How to Run a Lift-a-Thon Fundraiser
The Step-by-Step Guide to Running a Lift-A-Thon
Choose a Date & Theme
- Choose the date of your Lift-A-Thon three months before the event. Lift-A-Thons usually take place over a period of two weeks or so. Make sure you choose a date range that doesn't conflict with other school plans!
- Make sure your PTA coordinates with the school ahead of time to ensure the gym is available, find volunteers to supervise equipment, get insurance if necessary, and arrange custodial services.
For detailed scheduling examples and planning guidance, see the official Google Doc guide here:
Call for Volunteers
Put out a call for volunteers two months before the event. Use FutureFund's built-in messaging system to reach parents and volunteers most likely to participate.
Make sure your call for volunteers clearly states what cause or project the Lift-A-Thon will support.
Perform background checks for any volunteers from outside the school who need to be present during the event (if required by your school).
- Event Coordinator: Oversees all planning, scheduling, and logistics for the Lift-A-Thon, ensuring everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.
- Registration Team: Handles check-in, distributes lift cards or pledge sheets, and verifies that student-athletes are signed up correctly.
- Fundraising Coordinator: Tracks pledges, manages online donation updates, and communicates with donors as results come in.
- Spotters & Safety Volunteers: Assist lifters during attempts to ensure proper form and safe execution of lifts.
- Judges / Scorekeepers: Record weights lifted, verify successful attempts, and tally results for each participant.
- Announcer / MC: Keeps the crowd engaged, announces lifters, and shares fundraising updates throughout the event.
- Cheer & Spirit Team: Organizes student and parent volunteers to cheer on lifters and create an energetic atmosphere.
- Refreshments Crew: Provides water and light snacks for athletes, coaches, and spectators.
- Photographer / Videographer: Captures highlight moments for school promotion, donor thank-yous, and future event marketing.
- Cleanup Crew: Helps reset the gym or weight room after the event, ensuring equipment and space are returned to normal use.
Choose Student Incentives
- Incentives motivate students to register for your Lift-A-Thon and collect pledges. Each student should have a specific fundraising goal (usually between $500 and $1000).
- It's better to offer incentives to the class or grade that raises the most money than to individual students—this is a more cost-effective way to motivate groups and can also discourage unhealthy competition. Try prizes like extra gym time for the winning class for the best results.
Create Your Lift-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 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 Lift-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 specific event details.
Here's a Canva template of sample Lift-A-Thon rules. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Announce the Event & Sign-Up Students
- Send out an announcement of your Lift-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.
- The night before the first day of the event, send a final reminder to get the school community excited about the event and encourage them to keep offering support.
Subject: Raise the Bar at [School Name]'s Annual Lift-A-Thon!
Get ready to show your strength at our exciting Lift-A-Thon! This isn't just a day in the gym; it's your chance to set new personal records, raise funds for our school, and be part of an unforgettable community event.
Why participate in the Lift-A-Thon?
- Challenge yourself in the weight room and push for a new PR.
- Help raise funds for [insert cause or school project].
- Earn rewards and recognition for your lifting and fundraising efforts.
How to Sign Up:
It's easy to get involved! Just click on this link [insert FutureFund link], follow the simple registration steps, and you're ready to go. You'll also get a personal pledge page to share with friends and family so they can support your lifts.
Whether you're aiming for a new max or just want to have fun cheering with your classmates, this event is for everyone. Let's lift together for a great cause!
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click "Use template for new design" to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: Your Support Powers Our Lift-A-Thon – Thank You!
Dear [Donor's Name],
Thank you so much for supporting our Lift-A-Thon! Your contributions are helping us provide a memorable experience for our students and fueling our fundraising goals for [insert specific goal or cause].
Current Update:
- student-athletes are signed up and training for the big day!
- We've already reached [percentage] of our fundraising goal.
- There's still time to pledge support through FutureFund at [insert link].
Your generosity keeps the momentum going and makes a real difference for our school community.
Thank you once again for being a crucial part of our school community. Your support is inspiring our students to do their best.
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click "Use template for new design" to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: [School Name]'s Lift-A-Thon Starts Tomorrow – Get Ready to Lift Big!
Hello [Name of School] Students & Families!
The big day is almost here! Our Lift-A-Thon begins tomorrow, and we can't wait to see everyone come together to support our student-athletes.
Here's what you need to remember:
- Last chance to gather pledges! Encourage friends and family to support you through FutureFund at [insert link].
- Meet us in the [Location] on [Date]. Lifting starts at [Time], so arrive early to warm up and cheer on your classmates.
- Bring your energy and school spirit, and let's make this an event to remember!
Your support and encouragement are key to making the Lift-A-Thon a success. Let's finish strong and show what our school community can do!
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click "Use template for new design" to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Find Sponsors
Ask local businesses to sponsor the Lift-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 gym or in the weight room with sponsor logos during the event.
- Offer branded water bottles, sweatbands, or other swag to participants.
- Add sponsors to your school's online store using FutureFund.
Here are some examples of sponsorships you can offer:
- Direct donations (either towards your fundraising goal or to help cover the costs of supplies).
- Corporate matching is where a business makes a donation equal to all or a portion of the funds you raise from the community.
- Selling sponsorships on FutureFund via advertising on your campaign page.
Host the Lift-A-Thon
Unlike one-day fundraising events, Lift-A-Thons are best spread out over two weeks or so to give every student-athlete time to participate, gather pledges, and keep momentum strong.
Here's a sample schedule you can adapt to your school's calendar:
- Event Launch Assembly: Introduce the Lift-A-Thon to all students, explain how pledges work, and set fundraising goals.
- Registration Opens: Students sign up through FutureFund and receive their personal pledge links.
- Scheduled Lift Sessions: Classes or teams rotate through the weight room during PE or designated practice times.
- Volunteer Roles Active: Spotters, judges/scorekeepers, and cheer groups assist each session.
- Midweek Update: Share fundraising totals so far to keep energy high.
- Online Pledge Drive: Encourage families to share links over the weekend to bring in donations from extended networks.
- Social Media Highlights: Post photos or short videos of students lifting to keep supporters engaged.
- Continued Lift Sessions: Remaining classes and teams complete their lifting challenges.
- Daily Announcements: Recognize top fundraisers, lifters, and classes to encourage friendly competition.
- Donor Reminders: Send pledge reminders through FutureFund as the event nears completion.
- Last Lift Sessions: Students who haven't lifted yet finish their attempts.
- Recognition Assembly: Celebrate achievements like most pounds lifted, highest fundraising totals, and best team spirit.
- Announce Fundraising Total: Share the final number raised with the whole school.
- Thank You Messages: Send digital thank-yous to donors, volunteers, and participants.
- Incentive Delivery: Award the winning class or grade with their prize (e.g., spirit day, extra gym time).
- One Week After: Share highlights, photos, and a recap video with the school community.
- Two Weeks After: Hold a follow-up recognition activity (like a spirit rally or fitness challenge) to celebrate long-term impact.
Lift-A-Thon 101
What is a Lift-A-Thon Fundraiser?
A Lift-A-Thon is a popular a-thon type of fundraiser since they have very little overhead and are easy to run with existing school gym equipment. They can also be scheduled during school hours, which makes it easier for students to participate.
In a Lift-A-Thon, participants collect pledges for each pound they lift, or a flat donation for their efforts. It combines athletic goals with school fundraising, promoting teamwork, physical activity, and school pride.
Lift-A-Thon Goals & Rules
Treat these as a base and feel free to tailor them to suit your specific event.
The length of your Lift-A-Thon will largely be determined by the age and fitness level of your students. Typically, Lift-A-Thons are held over the course of two weeks, allowing all participants to access the gym facilities.
It's usually a good idea to have volunteers in charge of scheduling participants at different times throughout the event window to prevent congestion and overcrowding.
Students can either pledge to lift a certain amount on a specific exercise or perform a number of reps determined by pledges collected. Larger pledges work best for PR-based events; smaller donations suit reps-based Lift-A-Thons.
Lift-A-Thons are most appropriate for high school students, since this is typically the age when they become more interested in working out and are responsible enough to use equipment properly.
Start telling students about the Lift-A-Thon at least three weeks before it starts.
Students should be signed up in your fundraising system so they can gather donations for at least two weeks before the fundraiser starts (although it's still okay to take last-minute sign-ups).
On the day the fundraiser starts, re-explain the rules and encourage students to continue fundraising.
What Do You Need to Run a Lift-A-Thon?
Power It With FutureFund
FutureFund's built-in pledge campaigns allow you to easily collect money and keep donations organized. Since parents cover payment processing fees, 100% of the funds raised go to your school.
FutureFund Is Easy to Use—for Everyone
FutureFund makes running a Lift-A-Thon simple for everyone—PTAs and PTOs, students and parents, and donors alike.
Accept Online Donations
Instead of dealing with paper pledge forms, cash, or checks, FutureFund takes the process online. Donors can donate instantly online with their credit or debit cards.
A Single Tool to Power Your Entire A-Thon
FutureFund makes it easy to track your fundraiser’s progress. Easily view how much money has been raised and generate detailed reports.
Using a Lift-A-Thon to Fundraise
A Lift-A-Thon combines school spirit, fitness, and philanthropy in one powerful event. With FutureFund’s tools, you can easily organize, promote, and track every aspect of your Lift-A-Thon fundraiser. Here’s how to maximize your results:
- Encourage each participant to set both a lifting goal and a fundraising goal. These two objectives work together to boost motivation.
- Use FutureFund’s built-in leaderboards and pledge tracking to create friendly competition between grades, teams, or classes.
- Offer recognition prizes not only for top fundraisers but also for participation, effort, and team spirit.
- Share progress on social media throughout the event to drive more pledges and keep your community engaged.
- Always thank your donors promptly using FutureFund’s automated messaging tools to maintain goodwill and encourage repeat support.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lift-A-Thons
Participants collect donations for participating in the Lift-A-Thon. Like other A-Thons, Lift-A-Thons follow a peer-to-peer fundraising model, so you aren't limited to gathering donations from only the participants.
Each participant asks family, friends, and coworkers (or parents' coworkers) to donate, giving you a much larger donor pool. Then, participants arrive at the school gym during their scheduled time slot and attempt to lift their pledged amount.
Lift-A-Thons can be customized for each school's needs, but we recommend about two weeks to ensure everyone is able to find a time slot. Typically, each participant should have a 15–30 minute window to complete their lifts comfortably.
That’s the beauty of Lift-A-Thons—participants don’t need any special skills or equipment! To make your event accessible for all students, make sure volunteers are on-site to assist with equipment and ensure safety.
Lift-A-Thons are excellent fundraisers for everyone involved. They’re easy to plan, fun to participate in, and highly engaging for donors. Schools have raised tens of thousands in a single event using FutureFund.
Templates, Ideas, Tools, & Resources
Planning Resources
Use these templates to keep your Lift-A-Thon planning on track:
Sample Lift-A-Thon Event Description
Unsure of where to start? Use this sample student and parent messaging to get the ball rolling!
Let's raise the bar for [School Name]! On [date], we'll be hosting a Lift-A-Thon to help fundraise for [cause]. You can help by pushing for a good cause!
Parents, each student will be collecting pledges online through FutureFund: [link]. Please spread the word to your family, friends, and coworkers to help make this fundraiser a success!
Sample Lift-A-Thon Email Scripts
Use these Canva email script templates to call out for Lift-A-Thon participants, donations, and to keep your fundraiser top-of-mind. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Lift-A-Thon Student Sign-up Email Template
Design Templates for Promoting Your Lift-A-Thon
Use these Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your Lift-A-Thon on social media and in your community! Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Lift-A-Thon Template for Instagram Story
Canva Lift-A-Thon Template for Instagram Post
Canva Lift-A-Thon Template for Printable Poster
Example caption: Support [insert school name]'s Lift-A-Thon from [insert date]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by registering to break your personal record for weight or reps!