DIRECT IMPACT PROJECTS
The power of fandom in action.
We’ve conducted a number of “direct impact projects” in recent years leading to donations of more than 2,800,000 children’s bandages and over 250,000 scarves, knit hats, socks, school supplies, and other humanitarian aid items to organizations around the world.
Our communities continually demonstrate how a passion for fandom interests can be channeled to tangible acts of kindness and altruism on a global scale.
PAST PROJECTS

2021 Winter Direct Impact Project
A Winter Gift of Wonder. This winter, our worldwide Fanthropy Running Clubs community is focusing our Direct Impact Project (DIP) on the importance of early brain and language development through the power of reading books to young children from birth. We’re going to collect new picture and board books for young children (target ages 1 to 5) for delivery to multiple facilities that will put them into the hands of those who need them most. THE GOAL: Our community is […]

2021 Summer Direct Impact Project
RTI Summer Direct Impact Project. Period. UPDATE: We started out with an ambitious goal of 200,000 period supplies, a stretch goal of 250,000 and an estimate of 20 pallets. In the end, we donated over 450,000 period supplies including 48 total pallets, and each of the four Alliance for Period Supplies locations will get over 100,000 supplies per location! It’s time to address a health crisis: one that existed long before the turmoil of the past 18 months, but intensified […]

2020 Winter Direct Impact Project
This group, this community, this family of fanthropists has done some incredible things over the years, no matter the challenges. You might say we’ve “stuck together” through it all. It’s time once again to see what we can do when we direct our energy towards one goal: bringing a smile to the face of kids who need it the most. We couldn’t be more pleased to announce that the Winter 2020 DIP will be supporting Noah’s Bandage Project. The organization […]

2020 Summer Virtual Direct Impact Project
The RTI 2020 Summer Virtual DIP Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had made the decision to cancel our physical Direct Impact Project for Summer 2020. This did not mean we had to cancel the concept of directly impacting local organizations, nor the opportunity to support our past charity partners during this time. We can’t help wanting to do all we can for them, but do it safely! To make that happen, we’re taking the energy, passion, and power of […]

2019 Winter Direct Impact Project
As is the custom during any Direct Impact Project we challenge our community with, the goal numbers have been blown away! We tasked the members of our multiple Fanthropy Running Clubs to accumulate a goal of 200,000 diapers to assist The National Diaper Bank Network in getting supplies to areas around the United States where they are in the most need. We only gave them three weeks to do so, and then put the Herculean task upon a team of volunteers who […]

2019 Summer Direct Impact Project
We challenged fanthropists to collect and ship in school supplies for Simon Says Give’s High Five for Supplies® drive to use in a world record attempt to pack over 8,000 backpacks at the Mall of America this coming July 27, 2019. To facilitate SSG with the materials they need to accomplish this, we set some aggressive goals for a three-week period: Goal: 8,000 (packages of 12) pencils Goal: 4,000 (packages of 12) Colored Pencils Goal: 4,000 Glue Sticks Goal: 8,000 Highlighters […]

2018 Winter Direct Impact Project
Over the last three years, the Witches and Wizards of Potterhead Running Club have come together to donate scarves, socks, coffee, animal shelter supplies, humanitarian aid items, and, of course, a whole lotta bandages. It’s time to make some magic again! There is no specific charity beneficiary for this Direct Impact Project (DIP); it’s all about showing strangers kindness with a simple, but incredibly important, gift: the final Direct Impact Project for 2018 will be donating warm, knit winter hats […]

2018 Summer Direct Impact Project
Noah Wilson was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2014 at the age of six, but never let it change his passion to help others. He always had a huge heart and was constantly looking for ways to help people. His love for others did not change even when he was facing a devastating diagnosis. When his treatment began, he found himself getting pokes almost daily. The hospital where he was being treated did not have ‘cool’ bandages, leaving the […]

2017 Winter Direct Impact Project
2017 WINTER DIRECT IMPACT PROJECT On September 20th, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico and devastated the island. Two months later, over half the island is still without power and the process of recovery is taking a long time. We can’t do anything to impact power needs, fuel supplies or infrastructure…but we CAN give the people of Puerto Rico one thing: Hope. During the long days of recovery, one key element of Puerto Rican culture is missing: COFFEE! We […]

2017 Summer Direct Impact Project
2017 SUMMER DIRECT IMPACT PROJECT We are #NotThrowingAwayOurSocks…we’re donating them! In addition to HQ in Connecticut, we have volunteers who’ve agreed to collect socks in Canada, Australia and Great Britain so our international members can save money on postage! Those living in other countries can chose to send their socks to the US or to any of the international locations…whatever is least expensive. We’ve arranged for the socks collected by our volunteers in Canada, Australia and the UK to be donated […]

2016 Winter Direct Impact Project
2016 WINTER DIRECT IMPACT PROJECT! In keeping with our sixth event of 2016, we partnered up with our charity partner, Carry The Future, to help refugees as winter approaches. Carry the Future and all of the various humanitarian organizations on the ground in Greece have divided the myriad of needs of the tens of thousands of refugees and Carry the Future and HRC are responsible for ten critical items. Approved Items and Point Value for DIP #3: Wool Socks 1 […]

2016 Summer Direct Impact Project
2016 SUMMER DIRECT IMPACT PROJECT! The Animal Rescue Campaign donated necessary items to local shelters, rescues, or sanctuaries. You may donate up to three times, but to three different organizations. Each donation must be valued at at least $10. If you do not have a local group, sending wish list items through Amazon is perfectly acceptable. Now get out there and show some love to your community’s furry, feathered, or scaled friends! UPDATE: This Direct Impact Project collected and donated over […]

2016 Inaugural Direct Impact Project
2016 INAUGURAL DIRECT IMPACT PROJECT Our first Direct Impact opportunity: One Warm Coat organizes more than 3,000 coat drives each year, so we want to add some scarves to the mix and have put on a SCARF DRIVE GOAL: 2,000 Scarves! Give the gift of warmth this winter. UPDATE: This Direct Impact Project collected and donated 17,814 scarves to those in need.
DIRECT IMPACT PARTNERS

National Diaper Bank Network
2021 RTI Donation: 10,211 toddler books 2019 RTI Donation: 218,885 diapers Website: nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org

Alliance for Period Supplies
RTI Donation: 450,507 period supplies Website: allianceforperiodsupplies

Simon Says Give
RTI Donation: $3,612.17 Website: simonsaysgive.org

Carry the Future
RTI Donations: $131,345.52 Website: carrythefuture.org
