De Facto Leaders

There’s a lot of talk within the therapy world about effective therapy strategies; but there’s NOT a lot of talk about how to get funding so programs can actually deliver support and resources. That’s why I was so excited to have Merlin Anderson on the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about what’s known as “ABC runs”. The concept of an ABC run started with 5 friends who wanted to help a local outdoor center with children’s programs to build a new facility. They decided to get together to go for a run, and at the same time pool their resources to make a donation. After that, they decided to make this a regular event to support local children’s charities; and they decided to call them “Adventures Benefiting Children (ABC) runs”. That first year, they held 9 events and raised just under $1,300 for local children’s charities. At the beginning, the donations seemed insignificant, but consistency and perseverance paid off. Now each individual ABC run often generates more donations than the entire first year combined. At the time this episode was recorded, ABC runs have generated over $200,000 in donations to local children’s charities. If you’ve ever felt like your therapy sessions or efforts to help are just a “drop in the bucket” and you want to find more ways to support kids in your community, episode 90 of the De Facto Leaders podcast is a must-listen.

Show Notes

There’s a lot of talk within the therapy world about effective therapy strategies; but there’s NOT a lot of talk about how to get funding so programs can actually deliver support and resources. That’s why I was so excited to have Merlin Anderson on the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about what’s known as “ABC runs”. The concept of an ABC run started with 5 friends who wanted to help a local outdoor center with children’s programs to build a new facility. They decided to get together to go for a run, and at the same time pool their resources to make a donation. After that, they decided to make this a regular event to support local children’s charities; and they decided to call them “Adventures Benefiting Children (ABC) runs”. That first year, they held 9 events and raised just under $1,300 for local children’s charities. At the beginning, the donations seemed insignificant, but consistency and perseverance paid off. Now each individual ABC run often generates more donations than the entire first year combined. At the time this episode was recorded, ABC runs have generated over $200,000 in donations to local children’s charities. If you’ve ever felt like your therapy sessions or efforts to help are just a “drop in the bucket” and you want to find more ways to support kids in your community, episode 90 of the De Facto Leaders podcast is a must-listen.


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Creators & Guests

RM
Editor
Rose Anne Miguel

What is De Facto Leaders?

On the De Facto Leaders podcast, host Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan helps pediatric therapists and educators become better leaders, so they can make a bigger impact with their services. With over 15 years of experience supporting school-age kids with diverse learning needs, Dr. Karen shares up-to-date evidence-based practices, her own experiences and guest interviews designed to help clinicians, teachers, and aspiring school leaders feel more confident in the way they serve their students and clients. She’ll cover a range of topics designed to help you support students' emotional and academic growth and set kids up for success in adulthood, including how to support language, literacy, executive functioning, and how to help IEP teams working together to support kids across the day. Whether you want to learn more effective strategies for your therapy session or classroom, be a more influential leader on your team, or find creative ways to use your skills to advance in your career, Dr. Karen has you covered.