Do Charity Sport Events Function as "Brandfests" in the Development of Brand Community?

Given the ubiquity of charitable organizations and the events used to solicit donations for a cause, many charity-based organizations are continually looking for ways to expand their fundraising efforts. In this quest, many have added endurance sport events to their fundraising portfolios. Anecdotally, we know that building long-term and meaningful relationships with current (and potential) donors is critical for a nonprofit organization's success. However, there is a paucity of research regarding whether these charity sport events serve as relationship-building mechanisms (i.e., 'brandfests') to assist in developing attachments to the charity. The purpose of this mixed-methods investigation was to explore to what extent a charity sport event served as a brandfest to foster a sense of identity with the charity. For this particular case study, the charity event had little effect on participants' relationship with the charity.