The short answer: charity virtual challenges convert your movement into donations in one of three ways — a contribution built into or alongside registration, sponsors who donate per mile, or peer-to-peer fundraising pages. At Run Across America, we use the first model and then double it: when you add an optional contribution to Feeding America during registration, we match it 100%, and every $1 helps provide 10 meals through Feeding America's network of roughly 200 member food banks. Together, our community has helped donate more than 8.48 million meals since 2020.
How do virtual distance challenges with charity donations work?
Three models cover nearly every charity challenge you'll find:
- Contribution at registration. You add a donation when you sign up for the challenge, sometimes matched by the organizer (our model — more below). The charity gets real dollars up front; your miles are the motivation, not the currency.
- Sponsor-per-mile. Apps like Charity Miles recruit corporate sponsors who donate a small amount for each mile users log. Free for participants; donation size depends on sponsor budgets.
- Peer-to-peer fundraising. Platforms like RunSignUp and GiveSignup let you create a fundraising page tied to your challenge, and friends donate to back your goal. The most work, and often the most money raised per participant.
No model is “best” — they suit different people. If you want maximum simplicity with guaranteed impact, a matched contribution is hard to beat. If you love rallying friends, peer-to-peer raises more.
How does the Run Across America × Feeding America partnership work?
- You register for the current season — right now that's Fall Frenzy 2026 — and add an optional Feeding America contribution to your cart (up to $50 per order).
- We match 100%. Every dollar you give through our site is doubled by Run Across America before it reaches Feeding America.
- Feeding America turns dollars into meals. Because of its national scale, every $1 helps secure and distribute 10 meals through its network of about 200 member food banks.
- You move. Your matched gift is already at work while you chase your seasonal goal — and community milestones during seasons like Hunger Action Month add extra ways to give.
What has the community donated so far?
- June 2020: the first Run Across America virtual 5K raised more than $164,500 — over a million meals — in a single event. Feeding America publicly thanked the community: “@nationwiderun raised over a million meals for Feeding America in the first Run Across America virtual 5k.”
- Since then: contributions through Run Across America have grown to more than $798,000 raised for Feeding America.
- Today: more than 8.48 million meals donated, powered by a community that has moved over 10 million miles.
Where does the money actually go?
Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, delivering billions of meals each year through member food banks in communities across the country. Contributions made through Run Across America are directed to that network — which is exactly why a dollar stretches so far: Feeding America's scale and food-sourcing relationships turn $1 into 10 meals' worth of food secured and distributed.
Does my registration fee go to charity?
No — and we think you deserve a straight answer on this. Your registration fee funds the event itself: the app, merch printing and shipping, and infrastructure. It's also what makes the 100% match possible. Contributions to Feeding America are separate, optional, and go to the cause — doubled.
How can I maximize my impact?
- Give through the site at registration so your gift is matched (up to $50 per order).
- Want to give more, or need a tax receipt? As a social enterprise we can't issue tax receipts, so for larger gifts donate directly at feedingamerica.org and list “Run Across America” as the organization so your gift counts toward the community total.
- Bring a team. More registrants means more matched contributions — and team goals keep everyone moving.
Frequently asked questions
Do my miles themselves generate donations?
Not directly — in our model, dollars come from matched contributions, and miles are the shared challenge that brings the community together. If you want per-mile micro-donations, Charity Miles is the best-known option, and plenty of people use both.
Is there a limit on contributions?
Contributions through our site are capped at $50 per order and are made alongside a registration. Larger gifts are best made directly to Feeding America, credited to “Run Across America.”
Can I get a tax receipt?
Not for contributions made through our site — Run Across America is a social enterprise, not a nonprofit. Direct gifts at feedingamerica.org are tax-deductible and come with a receipt.
Which virtual challenge supports Feeding America?
Run Across America has partnered with Feeding America since our first virtual 5K in June 2020. Every season — including the current one, Fall Frenzy 2026 — includes the matched-contribution program.