Blessings in a Backpack DIY5K

Host your very own Blessings in a Backpack “Do it yourself” 5K! It’s like throwing a party with a purpose. You can turn this fundraising event into a feel-good event that feeds kids in your community. Gather sponsors and participants as passionate about making a difference as you are. During the designated week, round up your squad – friends, family, teammates, coworkers, and local business owners and choose how you want to conquer your 5K: run, walk, bike, dance, or even swim! Some teams might participate together, while others might take it easy, spreading their 5K over a week. And here’s the kicker – the distance isn’t set in stone; you can mold it to fit your community’s vibe!

Host your DIY5K and feed kids in your community today! To help plan your DIY5K, this page will walk through the necessary steps for hosting this event

Determine Your DIY5K Race Details

The first step to hosting your DIY5K is determining when your event will take place, how you will fundraise,
setting a fundraising goal, and creating an event timeline.

Resources:

• Sample Event Timeline
• Sample Budget Sheet
• Tips on Determining your Fundraising Goal

Set Up Registration

Once you have determined the details of your DIY5K, you will need to set up a registration site with the help of a Blessings staff member. Please fill out this form, and a Blessings staff person will build your event registration site in 7 business days and then reach out to schedule a time to review the site. Once the site is ready, encourage supporters to register, allowing your program to track your total number of participants, buy event merchandise, send event emails, and solicit local event sponsors.

Solicit Sponsors

Current donors are familiar with your Blessings program and know how important it is to cover the weekend hunger gap. They may jump at the chance to further align themselves with feeding kids in your community.

Resources:

• Recruitment Tips
• Sponsorship Form Template

Promotional Materials

Tshirts: One way to commemorate your event and raise extra funds is to sell DIY5K t-shirts.

• Create a race shirt through Bonfire.
• Use this t-shirt template and order shirts through a local shop!

Blessings in a Backpack Merch: Head to our Blessings in a Backpack store and order Blessings merch for your event.

• Shop the Blessings Store.
• Click here for a DIY5K sticker template.

Note: The t-shirts shown in the picture are just examples of something you could create and order using the DIY5K logo.

Promote the Race to Your Community

During your initial planning, consider one of the most essential steps: getting the word out to your community. After all, your DIY5K will need participants to succeed.

When promoting your event, ensure you’re making the best use of these platforms:

• Social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been staples for nonprofits for years and are effective for promoting your fundraisers. Create a post with eye-catching visuals, a memorable hashtag, and an interactive element to encourage supporters to engage with your content and share it with their followers.

• Email lists. Email is an effective tool for reaching supporters who are already in your program’s network. Promote your DIY5K fundraiser by emailing your supporters in the weeks leading up to your event, and send a message specifically about your DIY5K to spotlight the event and share more specific details. 

Host Your DIY5K!

Now it’s time to run, walk, dance, swim, or whatever you choose! There are many ways to engage with your supporters on race day and form a community around the race and your cause. 

Here are a few ways you can make this race interactive for your participants: 

• Have organizers and special guests share race updates throughout the day on social media. Stream or post live social media updates showing your team participating in your DIY5K. 
• Ask participants to wear their t-shirts and send photos and videos of themselves running the race. Ask them to tag your program in their posts so you can easily re-share these photos as they come in. Use hashtag #BlessingsinaBackpackDIY5K
• If you are pushing toward a specific fundraising goal, give fundraising updates throughout the day. Make sure you have a way for supporters and participants to donate a little extra toward your cause on the event day.
• Share a playlist with your participants so they have some shared tunes to cheer them on while they run.