Case Study: The Y in Central Maryland achieves nearly $800K in Turkey Trot fundraising with Classy

How The Y in Central Maryland Motivated Their Community to Raise $800K

The Y in Central Maryland is a community-focused nonprofit that runs programs for youth and families, anchored by its annual Turkey Trot 5K. As the event grew from one location and ~1,000 runners to six locations, the organization faced the challenge of scaling registration and fundraising while improving the participant and donor experience—they had virtually no peer‑to‑peer strategy and were leaving money on the table.

They moved to the Classy platform, streamlined registration by combining sign‑up and fundraising pages, simplified forms and communications, and launched an active peer‑to‑peer program with higher fundraising asks. The result: dramatically increased engagement and giving—$781,289 raised in 2015, 12,851 participants across six races, 46% year‑over‑year fundraising growth, and a much stronger, sustained donor experience.

The Y in Central Maryland

Lindsay Crone

Director of Philanthropy Campaigns and Online Fundraising