London Marathon Fundraising for 2021
Raise money for your charity place on GoFundMe
Successful in the ballot? Or just won your London marathon charity place? Start your London marathon fundraising now.
GoFundMe is the ideal choice for charity fundraising. We have a 0% platform fee for organisers, and a 100% Gift Aid promise. That means every single penny of the Gift Aid pledged to your campaign goes straight to charity, unlike on other platforms. Set up a fundraiser now and we’ll help at every step along the way with our expert tips and tricks. What’s more, we automatically transfer all your donations to your chosen charity—you don’t have to do a thing.
Why run the London marathon?
Chris Brasher, the man who founded the London marathon in 1981, dubbed the event as “the Suburban Everest”.
Nearly four decades on, and the race he founded is one of the biggest fundraising events in the world.
Last year more than 40,000 people took part, raising millions for charity – and having plenty of fun along the way. Recent Guinness World Records broken during the marathon include:
- Fastest marathon dressed as a poo emoji.
- Fastest marathon on stilts.
- Fastest marathon dressed as a carrot.
- And fastest marathon dressed as a three-dimensional plant.
Do you already have your ballot place?
Most recently more than 414,168 people applied for a place in the London marathon ballot – and only around 17,500 were successful.
We know you’ve got a lot on your mind, from the best training regime to whether you need to alter your diet.
Why use GoFundMe to raise money for your London marathon charity?
It’s very simple. The marathon is one of the biggest events in the world, with a record £64 million raised online according to Civil Society, and GoFundMe is the leader for charity fundraising.
Our 0% platform fee for organisers means more money gets to your chosen cause, and every single penny of the Gift Aid does too. Instead of taking money from fees donated to charities by your friends and family as sites such as JustGiving do, we rely on optional tips.
GoFundMe provides:
- 24/7 support from our world class customer service team.
- A app to help you maintain your fundraiser on the go.
- Automatic donations to your chosen charity – so you don’t have to lift a finger.
- 100% of Gift Aid is automatically sent to your favourite charity.
- All donations are underwritten by the GoFundMe guarantee.
- More than £9 billion+ raised so far on our platform.
How to run a successful London Marathon fundraiser
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Start fundraising early
They say the early bird catches the worm, and fundraising is no different. Research shows those who set up their fundraisers soon after they get their ballot places earn more.
First, think through how you’re going to create a fundraising plan. That means:
- Setting a target amount to make for charity.
- Looking at other successful fundraisers to see what worked for them, and what did not.
- And taking some photos and even a video to launch your fundraiser.
Then, you’re ready to set up your donation page. Our expert’s top tips are to explain who, what, when, why, and how on your page:
- Who are you raising money for? Describe the charity honestly and compellingly – why is it so important, and why does it deserve help?
- What does the charity need money for? Is there an immediate crisis, or perhaps an aim such as new library for your children’s school?
- When do they need money? If there are any deadlines, adding a sense of urgency can help your cause.
- Why does the charity need help? Giving makes people feel good, so tell your friends why their contributions are so necessary.
- How can your donors help? Be specific, such as detailing what a £5, £10, £20 and £50 donation can impact the charity.
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Make it personal
Stories can change the world. Sharing a personal story and why your chosen charity matters on your GoFundMe page is a great way to connect with potential donors, from family and friends to total strangers.
Don’t panic if you’re not feeling particularly eloquent. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so if you’re stuck on what to say, a high quality, compelling image can do a lot of the work for you.
When it comes to pictures, more is more. Campaigns with at least five photos raise more than campaigns with one. You can also also share some images of your training journey while updating your page. Find out more about how images can lead to fundraising success.
As well as pictures, videos are powerful fundraising tools to connect with your donors and make your campaign stand out. All you need is a camera or smartphone.
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Leverage your online and offline networks
Once your campaign is live, it’s time to get donations. Sharing with your friends and family is important, but there are plenty of ways to reach new audiences. If you’re stuck, we have 25 ways to share your fundraiser, from Facebook events to phone calls to targeted emails.
There are plenty of ways to promote your fundraiser on social media, but if you don’t have Facebook, that’s not a problem. For those fundraising without social media, you can try sharing your campaign on your workplace intranet. Another idea is sending one-to-one personal messages such as email or Whatsapp.