Darian Shimy
Published on Apr 9, 2022

How To Run a Chess-a-Thon Fundraiser

Chess-a-Thon fundraisers are great ways to raise money & play games together. See how a chess-a-thon works in our in-depth guide.
How To Run a Chess-a-Thon Fundraiser
Table of Contents
Here, we'll show you the A-Z of chess-a-thons, including planning, tracking donations, and ideas on how to organize and promote it.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Running a Chess-a-Thon
1
Choose a Date & Theme
  • Choose the date of your Chess-A-Thon three months before the event begins. Chess-A-Thons can take place on a single day, or you can hold a longer event up to a month or so. Choose a date (or date range) that doesn't conflict with other important events and plan for a time of year when people are unlikely to be away.
  • Make sure your PTA coordinates with the school ahead of time to find a space (like the library or a large classroom) that can accommodate the event.
Chess-A-Thon Planning Infographic and Checklist
2
Call for Volunteers
  • Put out a call for volunteers two months before the event. Use FutureFund's built-in messaging system to reach the parents and volunteers most likely to participate.
  • Make sure your call for volunteers clearly states what cause or project the Chess-A-Thon will support.
  • Perform background checks for any volunteers who need to be on campus during the event (if required by your school).
Example Volunteer Positions for Chess-A-Thons
3
Choose Student Incentives

Incentives motivate students to register for your Chess-A-Thon and collect pledges. Each student should have a specific fundraising goal—usually between $100-$300.

It's better to offer incentives to the class or group that wins the most matches collectively than to individual students, as this is a more cost-effective way to motivate groups and can also discourage unhealthy competition. Try an ice cream social or a pizza party for the best results.

4
Create Your Chess-A-Thon's Campaign

Use FutureFund to create a Pledge-A-Thon campaign and provide your campaign details.

Make sure your campaign has the following elements:

  • A clear and compelling event description and rules, including what the money raised will go towards and what the incentives will be for participating students.
  • A leaderboard that shows the grades and teachers for each participating class, along with how much each has raised. These are fully customizable in FutureFund, so you can create custom categories for each Chess-A-Thon.
  • A template students can use to collect pledges from members of the school community. FutureFund provides a sample template for this in all A-Thon campaigns, which you can modify to include the specific details of your event.
Canva Chess-A-Thon Rules Template
5
Announce the Event & Sign-Up Students
  • Send out an announcement of your Chess-A-Thon to the school community two weeks before the event begins and request that students sign up to participate.
  • Share the news in as many places as possible—use the school newsletter, morning announcements, and FutureFund's messaging system to tell everyone why the event is important and how they can be part of it.
  • Use FutureFund to send follow-up messages every other day leading up to the event to encourage participation.
  • On the morning of the event, send out a final announcement to get the school community excited about the event and encourage them to keep offering support.
  • If your event lasts longer than a single day, send out updates every other day letting people know how close you are to reaching your funding goals.
Sample Email for Student Sign-Ups
Sample Follow-Up Email to Donors
Sample Email for the Final Week Before the Chess-A-Thon
Templates for Promoting Your Chess-A-Thon
6
Find Sponsors

Ask local businesses to sponsor the Chess-A-Thon. This can help your PTA reach your fundraising targets while business owners get exposure and positive PR.

Make sure to explain how each sponsor's contribution will be recognized. For example, you could:

  • Hang a banner in the library with sponsor logos during the event.
  • Offer branded swag to participants.
  • Add sponsors to your school's online store using FutureFund.
Types of Sponsorship
7
Host the Chess-A-Thon

Finally, the day of the event will arrive—and if you've followed all the steps above, you should have everything you need to make it a success. Here's a sample schedule for a daily Chess-A-Thon event:

Note: for events taking place over more than one day, simply allocate a single period per day or week to playing the rounds and then take care of the post-event activities once the event has ended.

Morning Kickoff (8:00 AM - 9:00 AM)
First Chess Session (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM)
Mid-Morning Break (10:30 AM - 11:00 AM)
Second Chess Session (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
Lunch Break (12:30 PM - 1:30 PM)
Final Chess Rounds (1:30 PM - 3:00 PM)
Closing Ceremony (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM)
Post-Event Activities (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
Follow-Up (Next School Day)
One Week After the Event
Chess-a-Thon 101
What is a Chess-a-Thon?

Chess-A-Thons are a type of A-Thon fundraiser. Just like Read-A-Thons and Walk-A-Thons, students commit to playing a certain amount of chess and collect donations for their efforts.

Chess-A-Thons are great because they give students the chance to learn chess or improve their skills.

Chess-a-Thon Goals & Rules

Treat these as a base and feel free to tailor these to suit your specific event.

Length of Time
Chess Goal
Grade Considerations
Recommended Starting Rules
Pledge Collection
Confirm That Everyone Knows What to Do
Frequently Asked Questions About Chess-a-Thons
How does a Chess-A-Thon work?
How long does a Chess-A-Thon last?
When should you hold a Chess-A-Thon?
What are the advantages of Chess-A-Thon fundraisers?
How do I use FutureFund to track my fundraiser's success?
Can volunteers for my Chess-A-Thon sign up automatically through FutureFund?
Join the thousands schools using FutureFund
Schools that sign up get full access to all of FutureFund's features—it's free and it always will be.
What is a “Thon”?
Thon's Are Fun & Effective Event-Based Fundraisers

An “a-thon” is a peer-to-peer style fundraiser that involves participating in a certain activity and gathering donations for participating in said activity.

The activity can be almost anything, from reading to running to bowling. No matter what activity you choose, the premise is the same. Participants commit to doing the activity (reading a certain amount of books, running a certain distance) and ask their friends, family, and coworkers to support them.

A-thons work great because you reach a huge donor pool through peer-to-peer fundraising. People are also more likely to donate since participants are “working” in return for the donations.

What Do You Need to Run a Chess-A-Thon?
Power it With FutureFund

FutureFund's built-in pledge campaigns allow you to easily collect money and keep donations/pledges organized. Since parents cover payment processing fees, 100% of the funds raised go to your school!

FutureFund is easy to use - for everyone
Accept online donations
A single tool to power your entire Thon!
Using a Chess-A-Thon for Fundraising
Managing and organizing pledges
Donor information and donation management
Make sure you accept online donations
Chess-A-Thon Templates & Resources
Planning resources
Sample Chess-A-Thon Rules
Sample Chess-a-Thon Event Description
Set Up Online Pledges With FutureFund
Design templates for promoting your Chess-A-Thon
Sample Email for Student Sign-Ups
Sample Follow-Up Email to Donors
Sample Email for the Final Week Before the Chess-A-Thon
By Darian Shimy
Darian Shimy is the founder and CEO of FutureFund Technology, a fundraising and selling platform for K-12 school groups. He has 25+ years in web-based technologies, managing engineering teams, and building products.
The fundraising platform that works as hard as you
Trusted by schools everywhere