Achilles International chapters raised 114% of their goal for the annual Day of Giving
Mission
Break down barriers to race start lines and empower the disability community to cross the finish line
Challenge
Engage volunteer-led chapters to fundraise on behalf of Achilles International and raise more each year
Solution
GoFundMe Pro’s peer-to-peer platform enabled Achilles International’s chapters to join a friendly fundraising competition that pushed them past their ambitious goal.
“Peer-to-peer fundraising has been immensely impactful for us. We’ve really leaned into it as a long-term donor pipeline strategy.”
– Kelly O’Brien, Director of Development
Annual Day of Giving results*:
Achieved 114%
of the overall fundraising goal
$735 raised
per active fundraiser, on average
10% increase
in the number of gifts
*Based on 2025 GoFundMe Pro data and Achilles International-provided data
Empowering a global network of volunteers
Achilles International has 62 chapters worldwide, mostly powered by passionate volunteers. For the third consecutive year, Achilles International hosted its annual Day of Giving, which brought each chapter together in a spirited, community-driven competition that gave volunteers a chance to champion their own chapter and rally support from their communities. The chapters were empowered to set up their own GoFundMe Pro peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to easily solicit, manage, and track donations.
With GoFundMe Pro’s technology, we can put the power of peer-to-peer fundraising into the hands of our volunteers.
The Day of Giving has become a powerful pipeline for long-term engagement for Achilles International. Not only does it attract new donors, but many supporters go on to participate in the organization’s events and races the following year, and even bring friends along.
Raising more to support more athletes
Of the 22 teams that competed in the annual Day of Giving challenge, each of their fundraisers raised an average of $735, helping the organization raise 114% of its goal and drive a 10% increase in the number of total gifts. This incredible example of community fundraising will help:
- Buy new adaptive racing equipment, such as handcycles and racing wheelchairs
- Expand the Achilles team as chapters continue to grow
- Introduce new scholarship programs for athletes’ travel and race costs
We’re focused on growing so we can support more individuals. We can grow faster by making fundraising accessible and easy for people to show their support.
Turning activity into impact
As a nonprofit that focuses on connecting individuals through athletics, Achilles International was an early adopter of Strava’s ‘For a Cause’ tag. The new tag allows individuals to connect activities tracked on Strava, a mobile app for tracking fitness activity, with GoFundMe charity fundraisers. This gives individuals a meaningful way to support causes they care about while turning activities they love into impact.
Kelly’s GoFundMe Pro tips:
- Encourage fundraisers to personalize their fundraising pages.
- When people take the time to personalize their pages, including a story, photos, and even updates, they stand out and often achieve greater success.
