an enlightened tribe RUNNING FOR TEAM WORLD VISION

Transcription

1 an enlightened tribe RUNNING FOR TEAM WORLD VISION

2 For some people, running a marathon is a bucket list item. But after experiencing physical and spiritual transformation through running his first marathon, Michael Chitwood had a grander vision of transforming a bucket list task into a lifestyle. Two years later he was training for his first Iron Man, and he had an epiphany that he could get other people to run these races and simultaneously help the poorest kids in the world. Just four months after that he became the first Team World Vision staff member and started recruiting others to join in his vision and quest to convert sweat into clean drinking water. With just 95 runners at the 2005 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, we are now the largest charity at that event, and have grown to have a presence at dozens of other races across the country. From its modest beginnings to 2013, Team World Vision has raised over $13 million for clean water projects in Africa, and continues to grow at a rapid rate. Running is an activity often filled with deep emotion. We realized that in order to reach a higher level of success with both prospective and current runners, we first needed a much deeper understanding of their psychological motivations to run and, specifically, to run for Team World Vision. What we found through research is that runners experience a deep sense of calling as they follow their hearts, more so than their heads, when making the decision to join Team World Vision. Their heads, however, quickly catch up to them as they experience the isolating task of fundraising, and daunting task of training for their first marathon. When they get deeper into training, they are struck by the sense of authentic community and connectivity within Team World Vision and the supportive and equalizing playing field that it establishes. As the journey progresses, a shared transformation is born between the runner and recipient through a shared sense of suffering. This transformation allows for a deeper connection with Team World Vision, and with each subsequent marathon, the line between the self and the cause blurs, as the runner s eyes are forever open to the world s injustices. Following are insights that are intended to provoke new conversations within our organization as we seek to retain current runners and attract new ones. 3

3 Awakening to Injustice When people are introduced to the transformative power of the Team World Vision mission, they are forever changed. Their hearts and eyes and are opened to grand inequalities and suffering that transcends their own, more superficial problems. As they see images of and hear about people who seem just like them, but are born into less fortunate circumstances, it reminds them that all people are equal in the eyes of God, and that these children deserve better. In hearing the Team World Vision story they find themselves called to work in a tangible way to bring global justice. Team World Vision invites runners to actively live the Bible s calling of caring for the orphan and the widow. When signing up to join Team World Vision, a deep sense of calling and blind faith trump any self-doubt over the actual run, as runners follow their hearts, more so than their heads. For many, the decision to run is a seed that had already been planted through prior connections to their churches or to World Vision, and they have now experienced a tipping point that indicates the time to water that seed and take action has come. In this way, deciding to run for Team World Vision feels more like an instinct they feel compelled to follow than a deliberate decision. My eyes were opened And my heart was broken for the kids in Africa who walk for miles for water and the suffering that goes on there the lack of resources and the injustice. It put an idea in my mind that the people in Africa, 18,000 miles from Chicago, are so similar to me. The major difference is that I was born in the United States as a white male with a lot of opportunity. And they were born in Africa without water. So I m coming to the realization that every single person in this village was created by God in his likeness. It connected me in a way that wasn t connected before. 4 5

4 A Vehicle for Connectivity Team World Vision introduces runners to the power of an active, vital community. Runners find themselves connected to a supportive, local community through their training experience, and to a larger, inspiring global community through exposure to the cause. Additionally, they find themselves connecting to God in a new, energizing way. Team World Vision strengthens the community at each of these crucial levels, as it cares for both the recipient in need and the runner. Runners get a sense of instant community when they sign up for their first run, indicated by both tangible training materials and emotional support and bonding. This community is an inclusive one, as Team World Vision establishes an equal playing field, where anyone can run and live out their faith, not just the young and the physically fit. This is a community made up of imperfect spirits and imperfect bodies; an authentic community of individuals with a common goal of shared transformation through shared sacrifice. And in that moment I felt like I could run it even though I was never a runner. At the meeting, after the presentation, it was clear that not everyone was a runner some people were older, some overweight it was reassuring. They said that anyone can do it, and I sort of believed them. It took a while to internalize it, but I thought if the 65 year-old can run a marathon, I can run a marathon. 6 7

5 A Simple, Solvable Problem While runners are quick to agree that charitable causes on the whole are admirable, Team World Vision s ability to vividly portray and relate the children s stories from the field and the urgent life or death reality of water allows runners to better comprehend the need, in contrast to more nebulous causes such as medical research. Water represents not only a physical commodity, but also a spiritual purity. Aiding humankind in this way intensifies the runner s belief that they are doing not only good work, but God s work, and that they can personally evoke change and make a difference in the lives of others. The runners and staff who travel to Africa with Team World Vision experience an even greater sense of connection to the cause. In seeing firsthand how they bring water to a community in need, they experience a deep, emotional connection with Team World Vision and the human reality behind their efforts. Their accounts of these trips also serve to bring the stories home in way that makes them more real to the rest of the team. With Team World Vision there is a level of real, down-to-earth practicality. We can fix the problem. We just need resources It would be wonderful to cure cancer, a fantastic, amazing thing, but we don t know when there will be a breakthrough, or how. Here it s guaranteed. You just need to drill deep enough to get to the water. It s so solvable. It s a way to make a difference in this world; I can make a difference in this world. 8 9

6 Connecting to the Brokenness Within Team World Vision gives runners the power to help others when they may feel powerless over the complexities of their own lives. It also provides perspective: In contrast to more fleeting problems and their associated quick fixes, Team World Vision addresses substantial problems with long-standing solutions. True charity requires sacrifice, whereas simply writing a check can feel hollow and inauthentic. Marathoning lets runners step into suffering in order to identify with the suffering of those they are serving. To this end, running a marathon becomes the means by which runners can experience true charity. Finding greater connection to the suffering of others requires runners to suffer themselves. The Team World Vision experience provides parallel transformative experiences for both the runner and those they run for, providing community and purpose for the runner, and water for the poor. As my knees and feet are hurting more and more to the point where it was unbearable, I kept remembering who I was running for, and that they suffer the same kind of pains, whether physically or emotionally, on a daily basis. I can suffer through this one day for them. It made me cry while running, it hit me so hard that they deal with that stuff on a daily basis. Things are so cushioned in America. I wanted to feel that pain. Feeling pain made life real and removed me from the things that are so easily taken for granted. I wanted to experience removal from comfort, get out of my comfort zone. Pain helps me become more self-actualized

7 Finding Unity in Community Running celebrates that which unites a community. It is inclusive and democratic, celebrating humanity as a whole and runners common identity. Team World Vision epitomizes this unity, as it establishes an equal playing field, where anyone, including first-time runners and people who aren t as physically fit, can run and actively live out their faith. Runners are drawn to the authentic and strong community within Team World Vision, as it becomes clear that its leaders care not just about the cause, but about each runner, something that is crucial to mitigating the fear many runners experience when they begin the daunting task of training. When running, Team World Vision runners become inspired not just by the diverse community within the team, but by the diverse marathon community that comes together to encourage one another. In the marathon, runners find their horizons of hope lifted, and their identities redefined to include greater optimism, resolve and determination. Team World Vision adds to this strength the joy of bringing solution to a global need and creates a life-altering experience that is next to impossible to replicate. In the beginning I wasn t expecting the camaraderie that Team World Vision promotes for all of their runners. They have become like family to me. If you talk to the Team World Vision runners they really have these hearts that are really different. During the race, a lot of the slower runners are Team World Vision people and that s because they go in with their heart as opposed to their legs

8 The Power of Story When fundraising, runners work to spread the Team World Vision word, raising not just money, but awareness of the cause and of the African plight. They adapt the powerful yet simple story of water into their own, inviting family and friends to change the story s trajectory from despair to hope through their giving. Because fundraising requires asking for support of both the cause and the runner, it is innately personal, and runners often expose their vulnerabilities as they share their stories. Runners often rely on personal barriers, such as an injury or being a first-time marathoner, to develop a stronger, more inspiring story. Like sequels to a movie, where it is challenging to be more compelling than the blockbuster original, storytelling has an increased importance on every subsequent marathon, as runners feel a need to up the ante of their story s plot by running greater distances or raising more money in order to continue to captivate their audience. I typed up an about training and my back injury and how much their support and prayers would be with me. You have to be real honest and transparent. They don t want a mass-generated . They want to know about you. The more honest and transparent you can be the more people will respond I m hoping and praying that I will get an saying someone made a contribution. That s a great feeling, and I will take it with me on my next run

9 Fundraising is a Solitary Race Whereas group training for a run builds community, fundraising is mostly a solitary act. Fundraising puts runners in a place of emotional vulnerability, as it exposes them to the threat of judgment and rejection by others with every request for donations. Runners have internalized the Team World Vision message that first called them to the program, and therefore take any rejection of that message very personally, creating a sense of anxiety and intimidation with each ask for funds. These feelings of anxiety and potential judgment stand in direct opposition to the positive and affirming force of support runners first experienced when they heard the call to sign up for Team World Vision. With every donation, runners gain confidence and validation that they are succeeding, as each donation acts as a mile marker a form of measurable success pushing them closer to the finish line. I don t like to be refused; I get offended. It also makes me sad, some of the things I hear. One comment stands out, someone said, Oh I did enough fundraisers in high school; I don t need to do that. Like there is a quota! I feel like everyone will get a lot out of giving to others. It was a very selfish response. I hate hearing selfishness like that. We can all be that way sometimes, but I wish there was less selfishness in the world. They re choosing to remain ignorant and not give. That s aggravating and sad

10 Continuous Engagement in the Cause Trumps Pain Much like after giving birth, runners experience pain amnesia after completing a marathon, as all of the painful aspects of training fade into the background. What stands out from the experience is the joy and adrenaline of crossing the finish line. This adrenaline, along with the desire to retain the powerful sense of community they have found, prompts many runners to sign up to run for Team World Vision again. Those who continue with Team World Vision have meaningfully connected to the mission and realize there s much more work to be done to bring clean water to those in need. Repeat runners are motivated to make incremental advancements, stepping forward when challenged to push themselves harder in future races, both as fundraisers and as runners. This added challenge helps them return to previous donors, asking them to give once again. After the first marathon was over I was thinking, Never again, never again. Then a tickle in back of my head starts. I raised this much this year, how much more could I do next time? It eats at you, Did I fully devote myself? Did I do enough? Next time, I won t hold anything back. Wait. I just said next time! Once you do it you have to up the ante and the difficulty level increases. Once you have that level you have to push yourself harder

11 Open Eyes Can Never Be Shut There is a deep conviction and sense of responsibility that comes from seeing injustice. Once runners see the inequalities of the world they cannot return to a place of ignorance. Where there is light there will never again be darkness. Because runners are unable to forget the injustice they ve been exposed to, their engagement with Team World Vision becomes engrained in their identity, strengthening with each subsequent marathon. United in their mission, Team World Vision becomes a family and a tribe of enlightened individuals. The orange jersey is a marker of this tribe, a visual connection between runners and a demonstration to the greater world the power of the Team World Vision community. We got to Africa, and I got to the race, and after the race we went to the villages to see the work that they are doing and I realized I wasn t going to be able to stop. That s the moment that changed it from being special to personal. After going to Kenya it s more than just being a part of the organization, it becomes a part of who you are. That s what helped me take things to the next level. You see the poverty that people are living in across the world. To hear about it and read about it is powerful, but to be engulfed in it is a whole other level

12 Aspiring to Inspire Others After running multiple races, runners no longer experience the self-doubt that originally accompanied their training, and are freed up to focus on recruiting and mentoring new runners. Becoming a leader within Team World Vision allows them to make a more direct impact on both the global, African community, and also their local community. They become mentors to newer members at the beginning of their journeys, and deliver hope and inspiration to them as they struggle along the way. Team World Vision leaders realize that true giving involves a joyful reciprocity. Through their own storytelling, coaching and cheerleading, they move from student to teacher, from mentee to mentor, from inspired to inspiration. In giving these gifts that come with experience, leaders receive the gift of watching their community grow and their cause continue to succeed. So that s part of my interest too, helping people who go to my church, people who have not experienced need in their life and being able to make them see. Because once you see it, it s really hard to unsee it. If you look and see what s been done in communities where they don t have enough water, and it s a 10 year-old girl carrying that water, because the boys are able to go to school, and the risks they take, you can t unsee that picture

13 Changing the Conversation Now equipped with a deeper understanding of the motivations for runners to engage with Team World Vision, as well as any obstacles that threaten this engagement, we can develop comprehensive strategies and tactics that address current and new runners emotional needs and concerns. We must start with building the experience of being called into the communications strategy, beginning with the initial pitch and extending to the personalized pitch to run again. This communications strategy should convey at all points across the Team World Vision journey the direct impact team members are having on the very real global need for clean water projects in Africa. We also should shamelessly promote and celebrate any communal expressions of Team World Vision, including developing strategies to provide a virtual team experience for members without a local Team World Vision community. An opportunity also exists, because of the fear and insecurity fundraising evokes, to develop a thorough fundraising plan that draws from the strengths of the broader Team World Vision experience. Lastly, if we are to increase runner retention, we should develop a more robust returning runner strategy with clear touch points and personalized asks, inviting them to take the next step in their Team World Vision experience. THE EMOTIONAL INQUIRY STUDY This Brandtrust Emotional Inquiry study involved one-on-one interviews with Team World Vision runners in Chicago in Respondents were guided through relaxation and visualization exercises and were asked to respond to a series of probes about experiences on their journey with Team World Vision. BRANDTRUST 875 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE, SUITE 2945 CHICAGO, IL Through these tactics, runners will feel a stronger alignment with our life-changing cause and be better supported within our organization, as well as within their own personal running and fundraising journey

14 I was envisioning a village of children running and shouting and excited about fresh water. I m imagining I m holding fresh water. They can t just wait for me to walk it over. They need me to run it to them. Team World Vision Runner