Walk 101 - Are Walk Events Dead?

In my career in fundraising, I think that I have heard that “Walks are Dead” at least annually. Sometimes from staff, sometimes from volunteers, sometimes from media but most usually when recruitment or fundraising are down or flat. But that statement is FALSE! The truth is that Walks are very much alive and making money every day.

There are many reasons that people think that Walks are dead – They don’t appeal to people, they aren’t making money, our organization hasn’t reached budget in our Walk event for years and so on. But here are 4 hard truths about Walks:

Truth: Walks are NOT Cool and Sexy

Walks can be many things: Fun, educational, celebrational, inspiring. But they are not cool or sexy. And that is OK. It’s just like in high school when your parents encouraged you to just be yourself and not try to fit in with all the cool kids. And even though you hate to admit it, they were right. So let your Walk be the best at what it does well, and stop trying to make it something it isn’t.

Truth: Walks Do Not Appeal to Everyone

I personally hate eggplant. I will not eat it, I do not want it on my plate. I will not magically like it in a box, or with a fox, or on a train, or on a plane. I just do not like eggplant. No one is ever going to get me to eat eggplant and enjoy it – and that is OK because there are plenty of eggplant lovers out there.

There are going to be donors, clients, even Board Members that are never, ever going to enjoy a Walk – And that is OK too. Stop trying to convince everyone to participate in your Walk and instead look at your fundraising portfolio mix to find the right fit for those people instead.

Truth: Walks Still Make a Lot of Money and Can Grow

From the 2024 P2P Top 30 Events Report

o   Walks represent 12 of the top 30 events

o   Of the $1.13 Billion brought in by the top 30 events, walks accounted for 49% - $557 Million

o   The top 2 events were both walks (Heart and Alzheimer's) and both showed year over year growth in 2024

Truth: Expecting Double Digit Growth Across All Walk Events in an Organization is NOT a Good Strategy

              If an organization wants to discourage talented fundraisers they will create arbitrary budget growth goals for all Walk events regardless of circumstance or opportunity. It is far wiser to look at each Walk, evaluate it for growth potential, and build a budget that has a strong chance of actual success. If we plan for intelligent growth we may not hear that “Walks are Dead” as often.