Fitness club replaces dues with charitable fundraising

Back in 2008 we covered Plus 3 Network, the California-based site that lets fitness enthusiasts raise funds for charity with each workout. Picking up on a similar idea, Can Too is an Australian fitness club that provides professional training sessions and support in exchange for charitable fundraising. Interested consumers begin by paying an AUD 100 joining fee to Cure Cancer Australia, the charity partner that benefits from the Can Too program. They then choose whether they want to focus their efforts on running or swimming, along with what type of event they’d like to train for. Options for runners are 10k, 21k and 42k events—involving training programs of 10, 14 and 20 weeks, respectively—while swimmers can choose from among 1 km, 2 km and 2.7 km ocean swims, with a 12-week training session. All skill levels are welcome to participate in the programs, which provide twice-weekly training sessions, daily guides, speakers and social events. In return for participation, members are responsible for fundraising for Cure Cancer Australia. Runners commit to raising AUD 800, AUD 1,250 or AUD 2,000, depending on which marathon they run, while swimmers must raise AUD 1,250 regardless of which ocean swim they participate in. Thanks to the sponsorship of the Macquarie Group Foundation, all raised funds go directly to Cure Cancer Australia; since 2005, nearly AUD 4 million has been raised. For potential donors, traditional contributions to charity can often feel abstract and removed from the cause at hand. By tying those donations to personal fitness, there’s bound to be a sense of increased involvement and gratification—not to mention a proportionately larger contribution at the other end. A model to emulate the world over! Spotted by: Emma Crameri