How to make events sustainable

Young people increasingly want the products they buy, the services they use, and events they attend to be environmentally friendly. They expect materials and transport used and manufacturing processes deployed to help protect the planet.

This ethos extends to mass participation fundraising events, such as marathons, fun runs and sponsored walks, according to latest research.

Here we explore the latest insight into people’s green attitudes to fundraisers, particularly the thoughts of young people. We also look at some of the important ways organisers can ensure their events are matching participants’ climate change tackling ambitions.

Young people’s attitudes

Sustainability is now a key driver, for young people particularly, when deciding whether to take part in a mass participation fundraiser, a survey has found.

The research by sponsorship and branding firm Massive found that a just under a quarter of participants believe organisers are not doing enough to make events more sustainable.

But this proportion of those unhappy with organisers’ green credentials doubles to almost half among under 35s, which presents a long-term challenge for fundraisers, warns Massive.

When analysing events in 2023 Massive says “biggest changes we have seen are in demand for improved sustainability and improvement in facilities, suggesting that perhaps participants are becoming more demanding”.

Affordability

Their survey also found that more than a third of participants are willing to pay to help offset emissions generated by organising events. However, less than half are willing to pay more than £5 to support this and three in five do not want to pay at all to help ensure events are green.

Just 3% would be willing to pay more than £20 to make events climate friendly.

This reveals that many of those taking part expect organisers to pick up the tab for building sustainability into events.

When asked which improvements they would like to see, almost two in five said better awareness of sustainability. This was the third most popular ask among those taking part, with only affordability and better facilities, such as showers, garnering more support.

Making events sustainable

Those taking part in Massive’s survey have offered fundraising organisers a raft of useful tips on how their events can protect the planet. Here is a selection:

• Stop offering bottled water and instead provide refillable bottles instead. Many large-scale events, such as Glastonbury Festival, already achieve that and fundraising events are urged to follow their lead. More than half of participants want refillable options
• Better recycling facilities are backed by just over half of participants. This should offer a range of options, including plastic, cardboard and food waste
• Just under two in five fundraising participants want event organisers to help cut down on events’ carbon footprint. This can include encouraging participants to take public transport or car share, and offering virtual options
• A third of participants urge organisers to serve locally sourced, organic, and fair-trade food and products at events. Using local suppliers further cuts down on events’ carbon footprint
• Paying closer attention to third-party suppliers for events is another demand, by more than three in ten participations. They want organisers to ensure that suppliers are carbon neutral
• Organisers are being urged to ditch giveaways and goody bags. More than a quarter say they would prefer the piece of mind of events protecting the planet rather than accepting badges, clothes, pens, t-shirts and other items for free
• Participants in events still welcome receiving a token of their achievement, such as a medal. But instead of offering metal ones, a fifth would welcome wooden ones, while almost one in ten would welcome receiving a digital alternative instead of a medal
• Fundraising event organisers could also organise sponsored litter picks locally. These not only help clean areas but also raise awareness of issues around waste and packaging

Case Study: Cats Protection

Further advice on making fundraising sustainable is available from sector body the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. Its toolkit includes the example of Cats Protection which is already ensuring its events are sustainable.

Its work includes banning future purchases of balloons, which are no longer offered to staff and volunteers.

In addition, all volunteers are emailed before events to encourage them to consider greener travel options, car sharing and urging them not to bring single-use plastic bottles with them.

Also, all signage used is reused. “To any fundraiser thinking about how to make their fundraising greener, remember that simply wanting to make a change means that you are starting on the right foot,” says Cats Protection Fundraising Events Manager Rebecca Worth.

“Having an open discussion with teams or colleagues to gather thoughts and willingness is a good starting point. You also don’t need to radically overhaul your fundraising to make a difference, every small change will help.”