PHILADELPHIA, PA — The American Heart Association, the nonprofit behind America’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising events, has been recognized as the Organization of the Year at the annual Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum conference. The announcement comes as the association celebrates its 100th anniversary and continues its relentless pursuit to save and improve lives from heart disease and stroke.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a practice where supporters of a nonprofit participate in activities such as walks, bike rides, or virtual challenges. They then solicit donations from their network of friends, family, and colleagues. According to the newly released Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Top Thirty study, these programs collectively raise more than a billion dollars annually for thousands of nonprofits nationwide.
The American Heart Association hosts the Heart Walk, the country’s leading peer-to-peer fundraising program by dollars raised. Launched in 1993, the Heart Walk accumulated $106 million in 2023 through events in 220 cities. The association also organizes the Kids Heart Challenge, the fourth largest fundraiser of its kind. This initiative, which began in 1978, raised $80 million last year by engaging students in fundraising activities such as shooting hoops or jumping rope.
David Hessekiel, president of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, underscored the significance of the award during the association’s centennial year. “You get a sense of the association’s peer-to-peer fundraising prowess when you realize that its two top programs raised nearly $900 million between 2019 and 2023,” he said.
Kim Slone, executive vice president of development strategy and effectiveness with the American Heart Association, expressed gratitude for the recognition. “There are many donors, volunteers, and staff committed to our pursuit to save and improve lives from heart disease and stroke,” she said. “Our mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives is not over.”
Slone emphasized the importance of programs like the Heart Walk and Kids Heart Challenge in engaging people where they are with purposeful experiences. “We will continue to drive our vision of advancing health and hope for everyone, everywhere,” she added.
The Organization of the Year Award is sponsored by Eventage, a national event production agency serving businesses and nonprofits. Matt Glass, Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Eventage, commended the American Heart Association for their innovative and life-saving work. “Sometimes we forget how pervasive heart disease is, as just about everyone knows someone whose life has been changed or ended due to it,” he said.
The American Heart Association joins a distinguished group of past winners of the peer-to-peer fundraising organization of the year honor, including the ALS Association, Alzheimer’s Association, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Pan-Mass Challenge, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NAMI, and the Terry Fox Foundation.
The recognition of the American Heart Association highlights the power of peer-to-peer fundraising in mobilizing resources for critical causes. It also serves to underline the association’s century-long commitment to combating heart disease and stroke, demonstrating that even amid challenging times, organizations can make a significant impact through innovative fundraising strategies.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.