FAQ | FIT For Charity

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About FIT

When was the FIT For Charity Run first held?

The FIT For Charity Run was held for the first time in 2005. It has been held annually since.

Who started FIT, and why?

A group of individual employees working for finance and financial-related companies came together, in shock, after the Major Earthquake off the Coast of Sumatra and Tsunami in the Indian Ocean at the end of 2004. They resolved to do something meaningful for the community that would make a difference. They chose to group together and form FIT to seek and support causes and community organisations that are not necessarily well recognised in our society. The aim was to express the wider commitment of the finance industry to our society.

Which companies support FIT?

FIT is supported by companies from the financial and finance-related industries in Tokyo as well as other companies that donate goods and services. Other than being a sponsoring firm, you can also support FIT by participating as a runner or walker. Participation requires a firm to register, manage applications and make participation fee payments on behalf of its employees. Additionally, many employees from financial and finance-related companies support FIT as volunteers.

Charities

There are many charities. How does FIT select them?

Criteria for selection of Charities are as follows.

FIT For Charity is dedicated to supporting non-profit community organisations serving important, but not necessarily well-recognised needs, with limited fundraising capabilities. Supported charities that represent this principle are chosen from organisations in the Kanto area.
As a non-standing organisation, FIT prefers to support community organisations on a one-year basis. By doing so, FIT can vary the organisations and therefore supports a wide range of causes.
The number of beneficiaries is decided based on the estimated size and scale of the event. Last year, five community organisations received proceeds from the FIT For Charity event.
The FIT Organising Committee will solicit nominations from its member companies for charities meeting the FIT support criteria. Nominees will be subject to due diligence, and this year's beneficiaries will be decided by a vote by qualified Sponsor/Supporter companies.

How much of the money raised goes to the charities?

Since 2007, approximately 90% went to the charities. This is an unusually high pass-through rate which is achieved because members of the FIT For Charity Organising Committee are unpaid volunteers and almost all of the elements needed to stage the event are donated by sponsor companies.

How are the funds split?

The funds raised are split equally among the supported charities.

Which charities has FIT supported in the past?

Please click here to see which charities have been supported in previous years.

Which companies recommended the charities?

We don’t disclose the names of companies who recommend the various charities.
Please email charity@fitforcharity.org for any charity related queries.

Getting Involved

Who can participate in the event?

Those working in the financial industry or in financial-related sectors and their family and friends. Participation requires a firm to register and to manage applications from its employees.

Why isn’t this event open to everyone, regardless of where they work?

The FIT event is open to all employees at financial and finance-related companies and their families and friends. This has helped to develop FIT’s identity, focus, momentum and effectiveness in supporting the under-recognised but meaningful work going on at community organisations around us. This is not a matter of exclusivity but of effectiveness.

My company is interested in sponsoring or sending a team to the event. What should I do?

There are three ways that you can support:
1. Through financial sponsorship (limited to finance and related-industry firms)

Sponsor - minimum donation of JPY500,000

Employees at Sponsor companies can participate in the charity run as runners and/or walkers by paying the participation fee. We are also seeking volunteers.
2. Donors
Non-financial-related companies can participate in the event as “Donors”. FIT Charity Runs are supported not only by sponsorship/participation fees but also donations of many goods or services for the event.
3. Participation as runner/walker (limited to finance and related-industry firms)
You can also support FIT by participating as a runner or walker. Participation requires a firm to manage registration on behalf of the participating employees and make the participation payment.
For more details, please check the How to get involved page, or contact us at sponsorship@fitforcharity.org.

I’d like to help FIT personally in some way, but don’t know what I can do.

Participate as runner/walker through your company's registration
Participate as a volunteer in the Organising Committee to plan and manage the FIT For Charity Run.
Non-financial-related firms can participate in the event as “Donors”.

Volunteering

I am interested in participating in the event as a volunteer, are you looking for some volunteers?

Yes, we are seeking volunteers to join the FIT Charity Run Organising Committee to help plan and manage the event. If you are interested in participating in the event, please feel free to contact us at communications@fitforcharity.org.
The Organising Committee generally meets once a month from April to September. The meeting is held weekday evenings. Under the Organising Committee, there are some subcommittee teams and each team plans and manages each project. Each of the subcommittee teams is responsible for each project such as Sponsorship management, Charity management, Event Logistics, Communications, etc.
Volunteers engage in the volunteer activities in a variety of ways depending on their own business schedules. Additionally, many volunteers run/walk on the day of the event. Volunteers share tasks in their respective areas of interest and according to their schedules.

Even if I am a first-time-volunteer, can I join the volunteer activity easily?

Yes, there are many first time volunteers.

What kind of volunteer activities do you have?

Volunteering activities are split into the following subcommittee teams under the organising committee.
Sponsorship management: Conducting liaison with Sponsoring/Participant companies. Also, the team works to set up and run briefing sessions for sponsoring companies.
Charity management: Conducting nomination of charities, liaison with Charities, connecting the charities and sponsoring companies.
Event Logistics:
Arranging for the necessary equipment and systems to organise the event.
IT:
Since the event will be held both online and live this year, the team prepares and manages an online application for recording participants' runs/walks/cycles.
Communications: Sharing the concept of FIT via the official FIT website, SNS, press releases; responding to media queries, coordinating the design of T-shirts and posters, working with photographers, branding and advertising FIT. The Communications team is required to collaborate with other teams to release necessary information in a timely manner.
Donor coordination: Conducting liaison with the individuals and companies donating goods and services to FIT.

If you have any other questions, please contact FIT For Charity Run Organising Committee at communications@fitforcharity.org.