Why We're Giving Up On The Big GIVE
For the past few years, Jack’s has put on The Big GIVE – your classic nonprofit fundraiser with auctions, paddle raises, and inspiring speakers. The idea was simple: raise a lot of money in one night.
But the truth is, there were a lot of yearly struggles. Many of our donors spend their falls and winters down South, so recruitment and attendance were a difficult task. And big fundraising events like galas and golf tournaments are expensive. By the time we paid for the venues, AV, event planners, and staff time, last year it ended up costing us more than a dollar to raise a dollar.
That didn’t sit right us. What I saw was our staff pouring too much time and precious resources into running events, and not enough into doing what matters most: supporting caregivers. We realized we needed a way to make a bigger impact on caregivers with less cost, creating more value for everyone involved.
Enter Carry That Weight
So, this year, we let The Big GIVE go and made room for something new.
My endlessly creative colleague Jeff Myrhe had the idea to turn my rucking hobby – walking with weight on your back – into a fundraising campaign. One day we were trying to come up with a name for the campaign when he starting singing, "Boy.....You're Gonna Carry That Weight" by The Beatles....and everything clicked. We had our campaign name.
Carry That Weight is simple and meaningful, and something anyone can take part in. Instead of one expensive night in one place, it’s an experience you can do in Bloomington, or from wherever you are. Grab your backpack, rucksack, or just carry your own weight and walk a mile (or more), and show caregivers they don’t have to carry their burdens alone. Take a selfie and tag us on social media with the hashtag #carrythatweight. Teams can carry the most weight and you can start yours today by clicking here.
Where We’re Headed
This shift isn’t just about saving money. It’s about aligning with our 10-year vision to strengthen one million caregiving men. With your support we will give them the strength to ask for help, the strength to show up with heart, and the strength to care for themselves just as much as they care for their loved ones.
Letting go of The Big GIVE was tough. But Carry That Weight feels more true to who we are, what we do, and where we’re going.
On September 13th, I hope you’ll join us – locally or virtually – and show caregivers they don’t carry the weight alone.
