All Events (n=102)
$747
Median event gross per participant
Walk/Run (n=40)
$275
Median event gross per participant
Cycling (n=28)
$1,349
Median event gross per participant
Endurance (n=16)
$2,424
Median event gross per participant
DIY (n=9)
$3,008
Median event gross per participant
Activation is a design choice: Walk events optimize for reach — low barrier, high volume, low activation (~39% of participants actively fundraise). Endurance events optimize for yield — high barrier, low volume, high activation (~89%). As an example, Pan-Mass Challenge generates $88M from 10,200 riders ($8,627/participant), while Making Strides generates $51M from 931,000 walkers ($55/participant). The activity creates the gate. Neither model is "better" — they're different strategies with different growth dynamics. Be careful mixing them! It is very difficult to cultivate high volume with a high barrier. At the same time, a low barrier requires high volume to pay off the investment.
About this metric: The underlying data is based on each event's gross revenue divided by its participant count. The chart shows the median or middle event — not the middle participant. In other words, this shows program efficiency, not individual fundraising performance.