Carry the light
forward.
In memory of Susan Hurley, founder, coach, champion, and the heartbeat of CharityTeams. Her spirit runs in every mile raised for a cause.
She didn’t just build a fundraising platform. She built a belief system.
Susan Hurley founded CharityTeams in 2008 with a single belief: fundraising should be fun. Not obligatory, not transactional, not stressful, fun. She called it “fun-raising.”
A former New England Patriots cheerleader turned passionate marathon runner, Susan discovered the power of running for something bigger than a finishing time. She built CharityTeams to make that experience accessible to every runner with a cause in their heart.
Over 18 years, she connected hundreds of runners with dozens of nonprofits, helped raise more than $42 million, and created a community where no one runs alone. Her warmth, her humor, and her relentless optimism live on in every charity bib issued, every Boylston Street crossing, and every dollar raised in her name.
What Susan believed.
Fun-Raising
Joy is not optional. It's the engine. Susan believed fundraising should feel like a celebration, not a burden.
No One Runs Alone
Community is the strategy. Susan built a team around every runner: coaches, mentors, and fellow athletes.
The Boylston Street Moment
The finish line is where everything becomes real. That moment of crossing for a cause you love: that's what Susan built for.
Every Runner Is a Changemaker
Purpose doesn't slow you down. It carries you. Susan proved that charity runners are among the most powerful fundraisers in any movement.
Words from those she carried.
Susan told me I could do it when I didn't believe in myself. I crossed the finish line because of her.
She knew every runner's name and every nonprofit's story. That was her superpower.
CharityTeams is what happens when one person refuses to let good things stay small.
I crossed Boylston Street because Susan believed I would, long before I did.
She turned my fear into fuel. That gift is irreplaceable.
Susan told me I could do it when I didn't believe in myself. I crossed the finish line because of her.
She knew every runner's name and every nonprofit's story. That was her superpower.
CharityTeams is what happens when one person refuses to let good things stay small.
I crossed Boylston Street because Susan believed I would, long before I did.
She turned my fear into fuel. That gift is irreplaceable.
She brought champions to the cause.
Susan’s energy extended well beyond the marathon course. The Susan Hurley Foundation hosted community events, from the Gronk Playground fundraisers to charity galas, that brought athletes, donors, and organizations together under one roof.
That same spirit of connection lives on through the CharityTeams community. Every race event, team dinner, and finish-line celebration is a continuation of what Susan started.
Honor Her LegacyDonate to the Fund
The Susan Hurley Fund supports emerging charity runners and small nonprofits who need resources to join the CharityTeams movement. All donations are tax-deductible.
Give in Susan’s memory
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Apply for a Susan Hurley Fund Grant
Grants cover charity bib fees, coaching, and fundraising tools for runners and nonprofits who need support to participate.
Apply for a Grant →