to donations to fund your hike. Nothing wrong with that as long as you are upfront with it and donors know where the money is going.

The proposal danced around the subject too much for me, but that's just me. Tha Wookie seems fine with it.

ScottP
12-06-2005, 17:25
The first is a potential conflict of interest. We intend to avoid any conflict of interest by separating our fundraising for our thru-hike from our solicitations for donations. We hope to obtain our gear through sponsorships from outdoor recreation companies, and we will to fund the remaining overhead personally, through our chapter, and through friends and family. Any money donated through solicitations for charitable contributions will go directly to ALSA or towards the solicitation of more donations.

smokymtnsteve
12-06-2005, 17:39
Maybe U could start by buying ur own gear...;)

what RU planning to tell equipment donor companies??

that they should give U UR equipment because UR hiking for ALS???

that they should support U by giving U gear...???


btw...how much volunteer time have U worked in ALS hospice???

DaSchwartz
12-06-2005, 23:40
I've noticed something about these people who hike for charity. It seems they want you to send them the money directly. That should raise red flags.

How about this novel idea?

How about you tell everyone to send the money DIRECTLY to the national charity. Gee, what a concept!!!!! If they offer you money on the trail, tell them to MAIL it to the national charity instead of giving you cash.

Nean
12-07-2005, 00:19
I've seen people who have done the charity walk and be part of the charity, and it worked for them. But that is the exception.
I think its best to earn your money, earn your gear, earn your fundraising expenses. In short, earn your trip. If your feel all that money you worked for and saved is worth giving to your charity, then you and the people you ask for support will know where your true intentions lie.

Tha Wookie
12-07-2005, 01:19
To your first point, what do you mean the 'naive thing?'

the above post, I believe, responds to your second post.

Sorry, no offense intended on that. I meant that your proposal seems very heartfelt but not very knowledgable about the realities of the real challenges to get sponsorships, pledge $$$, ect.

But that's ok. A lot of times people will sopport you when they see that you truly believe it is good in your heart. Yet honestly, when it comes to money, most people are concerned with knowing where their mony's really going.

People may sound on this site, but listen to what they're saying. Every single year many hikers hike the AT for a charity. Some are very successful, most are lessons on the reality of fundraising -it takes a lot of work, and a heck of a support team to handle things when you're on the trail.

The most important thing, other than the heart you apparently have, is credibility. Your credibility goes out the window when you take the money and don't express clearly who gets what. The best option, and the only real option IMOP, is to not even ever touch the money, and let it all pass through right to the charity's website or whatever format they have.

You're job, other than setting this up and maintaining it, is to communicate very clearly (even in a table) what your goals are and how the money works. Do not count on other people financing your trip. You'll have a tough time getting people to believe in the philanthropy if you do.

Good luck, and I think with a little editing your proposal could lead to beneficial things for the ALS.

Although you might want to consider the AHS!

peace

ScottP
12-07-2005, 01:29
I've noticed something about these people who hike for charity. It seems they want you to send them the money directly. That should raise red flags.

How about this novel idea?

How about you tell everyone to send the money DIRECTLY to the national charity. Gee, what a concept!!!!! If they offer you money on the trail, tell them to MAIL it to the national charity instead of giving you cash.

So you would be most comfortable giving if the donations were to be sent directly to ALSA with just a note that you gave because of such and such a publicity event? I'm pretty sure this is the way things work normally anyways. It is important for accounting to know who/what prompted the donation, so the charitable organization knows what efforts to continue on with.
However, lots of donaitons come in the form of people giving a dollar, or a little bit of change. For example, we runa concert this fall and selltickets for $2 each, with proceeds going to ALS research. Obviously these people wouldn't have gone to the trouble of mailing $2 into anyone; in fact most of them gave because they were confronted with a face that had a good cause. Also, by having the person pony up a few bucks on the spot, you ensure that they actually do donate some money instead of just telling you that they'll mail in money to get rid of you. Larger donations, in the form of checks, are always made out to ALSA, or the walk to D'FEET ALS, not an individual.
So, thanks. Another point to clarify. Money sent to them, not to me.

As far as the gear goes, companies are very willing to sponsor any charitable event. It's a tax writeoff, good advertisement, and charity for them. It is a smart buisness choice, not really any sort of loss for the sponsor. Many companies also sponsor our school's outdoor club, and the charity consists only of college students backpacking.

Nean, a student that just graduated from college would probably almost never pay for his own thru-hike. I'll bet that most graduates that thru-hike asked for money to fund the event for thier graduation present. Also, my chapter has an endowment fund that is VERY restricted in what the money can be used for. I guess that the above being said in the proposal only confuses the issue.

Steve, I have never worked at a hospice and probably never should. I don't have the demeanor for that type of work. I work for charity for around 50 or so hours a year, and about a quarter of that is for ALS. The remainder is for the elderly, at a local children's museum, and coaching wrestling and rugby. I believe that voluenteering is and should be fun. One does not have to suffer to do some good.


Only one person can know where my true intentions lie, but I intend to structure the financial side of the proposal so that even peope who believe me to be a lecher could still donate through my event, since I wouldn't be handling thier money in any significant amount or recieving any of it.

Trail Dog
12-07-2005, 07:56
I am planning on a hike for charity with my wife either the year i get back from Iraq or the year after. Wheither or not we do the hike for charity we are going to do the hike. We plan to attempt the ECT from Florida to Canada and feel we stand a good chance of being able to finish it. We figure why not acually put our time to good use and try to make it worth something to someone else other than ourselves.

We've agreed it would be simplier to just hike without attaching a cause to it but we would feel better about it if it had some deeper meaning than our own discovery and enjoyment. The type of charity we are looking at is one that benifits the widows and children of soldiers killed in action since 9/11. Being in Iraq and having been at ground Zero with my old unit makes me feel strong about the cause.

I agree with most that its best to fund your Hike one hundred percent. We won't take a dime for ourselves and we wont take free gear and if we do get gear and use it we will take the price of the gear and donate it to the charity ourselves.

its very true we could probally raise more money and do more good if we spent the 11 months helping a charity but the truth is we are going on this hike anyway and why not use it to help an organization.

ScottP just needs to fine tune his business propasal (for lack of a better word) and work out the kinks. And seriously think about makeing the trip just a medium for the cause's message and not making it an expense for the cause and the money he will raise.

All i know is we expect the hike to cost the two of us less than 10,000 dollars and therefore plan to make the fund raising goal the same. When we do this hike to show our seriouness I will make sure our names are the first on the list of donations.

Any advice would be greatly apprichiated.

RWBlue
12-07-2005, 12:02
[quote=Trail Dog]We figure why not acually put our time to good use and try to make it worth something to someone else other than ourselves.

we would feel better about it if it had some deeper meaning than our own discovery and enjoyment. The type of charity we are looking at is one that benifits the widows and children of soldiers killed in action since 9/11. Being in Iraq and having been at ground Zero with my old unit makes me feel strong about the cause.

I agree with most that its best to fund your Hike one hundred percent. We won't take a dime for ourselves and we wont take free gear and if we do get gear and use it we will take the price of the gear and donate it to the charity ourselves.

quote]

I have read this a couple time and tried to keep my mouth shut, BUT….

My gut feel tells me that a charity trip should cost you more and take longer and require more preparation than a non-charity trip. You have all the pre-trip fund raising. You should stop at predestined stopping publicity points on expected days. At these stopping points, you should setup interviews with TV, Radio, and talk with ASL or widows, children depending on your charity. You MUST have the right image when you conduct these stops, if you expect to continue to collect funds. (As a side note, remember the United Way scandal 10 years ago, I do. I STILL will not donate to the United Way. The same will hold true for your charity drive. IF you appear to be a dishonest, your charity will look like dishonest.) I wouldn’t expect a hiker to show up in a three-peace suit, but I also wouldn’t expect him to show up in a shirt that hasn’t been washed in 3 weeks with major BO and pizza stains down the front. The good news is with these stops you will not have to worry about transportation to and from town or having someone to do laundry. The bad news is that your time will not be your own. You will have to keep on a strict timetable to make the prearranged stops work. I would have the charity manage the money. If possible hand out donation cards that people can send in. Keeping the money as far away from you as possible only makes you cause more (I am lacking a word here, justified?) and shows your integrity.

I know this sounds like marketing fluff, but I think you will need some good marketing if you want to earn large sums of money for your cause.
Trail Dog, I think you are on track. You have a marketable charity hike. You came, you saw, you want to do something for the cause. You are funding the hike yourself which adds to the legitimacy of your cause. You will also have something to talk about during interviews and stops. When you find the charity you want to work for, contact them, let their lawyers write up the proposal. Have your own lawyer look over anything before you sign.

ScottP, your proposal is missing something. I don’t know if the integrity of your charity hike could hold up to an intense interview or the crutiny of the IRS. (The IRS will be interested in you if you, because the companies will try to write off the gear donation as a charitable donation.) Maybe it is because I don’t see the connection of you to the cause. Maybe it is because it looks like you are trying to get something for free. Maybe it is just the impersonal interface of the internet. It just doesn’t sound …. well honest. It may help if you make a sheet of hard questions and put your answers to those questions. DON’T write it up in story form. Make it a question and answer session. This will cut through all the BS if you are truly hiking for a charity then it will show and end my and everyone else’s doubt.

As an example:
How are you connected to the charity? My sister had the disease, and ….
Why a hike? Because my sister always wanted to ….
Why the AT? Because it is there?
Are you going to make the hike if NO companies make donations of gear toward your cause?
Are you prepared to become a billboard for X(namebrand company) if they donate $Y dollars to the cause (not gear)?
How much time have you devoted to the cause before this trip?

ScottP
12-07-2005, 15:20
The first two questions are answered above "I am a college senior and a member of Phi Delta Theta. Our national philanthropy is ALS, Lou Gherig's disease (Lou Gherig was a Phi Delt). ALS is a degeneritive nervous disorder that strikes all types of people, but most often athletic males. Two years ago my chapter started the first Walk to D'Feet ALS in the town our college is located in: Appleton, WI. That year an alumni from our chapter, Joel Ungrodt, spoke on ALS--he had the disease. By last year's he was no longer with us.
Last year over 150 walks to D'Feet ALS raised a total of 9 million dollars to fund ALS research. The average around three miles, but a chapter of Phi Delts in San Francisco walk over 60 miles to try to raise funds."

The organizations I would submit any proposal to would already know this.

Why the AT?
It is an extended walk. It will give months of publicity oppertunities. I think that the members of this forum are so cynical because they view a thru hike as a vacation more than as an athletic acomplishment. A typical target donor will see it as an accomplishment made in the name of a good cause, and will donate.
Are you going to make the hike if NO companies make donations of gear toward your cause?
Yes. By the way, if gear were a tax-writeoff, it would have to be donated to the ALSA, in which case it would revert to them after the thru hike. This gear could then possible be auctioned off for the charity.

Are you prepared to become a billboard for X(namebrand company) if they donate $Y dollars to the cause (not gear)?
If $Y is a significant amount, and they continue to donate if they continue to use my as a billboard.
<!-- / message --><!-- controls --> How much time have you devoted to the cause before this trip?

Like I've said above, probably about 40 hours total, not including work I've done to start the planning for this thru-hike.

I know that many people try this sort of event and fail. I, however, hope to have the backing of two large organizations that are very experienced in running charity events. I do expect that they will modify my proposal heavily.

RWBlue
12-07-2005, 18:51
Sorry , I wasn't clear. The answer sheet is not for us. It is for your prospective doners. It ties many item to one location.

smokymtnsteve
12-07-2005, 18:59
Steve, I have never worked at a hospice and probably never should. I don't have the demeanor for that type of work. I work for charity for around 50 or so hours a year, and about a quarter of that is for ALS. The remainder is for the elderly, at a local children's museum, and coaching wrestling and rugby. I believe that voluenteering is and should be fun. One does not have to suffer to do some good.




go and hold that hand of a ALS patient...spend some time with them...

after that then perhaps plan your hike,,,

fun is not all thier is to life or volunteering....

working with a ALS patient could be enlightnening to U ...there would be no suffering to U...an ALS patient can't hurt you,,,

the growth potential for U meeting and personally caring for an ALS could bring U great joy, and a better understanding of LIFE.

heck Hiking is just recreation....


wow..working with a ALS hospice patient could CHANGE ur demeanor,,,
could possibly be a life changing event for U,,,take a real challenge...

hiking is just for fun!

ScottP
12-07-2005, 21:55
RW, the oraganizations that this proposal is being submitted to will have the answers to your questions, but those will be important answers to be able to give to those who I hope to get to donate to ALS.

Steve, you are probably correct. I should work at a hospice at some point in my life. I just don't think that right now is quite that time yet. Fun was not quite the right word above. I should have said 'rewarding.'

smokymtnsteve
12-07-2005, 22:00
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday


there is no SOME DAY

There is no day like today, esp. for a ALS patient,,,

grrickar
12-08-2005, 02:39
I say go for it, but pay your own way, or get friends and family to help but keep it apart from the charity funds.

If I ever find the time to thru-hike, I want to do something worthwhile and not just make it all about me. I have all the gear so no need for anyone to give me anything besides their support.

My sister passed from breast cancer in 2000, and after spending time caring for her I want to do something, so if I am able to do a thru-hike I would try and do it as a charity. My mother is a cancer survivor, and my father is fighting melanoma and has monthly operations to keep it from spreading.

If I do the hike, I plan to pick the organization that I want to have all the donations benefit, then setup a website for people to post the amount the contributed so I could track it. I would not want to money to come to me but rather go straight to the charitable organization. I think if you were to do something similar people would be more trusting and more prone to give. Then you would have it both ways - you could track the success of your fund raiser, and the charity would get the funds without you having to manage them.

One other thing, I think people who have good intentions are far too often criticized for trying to do good. Has the world bred a generation of cynics? :(

Sly
12-08-2005, 02:53
One other thing, I think people who have good intentions are far too often criticized for trying to do good. Has the world bred a generation of cynics? :(

My feelings are what does a thru-hike have to do with charity? In my humble opinion, a thru-hike is about self-discovery and that of the natural world around you. It's not about breast cancer, or melanoma or ALS or awareness. Everyone is already aware of such diseases.

Nothing is stopping you from setting up a charity now. Save the hike for yourself.

ScottP
12-08-2005, 03:16
grrickar, As I posted this asking for criticism, I am thankful for all of the reactions that people have given. People always are and should be cynical when asked for money, so I need to have a bulletproof pitch if I expect to suceed.

Sly--things can have more than one meaning. Maybe part of that natural world around you includes other people, many of which need your help. Charity and self-discovery are not unrelated.

Nean
12-08-2005, 07:42
Yeah Sly,:dance But how many hikes must one do for their own discovery?:o And you're right, too many people trying to do good in this already perfect world of ours; really gets under my skin, ya know.;) HYOH??:confused:

QHShowoman
12-08-2005, 09:59
My feelings are what does a thru-hike have to do with charity? In my humble opinion, a thru-hike is about self-discovery and that of the natural world around you. It's not about breast cancer, or melanoma or ALS or awareness. Everyone is already aware of such diseases.

Nothing is stopping you from setting up a charity now. Save the hike for yourself.

Well, Sly, walks, marathons, bicycle races, etc. have little to do with charity directly, yet tons of non-profits have been usin them as fundraising vehicles for decades. They are great ways to raise money AND bring visibility to your cause (in fact, the visibility such events get often outweigh the monetary contributions).

What ever happened to "hike your own hike"? If someone wants to thru-hike for charity, so be it. It won't detract from his/her experience -- in fact, I think it adds more value to it. There is a HUGE difference between setting up a non-profit of your own and simply wanting to raise money for one ... the latter is what we are talking about here. It's been done successfully before, and it will be done successfully well into the future. As long as it doesn't negatively impact the trail or the experience of other thruhikers, there's really no issue here, other than helping Scott to construct his proposal in the best way possible.

RWBlue
12-08-2005, 10:21
I noticed a lot of criticism, so I will post a question.
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How do you plan on marketing your hike so you can solicit donations?

QHShowoman
12-08-2005, 10:25
Here is a link to a Trailjournal of someone who did a thru-hike to raise money for an Alzheimer's organization in 2004:

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=2499

You may want to try and contact him directly for advice.