Adventure Awaits! Stepping Into the Nonprofit World

Well it’s official, Reginald and I have some exciting news to share…WE ARE NOW A REGISTERED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION! This post will cover not only the basis of the mission itself, but also how we got to this point and how you can help us achieve our goals going forward. We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead and we hope that you will join us on this adventure.

First and foremost, the mission. When I launched Running With Reginald in October of 2023, I would say that it was 80-85% of the way to a fully fledged idea. I knew that I wanted to spread joy by carrying Reginald during my races, FKT attempts, and long-trail efforts. I knew that I wanted to document our adventures, and use the platform to further discuss topics such as mental health in sport, philosophy, personal growth, and mindfulness. And finally, I knew that I wanted to tie my athletic pursuits to something else, something bigger than me, something entirely focused on giving back to the communities I connect with through running…and with all this inertia, I got stuck.

When we consider charitable organizations, or the act of service more broadly, direction, action, and specificity are endless. Wanting to do good for others is a fantastic start, but if you haven’t narrowed down where you want that positive energy to go, you can quickly find yourself on the edge of an existential abyss like I did. Environmental issues, social issues, accessibility issues. I had all this desire and hope to make a difference, but I simply had a hundred options too many. There’s worse problems to have, at the end of the day the reason I was struggling is because there are thousands of people and organizations out there making an impact, and more often than not, if you have an original idea you can find several individuals or nonprofits already addressing it. In no way does that mean you cannot or should not pursue your own endeavors, it’s just an extra thing to consider when weighing what will make the most impact, growing your own ideas or supporting someone else’s. This is exactly the conversation that I was having with myself during a run when everything finally clicked. 

It seems a little absurd that I hadn’t though of it before, especially because I had been carrying answer on my back for over six months at that point. Stuffed animals…the thing that kicked off Running With Reginald in the first place. As a kid, a stuffed animal was not only a friend, but it was also a source of joy, adventure, comfort, creativity, and love. As an adult, I created a project driven by, and dedicated to sharing those exact same feelings with others by carrying a stuffed animal wherever I go. Talk about a full-circle, kick to the shin, punch to the gut, slap to the face moment (in the best possible way). I think I physically stopped on that run when it hit me and had to wait a few minutes for the internal software update to finish before I could move again. 

There’s no denying that the importance of play and providing access to toys for underprivileged children is a constant need world-wide. Organizations like Toys For Tots do amazing things helping out economically disadvantaged children in the United States, and Stuffed Animals for Emergencies is another fantastic nonprofit helping get toys and clothing to kids in high stress situations. It felt like an area that was extremely positive, and also one that had a realistic opportunity for growth, especially given the international nature of a project like Running With Reginald. After a couple weeks of research (and some extra encouragement from my wonderful partner, Daria), I went through the filing and registration process to make Running With Reginald a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, with the mission of providing underprivileged children with access to stuffed animals and the joy, comfort, and creativity that comes with them.

So what does this mean? I’ll walk through a few quick updates to Running With Reginald and finish by discussing how YOU can get involved. First up, a lot more Reginald! Being able to focus on the project in a professional manner will allow me to set aside extra time to write, which means consistent and scheduled blog posts/media. The creative aspect of this project is one of my favorite things about it, and I want to make sure you as the reader are engaged as much as possible! Next, running goals. Now that the project has a concrete and specific direction, it will allow me to integrate any race and FKT attempt into Running With Reginald’s mission. In other words, every big effort I do going forward will be directly linked with a donation. For example, this past weekend I ran the Denver Colfax Marathon and carried Reginald in my pack to spread a little bit of happiness to fellow runners, spectators, and volunteers. In doing so, I raised awareness about the project itself and donated a collection of 65 stuffed animals to the Denver Ronald McDonald House! (You can check out some pictures from the drop-off in the gallery!) This system will be applied anywhere that I run, whether it be donating to community centers or organizations central to a big city marathon, or to local schools and institutions at the start and end points of a long-distance FKT. Reginald will continue to come with me on every adventure to make people smile, only now he will also serve as a representation of the dozens or hundreds of stuffed animals being given to others in need. 

This is where I need your help! Running With Reginald is something that I intend to do as long as I can move from one point to another on two feet…and for many years after that. Most organizations only accept new and unused stuffed animals which means fundraising is the most direct way to support the charity, and will allow us to purchase clean toys from a wholesale provider to reduce any kind of shipping, collection, or contamination issues. In order to do so, RunningwithReginald.com now offers the ability to make a recurring, or one-time payment via card, PayPal, Venmo, or Google/Apple Pay. Monthly donations are the best possible way to aid in the mission, and because communication and updates will both be coming out in the lead up to events, subscribing to the blog to stay active/involved is the second best. Throughout this whole process we will stay connected to each and every one of our supporters, and make sure that you see the real impact that your donations are making. 

Creating a meaningful difference in the lives of children is something that will always be of need globally, and if elevating this message together aligns with you, please consider sharing this project with others, bringing it to your run club, or making a donation on behalf of yourself or a loved one. The average cost of an 10-12 inch stuffed animal in the United States is fifteen dollars, so even a $1.25 monthly donation is equivalent to one toy in the hands of a child annually. The rate of growth and the amount of donation events per year is dependent on the support we receive, but the project will be ongoing from this point forward! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read a blog post, share their own experiences, or simply give me words of encouragement over the last six months. It means a ton that what started as a silly little project has had the power to connect with others, and is now evolving into something more. Reginald and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s next, and we feel an incredible amount of gratitude knowing that no matter what, we’ll be taking those steps together.

Sincerely,

Chris and Reginald