Revealed: Sponsorship money for charity runs may NEVER reach a good cause – as it costs organisations thousands to ‘buy’ a place at events such as the London Marathon
- BBC1’s Britain’s Secret Charity Cheats revealed truth behind ‘charity’ runners
- Generous friends and family may think they’re donating to good causes
- Show suggests it costs charities thousands of pounds for people to take part
- If runners don’t raise funds to cover the cost, charities have to shell out
- Lucy Herron, from London, admitted the risk was ‘too great’ for smaller charities
Sponsoring someone to take part in a sporting event may feel like a good way to support both your friend and a charity, but it turns out your money may never reach a worthy cause.
According to BBC1’s Britain’s Secret Charity Cheats, it can cost charities thousands to ‘buy’ spaces for runners at big events, and often the funds they raise only just cover the cost.
The programme revealed today that the price of eight places in the London Marathon costs £22,000, so that each runner would have to raise £2,750 just to cover their entry cost.
Meanwhile the programme suggested that charities are forced to shell out the difference if runners are unable to fundraise enough needed to cover their entrance fee.
The BBC1 programme revealed that if runners do not raise the necessary funds to cover their entrance fee, the charity is forced to shell out
Lucy Herron, founder of Msizi Africa, says the allocation system in place for some large marathon events means smaller charities miss out
The revelations are likely to stun charity runners, whose motivation for taking part in events is often based on raising cash for personal causes.
Presenter Kevin Duala visited the Liverpool Half Marathon, to discuss the reasons various runners took part.
Those he interviewed both admitted they were running for charities close to their hearts, with one revealing he was raising money for an organisation that had supported him after his 14-year-old daughter died.
Another mentioned he was running for a charity that funds research into stillbirth, premature birth and miscarriage.
Presenter Kevin Duala revealed that often generous donations from runners may not end up with the charity – and may, in fact, end up being given to the events organisers
The programme suggested it can cost charities thousands of pounds for people to take part in events like races.
So while runners, friends and family may feel they’re raising money for a good cause, often the total raised will end up going towards, or only just covering, the cost of the individual’s entry to the event.
And shockingly, Kevin went on to reveal that often races such as the London Marathon charge more for guaranteed charity spaces than they do for individual ballot places.
Often people join these races for deeply personal reasons: One father discussed how he was running the Liverpool Half Marathon for a charity which supported him after his daughter died
Eight places at the event can cost a charity more then £22,000, although that does involve some advertising.
Lucy Herron, who founded the charity Msizi Africa in 2007, says it isn’t feasible for smaller charities to take part in big events because it’s not affordable.
She said: ‘They cost thousands and thousands of pounds, the kind of cash that charities don’t have upfront and can’t risk.’
If you sponsor a charity runner, there is a chance that the money raised will go to event organisers rather then charity, as part of it will have to go toward the event fee.
With reportedly 1,278 runners with charity places in the Great North Run raising nothing last year, Lucy called it a real worry for smaller charities.
All charity places for the London Marathon cost at least £330, with a batch of eight guaranteed places costing up to £22,000
Lucy went on to suggest the allocation system changes so it is ‘more fair’ for charities, saying: ‘Charity places cost so much money, that if runner does not raise the money, the charity will lose out.’
In March of this year, the London Marathon announced it would review its system as to how charities are allocated spaces.
All charity places cost £330, which is beyond the reach of smaller organisations.
Advertising packages that include guaranteed places begin at £3,500, the equivalent of £1,750 a place, and can reach more than £22,000.
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