Gobble, gobble. It’s Turkey Trot season!

Some folks love hitting the pavement before they put on their stretchy pants. A Turkey Trot with a set course, street closures, aid stations, and more can be a lot of fun. It can also be a lot of work.  

With just over a month to go, can you pull off a virtual Turkey Trot? 

Setup and homepage 

It takes just minutes to set up your campaign page on our platform. 

Literally.  

Changing homepage copy, adding in a cover image, and opening your campaign up to peer-to-peer participation is simple with GiveSmart. Current customers can find step-by-step guides in the Help Center.  

And, don’t forget, with us, you can have an unlimited number of admins. That means a junior board or volunteer committee can take ownership of your virtual event, so your staff lift is lighter. Check out Gateway for Cancer Research’s Associate Board’s 2020 Wine Walk & Turkey Trot campaign (pictured here).  While you could include t-shirts or medals with registration, you can also make a simple PDF race bib and encourage people to DIY. It does not have to be complicated to be engaging and impactful!  

Adding in any registration options on your order form, raffle items, and/or a goal thermometer might take a few more minutes but no longer than your potatoes take to boil.  

Communication and promotion  

There are user-friendly tools available to help your organization spread the word and give a community feel to your virtual event.  

Make sure to optimize your fundraiser homepage. Embed a video just like Incarnate World Academy (IWA) does for their Turkey Trot – A Run in Remembrance, to highlight your mission, volunteers, and event history.  

Of course, creating social posts and asking your supporters to do the same is a great way to spread the word. If you provide your supporters with enablement – like sample messaging, tips, a hashtag, and more – you may be surprised how many people share your event.  

If you are looking to level up your social media, a FREE tool like Canva is a great first step. Canva allows pretty much anyone to create on-brand, on theme graphics. And, make it feel like everyone is together and give your virtual event a community feel with a message board tool just like IWA did with Padlet.  

While there are some people out there who love a good early morning 5K (not this author, but some people), many people join in for the fun, community, and philanthropy.  Get your virtual Turkey Trot going today, and fuel your mission before your stuff your stomach.