GivenGain, a cross-border crowdfunding specialist for non-profits, has signed a multi-year exclusive agreement as the official fundraising partner of the Boston Marathon – one of the world’s most prestigious marathons.
Scheduled for Monday, October 11, 2021, the 125th Boston Marathon will aim to combine a field of 20,000 athletes with 70,000 more virtual participants this year. The event supports more than 160 official charities and non-profit organizations, as well as many more supported by qualified and virtual runners who fundraise as part of their participation.
Participants raised a record US$38 million at the 2019 Boston Marathon. In 2020 the event surpassed the US$400 million milestone raised since the charity program’s inception at the 1989 Boston event.
“We are very excited to partner with the Boston Marathon to provide a meaningful fundraising experience for dedicated runners around the world,” said Marius Maré, Global Director of Operations and Partnerships at GivenGain.
“We are committed to giving the hundreds of participating charities and many thousands of runners a smooth, meaningful and unforgettable experience through fundraising excellence, service, and advice.”
“The Boston Athletic Association is proud to partner with GivenGain as the official fundraising partner of the Boston Marathon,” said Nicole Juri, B.A.A. Director of Development.
“The Boston Marathon Official Charity Program has been a meaningful part of our race for more than 30 years, and we’re eager to expand its positive impact on the community with GivenGain. Together, we’ll strive to reach new fundraising heights through the Boston Marathon Official Charity Program.”
Ashley Wheeler, Senior Manager at John Hancock – the financial services firm and event’s principal sponsor – said “John Hancock is proud to work with the B.A.A. to leverage our Boston Marathon sponsorship to provide meaningful support to charitable organizations across our region.
“Our team is looking forward to integrating this new platform with John Hancock’s Marathon Non-Profit Program to maximize fundraising efforts this year.”
The GivenGain platform regularly undergoes innovation and enhancements, and currently names leading brands such as Rosterfy and Zwift among its integration partners. It notes that it is working with the Boston Athletic Association and John Hancock to build expanded functionality and integrations that will benefit all charities and their supporters throughout the entirety of the partnership.
GivenGain’s Marius Maré added “We support every level of the event, from the event organizers and charities to the participants, donors and volunteers. Our entire team is involved in ensuring that every aspect of the experience is covered.
“We’ll also promote the event and work with all charities to maximize their fundraising, and lastly, we’ll help participants with their efforts and create branded team fundraising projects for corporate partners.
“GivenGain was founded on the principle ‘One World. Zero Barriers.’ to help enable global philanthropy for everyone, regardless of national borders. To achieve that mission, we continually break down barriers of race, religion, gender and political affiliation, thereby advancing diversity, equality and inclusion.
“Lastly, GivenGain is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. As a highly diverse organization, we are proud to represent a highly diverse event.
“All teams are ecstatic that we are bringing a global approach to fundraising and that the event will be able to easily make more of an impact on more people with the click of a button. Global online crowdfunding for charity is 20 years old, but in many ways it is just beginning.”
