Besides being a run community fit for all, we also have been trying to raise awareness (and funds) towards our “Community and Conservation Efforts”. Between shoe and tree drives, fundraisers, and raffles, we have done some awesome work to support this year’s beneficiaries - Bear Warriors United and Matthew’s Hope- and we will continue to do so! That said, we have also come to realize that if we are going to continue these efforts and support other organizations annually, we need to apply for non-profit status (aka 501c3). Once we have that status, this will open more opportunities to us, including corporate/small business sponsorships, less transaction fees for electronic donations to our beneficiaries, tax deductions for people who donate, etc.

Our goal for this campaign is $2000. This money is specifically for our Not-4-proFIT campaign and will be set aside from donations collected for our C&C efforts.

While it is true that the 501c3 IRS filing fee is $600, we also need to convert our current registration as an LLC to INC, which includes a filing fee, along with other “ee” rhymes and acronyms. There are also operating expenses such as annual filing, our website hosting, and other expenses that come up to keep us running (pun intended). The additional amount that we are trying to raise is to create a buffer and hopefully put the group in a position to keep the club free and not have to bother you for a while! Any of the ARC board members would be happy to discuss further and/or answer any questions you might have. Just shoot us an email.

The ARC board has agreed that what funds we do collect would be split between this year’s beneficiaries, minus the difference for this year’s anticipated admin/web hosting fees. Any of the ARC board members would be happy to discuss further and/or answer any questions and provide any documentation that you might request.

How awesome would that be?! This all depends on how much we surpass. If it is a significant amount, we would likely run a poll on the ARC Facebook group page on what to do with the funds. Some ideas include: to split between this year’s C&C beneficiaries, hold for an ARC gathering/dinner, or maybe create a scholarship fund. If the surplus amount is smaller, we would likely keep the remainder as a reserve for unexpected expenses/admin fees. Since our club is voluntary, our operating costs are not as high, but it does take some! And since our club is free, we rely on donations and apparel sales to keep things running.

Not at all! We are flexible and are happy to work with you on what works best. Please reach out to Christina directly or through the ARC email for assistance.

Our primary focus will always be a community run group open to all levels. But as a group that runs through our parks and neighborhoods, we recognize that we can make a difference to the entire community. At the beginning of 2021, we kicked off a “Polar Plunge” to raise awareness and donations for two beneficiaries - Matthew’s Hope (Community) and Bear Warriors United (Conservation), which you can learn about and/or support here. The intention of our Community and Conservation efforts are to pick two different organizations every year to focus on. While we have not selected 2023’s beneficiaries yet, we are currently vetting some organizations that meet our criteria. Again, our focus will always be a run community open to all and there is absolutely no pressure to participate in the C&C efforts.