CrossFit Threefold in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania—an affiliate run by Kate Carannante and Jared Miller who has been a HybridAF affiliate since 2020—are running a non-perishable food drive for a second straight year and are giving back by donating free classes that can be used in December, the idea being to both give back and maybe get some new members at the same time.

Specifically, anyone who donates a food item will receive a voucher for one free class (up to a maximum of six) to hand out to their friends or family who might be interested in trying the affiliate .

Last year, they collected more than 200 food items, and they’re hoping to beat the number this year. In return, they managed to pick up four new clients last December who came in through the voucher.

Over at Halo Fitness Experience—home of CrossFit 703—in Burke, Virginia, part of owner Adam Waddell’s mission is to “do some good in this world…and give back,” so each year they pick a different charity they believe in to raise money for, he explained.

In 2019 they raised $8,500 for abused women living in a shelter house, and in 2020, they raised $20,000 for Charity Water, money that helped build two water wells in Africa. Finally, last year they raised more than $43,000 for Anti Human Trafficking International.

This year, they’re raising money for Convoy of Hope, a non-profit that raises funds for disaster relief. They started the fundraising in August already, and the fundraising, and they’re focusing on putting together hygiene kits used in disaster relief around the world,
Waddell explained. “It’s a team effort.”

“They could go to hurricane victims or to help refugees in Ukraine. It’s at the discretion of the Convoy of Hope and whoever needs them,” he added.

Craig Niven, the owner of CrossFit Barrington in Illinois, recently ran a Thanksgiving Team Marathon Row, where teams of four to six completed a marathon row.

One hundred and four people participated, and each team was responsible for donating items to give to their local food pantry. All in all, they donated 15 boxes of food.

Beyond giving back, the event was huge in generating a great feeling of community.

“This is easily one of my favorite community events that we have run. The feeling and energy in the gym was amazing. It was more than just a workout. People were truly happy and thankful to be together and be a part of something meaningful…This will most definitely be a tradition going forward,” Niven said.

For the record, just so we’re not a hypocrite, we also give back in various ways throughout the year: We sponsor affiliate events and competitions, offer discounted services to new affiliates while they grow, or offer installation payment options. And we’re an active sponsor of small business incubators, and we give donations for scholarships for affiliate memberships, as well as to various non-profits in the health and wellness space.

The bottom line: Not only does giving back make you feel good and give you a sense of purpose, but it also brings affiliate communities together and creates strong connections through being part of something bigger than working out.

This goes a long way in securing member loyalty, too, because really, who’s going to quit or put their membership on hold the week after taking part in an experience that feels so good?