Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program 2023-2024
Through the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, the B.A.A. provides invitational entries to the Boston Marathon to select non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations use these entries to recruit athletes who pledge to raise funds for their cause. For selection into the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, the B.A.A. greatly values organizations that focus on building healthy communities.
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Organizations must meet the criteria of one of the two levels outlined below to be considered for the 2024 Official Charity Program:
Gold Level
- Registered 501(c)(3)
- Not religious-based or political
- Annual operating budget is greater than $500,000
- Program is focused on building healthy communities
- Program benefits the local community
- Embrace the B.A.A.’s priorities to enhance diversity, inclusion and sustainability
Blue Level
- Registered 501(c)(3)
- Not religious-based or political
- Annual operating budget is less than $500,000
- Advances the B.A.A.’s mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running, in order to build healthy communities
- Program benefits the local community; special consideration given to organizations located in one of the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course
- Embrace the B.A.A.’s priorities to enhance diversity, inclusion and sustainability
Organizations with annual operating budgets greater than $500,000 are eligible to receive between 10-15 invitational entries to the 2024 Boston Marathon via the program’s Gold Level. Organizations with annual operating budgets of less than $500,000 are eligible to receive between 3-5 invitational entries via the program’s Blue Level.
Organizations that meet the criteria of either the Gold or Blue Level are encouraged to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) using the link below. LOIs will be accepted until June 30th, 2023. If an organization is invited to submit a full application after review of their LOI, that organization will be notified on July 11th, 2023. All full applications will be submitted to our Charity and Community Engagement Committee for review at a meeting that will take place in Summer 2023. Organizations accepted into the 2024 Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program will be notified shortly after this committee meeting.
SUBMIT A LETTER OF INTEREST
ATHLETES INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE BOSTON MARATHON ON BEHALF OF A MEMBER OF THE BANK OF AMERICA BOSTON MARATHON OFFICIAL CHARITY PROGRAM
- If you do not have a current Boston Marathon qualifying time for your gender and age group, you may be interested in participating in the Boston Marathon on behalf of a member of our Official Charity Program.
- All members of our Official Charity Program receive invitational entries to the Boston Marathon that waive qualifying times.
- To apply to participate in the Boston Marathon on behalf of a member of our Official Charity Program, please contact your organization of interest directly. Contact information for each organization can be found via the organization logos shown above.
- The coordinator for each member of our Official Charity Program will be able to provide you with information about their team’s application and selection process, fundraising deadlines and requirements.
- Each athlete who participates in the Boston Marathon on behalf of one of our Official Charities is required to raise a minimum of $5,000.
- If you have secured an entry into the Boston Marathon as a qualified athlete, you are also welcome to raise funds for a member of our Official Charity Program. Please contact the organization that you wish to raise funds for directly for information regarding joining their team.
- The Boston Athletic Association does not have a program by which it provides individuals with invitational entries to the Boston Marathon so that they can participate in the event on behalf of the nonprofit organization of their choosing.
- GivenGain is the fundraising platform for the Boston Marathon. For questions regarding the platform, please contact boston@givengain.com.
QUALIFY FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON
ATHLETES MUST MEET TIME STANDARDS WHICH CORRESPOND TO AGE AND GENDER
- Registration for the 2024 Boston Marathon will take place over five days, September 11-September 15, 2023 within the B.A.A.’s online platform, Athletes’ Village.
- For the 2024 Boston Marathon, the qualifying window began on September 1, 2022 and is open through September 15, 2023.
- The qualifying times below are based upon each athlete’s age on the date of the 2024 Boston Marathon (April 15, 2024).
- Qualifying times are based on official submitted net time (also known as chip time).
- Due to field size limitations, achieving one’s qualifying standard does not guarantee entry into the event, but simply the opportunity to submit a registration application.
- In recent years, not all qualifiers who submit an entry have been accepted due to field size restrictions.
- If the total amount of submissions surpasses the allotted field size for qualified athletes, then those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender group will be accepted.
- Current qualifying standards can be found below.
- The qualifying window for the 2024 Boston Marathon is open from September 1, 2022 through the conclusion of the registration period, 5:00PM ET on September 15, 2023.
- Qualifying times may be used for multiple race registrations so long as the achieved qualifying time was run within the race’s specified qualifying window.
- Entry fee information will be announced in the coming months. Participants will have the opportunity to purchase registration insurance at the point of registration.
- The qualifying window for the 129th Boston Marathon, scheduled to take place on April 21, 2025, will begin on September 1, 2023.