Human Race supports 58 charities with single 5K
Every day in DuPage County, volunteer-driven grass-roots organizations are at work making life a little better in our corner of the world.
They're helping families facing tough times. Caring for animals. Inspiring children. Providing hope when it's needed most.
The DuPage Human Race aims to provide the financial support these local charities need to continue making a difference in our communities.
Rather than supporting a single cause, the 5K fun run and walk on Saturday, April 28, in Downers Grove will raise money for 58 local nonprofits that may not have the resources to organize a fundraising run of their own. Every participant chooses which organization benefits from his or her entry fee.
Giving DuPage, a nonprofit dedicated to matching volunteers and donors with charity opportunities, organizes the DuPage Human Race. In its seventh year, the race is poised to reach a fundraising milestone: half a million dollars to help the people of DuPage.
Giving DuPage Executive Director Shefali Trivedi tells us more about her organization and its signature fundraising event. And on our pages, five participants tell us why they're joining the DuPage Human Race on behalf of their favorite organization.
Q. What is Giving DuPage's role in the county?
A. Giving DuPage is the DuPage County Volunteer Center with a mission to promote giving and volunteering countywide. We do our best to connect people who want to give back to the organizations that need their help.
Q. What resources does Giving DuPage provide?
A. Giving DuPage mobilizes volunteers on behalf of nonprofit, community and faith-based groups. We also equip organizations with capacity-building resources, which include training workshops or fundraising opportunities like the DuPage Human Race. Finally, we strive to inspire our community with big volunteer initiatives like Do GOOD DuPage or service day events.
Q. How many organizations do you work with through the year?
A. Giving DuPage partners with more than 350 local nonprofit partners in one way or another with our resources, whether it's our Volunteer Portal or the DuPage Human Race or training courses we provide.
Some nonprofit partners use all or many of the resources we offer, some use one or a few. It's up to them, but we're meant to be a support agency for our nonprofit partners and they determine how we will support them.
Q. How many volunteers participate?
A. We have about 3,700 users registered in our Volunteer Portal website, givingdupage.org/volunteer. This website is a volunteerism resource that contains 700 volunteer and in-kind donation needs for 395 nonprofit organizations that serve DuPage residents.
Q. How and why did the Human Race get started?
A. Volunteer centers like Giving DuPage started Human Race events more than 20 years ago to help smaller nonprofit organizations host their own 5K race without dedicating their own staff time and resources.
Similar races are held around the country, and it's really neat to see the same concept work in other places. When our sister agency, the McHenry County Volunteer Center, hosted its first McHenry Human Race eight years ago, we figured we could try it too. Here we are seven years later.
Q. What sets the Human Race apart?
A. The DuPage Human Race is unlike other charity races because racers are supporting 58 local charities in one umbrella event. No other race in DuPage helps so many charities at one time.
The best part is that each runner and walker is there to show some love to their favorite charity, and you see hundreds of other people there to support their own organization. You leave absolutely inspired by the work of all the charity organizations.
Q. How do organizations get involved with the race?
A. Race charities can get involved by paying a one-time fee of $75. That's the other unique thing about this event. When was the last time a nonprofit organization could host a fundraiser for their cause by investing only $75?
Giving DuPage takes care of event planning and logistics, so each race charity is spared from having to do the work of organizing such a large-scale event. There is no upper limit to how much each organization can raise, so some raise $300 and some raise $30,000.
Q. Are there criteria the organizations need to meet?
A. There are a few main criteria to be a participating race charity:
• Every organization must be a registered 501(c)3 organization with a recent 990 filing;
• Every organization must serve DuPage County residents with programs and services as a charitable organization (i.e. no after-school clubs or special/political interest groups);
• Each organization agrees that it does not already host its own 5K race; if it does, our event is not appropriate because the organization has existing resources to host its own event;
• Race charities agree to our terms with respect to use of race marketing logo, materials and linked websites for the purposes of this event only;
• Each organization must pay a one-time fee of $75 (or $100 late fee) to be a participating race charity.
Q. How much money has been raised so far?
A. Since we started this event in 2012, the DuPage Human Race has raised $476,211 for 135 different local nonprofit organizations.
Q. What makes the event successful?
A. It takes many helping hands and generous hearts to pull off this awesome event every year. It's really difficult to tell the full story of lives impacted and enriched because so many clients and recipients of charitable organization are touched through the DuPage Human Race; but it's important to share the numbers.
Nearly 20 sponsors, 150 volunteers, 11 board members, eight committee members and two staff members give their all to show their love for 58 race charities this year. That's a lot of generosity and good will so that the many local causes can continue to provide educational programs, serve seniors, help veterans, deliver access to medical/health services, feed hungry neighbors, protect children and offer arts programs.
Q. How has the event evolved since the first race?
A. We've continued to improve on our race model and now proudly state that $3 of every $4 generated from race registration and extra donations are donated back to race charities. This underscores our commitment to have this race event focused on fundraising for our race charities.
If you go
What: DuPage Human Race 5K
Why: Proceeds benefit participants' choice of 58 nonprofit organizations serving DuPage County
When: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 28
Where: The Esplanade at Locust Point, 1901 W. Butterfield Road, Downers Grove
Cost: $45 for runners, $40 for walkers; free for children 13 and younger
Info: dupagehumanrace.org