Hybrid (In-Person+Virtual) Lap-A-Thons
Overview:
With this option, your participants will seek pledges from donors for how many laps they end up running and walking on Lap-A-Thon Day.
On Lap-A-Thon Day we will setup a 1/4 mile loop (or longer, or shorter if you prefer for some reason), and make the entire event come to life for your participants on Lap-A-Thon Day. They’ll have a certain amount of time (typically 2 hours, but it can be any amount of time).
Then at the end of that event on whatever date you like we will close out the fundraiser, and then donors cards will be immediately charged based on how many laps the participants accomplished.
In addition, participants from anywhere in the world can take part by finding a matching distance loop or out and back (on a track, sidewalk, park path, trail, etc.) and doing as many laps as possible during the same time we are live in-person. The virtual participants can log their laps with our simple online system.
We can also help make them feel apart of the Lap-A-Thon Day by utilizing our live stream feature.
Then at the end of that day, donors cards will be charged based on how many laps the participants (both live and virtual) accomplished.
See below for all the nitty gritty of how our Hybrid (In-Person+Virtual) Lap-A-Thon fundraisers work for you:
The Process, Start to Finish
(1) Setup
You get your very own Endless Loop Coordinator assigned to your fundraiser, who works for you and with you to get all the information needed to get started.
We will have you fill out a quick online questionnaire, so we know how to customize your fundraiser in our online system.
We will help you know what to do to secure a location and date.
We create and entirely setup your fundraiser for you in our state of the art online platform. This is where everyone will sign up to participate, and also send people to pledge to the laps they’ll do on Lap-A-Thon day.
We provide your leadership team with access to your entity’s online fundraising portal, so you all can track in real-time who is doing what (or not doing what and needs attention).
We provide you with a series of helpful information. You can use each item ‘as is’ or take parts that you feel are useful. It’s yours to use however is best for you. Some things we’ll give you are:
Communications Plan that details out what information to send out to your participants, and when to send it.
Contests and Prizes Plan to help you incentivize and motivate your participants. We can customize it so that it is individuals, teams, or a combo of both.
Sponsorship Plan to help you exponentially increase your revenue by utilizing local, national, and global companies.
Ongoing Ideas to increase fundraising, as we monitor your fundraiser along the way. This comes in the form of a weekly check-in email and/or phone call with your coordinator.
(2) Fundraising
We work with you to help your participants best communicate with their potential donors.
The online platform allows participants to quickly and easily set up their own custom donation page with a unique URL just for them. This allows donors to easily find their participant, pledge, or even make a one time donation.
The platform even allows participants to utilize one-click buttons to post their custom fundraiser page to their social media channels and email.
(3) Lap-A-Thon Event Day
Our local coordinator is on-site to direct, execute, clean up the event, and help you all have fun and relax while we handle all the details of the effort.
Our electronic timing system counts everyone’s completed laps. Then we upload the results straight into the online platform.
Aside from providing a few volunteers on the Lap-A-Thon event day, all you have to do is continue to motivate your participants to gain pledges along the way and show up on the Lap-A-Thon Day to do as many laps as possible.
For those taking part virtually from other areas, we can also livestream the onsite Lap-A-Thon to help them feel like they’re apart of it with you.
When those virtual participants are done with their laps, they can quickly log into their account on our fundraising platform, and update how many laps they accomplished with a couple quick steps.
Our system manages the rest of the details for them as well as the live participants.
(4) Post Event
Our system sends an email to all donors showing how many laps their participant did, and how much they will be charged.
Our system auto-charges all donors’ credit cards after the Fundraising Period is over.
Once everything is finalized, the system sends your remaining fundraised money directly into your account.
This means no back-end money collection or follow-up is needed from participants or you/your staff. We manage 100% of it.
We share with your leaders a transparent P&L, showing exactly how much was brought in, and how much the event expenses were.
Financial Information
It’s important to note that we will provide a Communications Plan that will lay everything out for your participants, but it is ultimately up to your team to get participants to sign up and to fundraise.
Endless Loop pays for all event expenses up front and out of our fees, so no risk exists for the Fundraising Entity. Expenses include items such as:
Registration / Fundraising Platform’s processing fees.
Integrated check-in, timing chip, lap counting services.
Lap counting hard costs (chips, disposable bibs, etc.)
Event insurance (if needed because the event takes place outside your normal activities and/or offsite of your normal location).
Event items such as generators, sound system, arch tunnels, feather flags, tables, vehicles, office supplies, etc.
*Travel (unless you are a far drive or a flight away from one of our Coordinators, and this will be discussed before we get started).
Once the Fundraiser is over, we get to work uploading results into the system and running reports for contests and prizes.
The Registration / Fundraising Platform sends an email to all donors who pledged per lap donations a summary of how many laps their participant performed, and the total about to be charged to their card.
Once we have “Finalized” the event in the platform, they charge the donors’ credit cards. They let us know if any cards get denied or any other issues arise.
As soon as the official numbers are in, your Coordinator completes the Financial Summary and Invoice, and sends it to your team for review.
You have up to 30 days from receipt of invoice to submit payment.
The Registration and Fundraising platform will have sent all money directly to your Fundraising Entity via a Stripe or Paypal account. Your entity then pays Endless Loop for our services rendered. We never have any of your money in our possession.
The details you won’t have to take care of:
Our online tools will:
Manage participants’ registration;
Have options for the public to sign up
Handle donors’ pledges and flat donations
Streamline the way for sponsors to sign up, upload logos, and collect payment
Your participants will be able to utilize and access the entire online system from smartphones, tablets, computers, or devices. No paperwork or money chasing to keep up with.
If we are utilizing a property other than the one your entity owns or normally operates from, we can obtain all event insurance. So, if something happens to a participant on event day you don't have to worry. We can name as many entities and people as needed in the third-party certificates, so all your stakeholders have peace of mind. This would not be needed if the fundraiser 1) excludes the public, 2) the event happens during your normal operating procedures, and 3) is covered under your entity’s regular insurance.
If you want to provide participants with an event shirt or other swag item, we can get the design and order taken care of for you.
We can also help you with gaining sponsorships, to further boost your amount raised.
The next year, we will take what we learned and create your new event with even less of your time needed. Our fundraisers get continuously more simplistic for you and your participants; and also get more effective and likely to grow each year after.
Where can we do these?
While we can make our virtual fundraisers happen from anywhere in the world, we are proud that we only offer our live, in-person Lap-A-Thons where we can personally be onsite with you.
If you don’t see your location, please email us to inquire about adding a new one.
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Colorado
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Texas
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Wyoming
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Oklahoma
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Western Nebraska
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New Mexico
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Inquire about adding a new location
