Why I Ride (with Credit Suisse even though I don't work there anymore)

It's been nearly six months since I left my job at Credit Suisse. Since then, many people have asked me if I would be riding alone or starting a team at my new job. But I've always intended to keep riding with Credit Suisse. For starters, my new company only has 25 employees, so it would be kinda tough to crack the 200 rider mark. But more importantly, I've never worked anywhere that has a "force multiplier" in place like the Credit Suisse Foundation.

When I founded the team back in 2003, the Foundation was the reason it didn't end up being a team of one. The enormous assistance we received from Jennifer Bornemann including contacts, advice, encouragement, and inclusion in the weekly all-staff email bulletin the Foundation sent out, were instrumental to our recruiting success. Without her help, I shudder to think about how small the team would still be, if it even still existed.

If the Foundation had simply helped promote us, that would be sufficient for me to sing its praises. But the financial assistance we've received from the Foundation in the form of yearly "mini-grants" have truly pushed us to levels we never knew we could achieve. For those who don't know, mini-grants are cash donations that the Credit Suisse Foundation makes directly to a charity in support of employee involvement. For volunteer events such as the Bike Tour, the firm's contribution rises dramatically with the number of volunteers. Our recruiting goal in 2005 was 75 riders, but as soon as we heard that the firm had introduced a $10,000 mini-grant for 100+ volunteers, we shifted from recruiting overdrive into recruiting hyperdrive, eventually coming in at 108 riders.

Sure, that got us a $10,000 mini-grant, but the effects went far beyond that. Some of those recruits brought in a spouse, a few friends, or a dozen coworkers. And some of those recruits raised $3,000, $5,000, or more. While the lure of a $10,000 prize certainly motivated us to get to 100 riders, the additional money raised by all those extra riders actually dwarfed the mini-grant. All from a simple little $10,000 nudge from the Foundation!

This year Paul and Darryl set our recruitment goal at 175. The Foundation, which had already raised the 100-volunteer mini-grant to $15,000, egged us on with the promise of an additional $5,000 if we hit the 200 mark. As a result, we are currently at 212 riders, a $20,000 mini-grant from the Foundation and continuing to grow. Note to P&D: Ask the Foundation what happens if we hit 300! :-)

So now it's time to show the Foundation why we're worthy of the tremendous support it has showered on us. This event is a very important fundraiser for the MS Society, providing a huge chunk of their annual budget. Just as the mini-grants have pushed us to recruit you, now we need you to make a push to raise money.

If all 212 of us (probably more by the time you read this) each hit the $100 mark, that's another $21,200 for the MS Society. But if we all raise $200, $300, or $500, well, you do the math. At the very least, hitting your fundraising minimum ($50 for 30 miles, $75 for 50, $100 for 100) ensures that the Society's event costs are covered, but honestly, it's the easiest thing in the world to raise much more. I sent my first round of emails this morning and I'm nearly at $500.

If you haven't already sent out fundraising emails, please do so now. You may feel uncomfortable asking for money, but you'll see that your friends and family, far from being annoyed, will be inspired by your selfless action. One round of emails. That's all I ask.

I look forward to seeing some of you at the final training ride this Sunday morning, and the rest of you next Sunday bright and early at the main event. Go Credit Suisse!!