Client Profile: Students Run Philly Style
Students Run Philly Style is an innovative mentoring program in Philadelphia that effectively uses long distance running as the vehicle to build a relationship between school-aged youth and their adult mentors. In the spring of 2010, Students Run Philly Style hosted its first-ever proprietary race — Gener8tion Run — which served as a major revenue-generating and awareness-raising event for the organization.
Through a generous grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Students Run Philly Style worked with MissionWise® to create a new earned income activity for the organization. The 12-month engagement focused on the development of a business plan to create and launch Gener8tion Run, a city-wide run, walk and family festival that celebrates and honors the mentors, heroes and people who have helped influence the lives of others.
Working with MissionWise, Students Run Philly Style formed a large-scale city-wide event that served as a revenue-generating and awareness-building activity for the organization. Starting with development of a focused, attainable business plan, Students Run Philly Style has generated new sources of revenue—including earned income from Gener8tion Run advertising, sponsorships and entry fees. What’s more, planning for the race resulted in important new partnerships that previously didn’t exist, such as those with the Mayor, District Attorney, Philadelphia School District, and The Please Touch Museum. Most importantly, Gener8tion Run formed the template for future race events in Philadelphia, and possibly for replication in other cities, positioning the organization for even greater mission impact and a more sustainable future.
