Rich on Running: Running can be your ticket to help charity

Whether you run in a local road race or the Boston Marathon, there are plenty of ways that running events help people donate to charity.A week ago Monday, the 116th Boston Marathon concluded in Copley Square, and with it another big day for 31 official charities. The 2012 Marathon charities were slated to raise more than $10 million for their causes, according to the Boston Athletic Association website.Charities and the Marathon go back over 20 years. The first “official” charity was the American Liver Foundation, in 1989; one year later the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute joined as well. Both charities were on the list for this year.Charities selected for official status get 15 waivers for runners, who do not need a qualifying time. They do, however, need to acknowledge they can “complete a marathon within 6 hours, raise a minimum of $4,000 for (their) cause and will abide by all other B.A.A. rules and regulations,” the BAA website reads. Charities keep their official status for a period that can last up to three years.Runners who receive a waiver may also receive some training support. When Marathon management vets charities that apply for official status, among the criteria they look for is “those who can demonstrate the capacity and infrastructure to support a team of runners in their fundraising and training efforts,” the BAA notes on its website.In response to a question about whether charities offered incentives to go beyond a stated fundraising goal, Marc Davis of the BAA wrote in an email that “incentives to raise more (are) based on the individual charity themselves.” On the other hand, for those who cannot raise the minimum $4,000, he added, “A credit card is processed at the time that the charity is accepted. If the runner does not meet the minimum, then the amount that they are short on will be charged on the card.”Like the Marathon, directors of local road races also determine which charities will benefit from their events. In some cases, all you need is to sign up for a race and you could help provide a homeless person with a meal, or a college student with a scholarship.Karyn Coulon, race director of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) 5K Recovery Run in Lynn, wrote in an email that since the race began three years ago, organizers have split the proceeds three ways. One-third goes to the AOH scholarship fund, one-third to Men’s AOH charities and one-third to Ladies’ AOH charities. The scholarship fund donation is a standing decision, she added, while the men’s and ladies’ membership generally vote on which charities they will support, with some also being standing decisions.The race raised $19,000 this year, a $6,000 increase from 2011, which Coulon called “a direct result of the increase in participants.”She added, “This year’s registration almost doubled as compared to last year. The growing amount of money raised has allowed our scholarship committee to increase their payouts to scholarship winners (from $500 to $1000) and also to add to the number of scholarships given.”Recovery Run proceeds, either monetary or in-kind, have helped out many charities. They have helped the LAOH team in the Lynn Relay for Life (which raises money to fight cancer; this year’s event takes place June 1 at Red Rock Park). They have also helped provide infant and childcare supplies to the Lynn chapter of Catholic Charities and bring food and monetary donations to several food pantries and organizations that feed the needy: St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart, Holy Family and My Brother’s Table. Proceeds have also helped out the Item Santa.Other running events have added multi-level fundraising opportunities. One such event is the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Run for the Wild, a 5K at the Bronx Zoo on Saturday. (I will be running the race.) The Run for the Wild will benefit “lions, their habitat, and other threatened wildlife at the Bronx Zoo and around the globe,” according to a WCS email.Like the Marathon, participants had to commit to a