Creating grassroots movements to support kids in your community (with Merlin Anderson)

There’s a lot of talk within the therapy world about effective therapy strategies; but there’s NOT a lot of talk about how to get funding so programs can actually deliver support and resources. That’s why I was so excited to have Merlin Anderson on the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about what’s known as “ABC runs”. The concept of an ABC run started with 5 friends who wanted to help a local outdoor center with children’s programs to build a new facility. They decided to get together to go for a run, and at the same time pool their resources to make a donation. After that, they decided to make this a regular event to support local children’s charities; and they decided to call them “Adventures Benefiting Children (ABC) runs”. That first year, they held 9 events and raised just under $1,300 for local children’s charities. At the beginning, the donations seemed insignificant, but consistency and perseverance paid off. Now each individual ABC run often generates more donations than the entire first year combined. At the time this episode was recorded, ABC runs have generated over $200,000 in donations to local children’s charities. If you’ve ever felt like your therapy sessions or efforts to help are just a “drop in the bucket” and you want to find more ways to support kids in your community, episode 90 of the De Facto Leaders podcast is a must-listen.

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