Despite a recession that has curbed a wide range of charitable efforts, John Hancock’s Boston Marathon Fundraising Program is still running strong.
The South Boston-based insurer reported that it raised $3.7 million this year for nearly 60 charities through its marathon program – a 12 percent increase from the $3.3 million raised in 2008. This time around, 890 runners raised an average of about $4,000 apiece for charity. “We’ve got individuals who are truly committed to the community,†said Carol Fulp, senior vice president of community relations at John Hancock. “Even though it’s a difficult time, the Boston area realizes there are so many more people that are even more challenged and need our help now more than ever.†The number of participating runners includes employees of John Hancock and its Canadian corporate parent, Manulife Financial Corp., who need to raise $2,000 to participate. John Hancock has been requiring employees to raise money to receive a race number since the 2007 race. Fulp said the 89 employees who participated collectively raised $176,000 for the 2009 race, a 31 percent increase from the $134,000 that employee runners raised last year. John Hancock employees raised money for a summer jobs program for teens in Boston, while Manulife employees raised money for Habitat for Humanity Canada. Fulp said John Hancock executives were surprised by the surge in donations through the program this year. To some extent, Fulp attributes the overall growth in donations to proactive efforts among the participating nonprofit organizations to help runners be more effective with their fund-raising activities.
“I think the nonprofits have become more strategic in how they approach the program,†Fulp said. “It’s not just a number they give out. … They’ve become very sophisticated at this fund-raising approach.â€