Insights professionals participate in the 2023 MREF Backpack Challenge

The 2023 Backpack Challenge was held from July 17 through August 31 to raise money to send 1,000+ backpacks full of essential school supplies to children in need.

Reading for a good cause

The Marketing Research Education Foundation held the Backpack Challenge from July 17 to August 31. This year, 86 marketing research and insights professionals participated in the readathon. A total of 129,365 reading minutes were logged and $21,250 was raised for the Kids In Need Foundation!

What is the MREF Backpack Challenge?

The Backpack Challenge is an annual industry fundraiser that aims to help underprivileged children in the U.S. The goal for 2023 was to send 1,000+ backpacks full of essential school supplies to children in need. Marketing research professionals, their friends, family and other industry members joined the Backpack Challenge by logging the minutes they spent reading.

Which organization will receive the 2023 Backpack Challenge funds?

Photo of MREF Administrator Alana Gates visiting the Kids In Need Foundation Headquarters. Gates and KINF team members are holding a sign created by the MREF community during the 2023 Quirk's Event in New York City. The sign reads, "MREF supports Kids In Need Foundation."

This year, the MREF Backpack Challenge partnered with The Kids In Need Foundation (KINF). KINF is a nonprofit organization that offers free school supplies and resources to children throughout the United States. They offer various services to help students and teachers have a successful school year.

KINF offers different services all aimed at helping students and teachers. The Supply a Teacher program provides qualifying teachers with two large boxes of necessary school materials. The Teacher Resource Center gives teachers the opportunity to “shop” for classroom essentials at zero cost. The Supply a Student program provides students with backpacks full of school supplies for the semester including notebooks, folders, scissors, markers, pens, pencils, and more!

KINF has distributed over $143 million in free school supplies and classroom resources nationwide. It has supported 7.7 million kids, 33,169 teachers, and 17,472 under-resourced schools.

Congratulations to the top readers!

Christina Lovette, Sago – 10,922 minutes

Katee George, Sago – 9,219 minutes

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Patron of Pages (100 backpacks)

FUEL + The Focus Room, Quirk’s Media, Sago

Storyteller (40 backpacks)

Focus Forward, Full Circle Research, Ironwood Insights Group

Bookworm (20 backpacks)

Aha Insights Technology, Benenson Strategy Group, Emporia Research, Gazelle Global, KJT Group, Inc., L&E Research, M/A/R/C Research, MarketVision Research