National Heart Foundation of Australia

In 2016, a new fundraising strategy for the Heart Foundation called for investment in new, digitally led, fundraising products to streamline/enhance the organisation’s fragmented community fundraising portfolio. At a time when the Heart Foundation was also undergoing unification, the team needed a centrally managed, national community fundraising product they could bring to market.

Virtual events were viewed as possible opportunities with MyMarathon fitting the bill. Licenced from the British Heart Foundation, MyMarathon is a unique, virtual, peer to peer fundraising campaign, adapted for the Australian market, to raise funds for the Heart Foundation. A natural channel to promote the importance of physical activity to heart health, the campaign is a self-determined, physical activity challenge that allows anyone to conquer a marathon by running, jogging, walking or wheeling 42.2km – over an entire month.

MyMarathon lets people create their own fundraising page where they can log achievements manually or via a fitness app, and where their supporters can donate.

By licensing MyMarathon, the fundraising team met several directives of the national Board, including revitalising the Heart Foundation’s community fundraising portfolio, introducing new products and reducing fundraising and donor acquisition costs. Importantly, MyMarathon delivered great results: 8,410 participants who raised $574,000 in the first year!