Darian Shimy
Published on Feb 11, 2022

How to Run a Math-a-Thon Fundraiser

Math-a-Thon fundraisers are great ways to raise money while also practicing academics. See how a math-a-thon works & what you’ll need to run one in our guide.
How to Run a Math-a-Thon Fundraiser
Table of Contents
The Step-by-Step Guide to Running a Math-a-Thon
1
Choose a Date & Theme
  • Choose the date of your Math-a-Thon three months before the event. Math-a-Thons usually take place on a single day, so choose one 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 and sets aside a space for students to work on math problems-this could be the library, or a classroom.
Math-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 Math-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 Math-a-Thons
3
Choose Student Incentives
  • Incentives motivate students to register for your Math-A-Thon and collect pledges. Each student should have a specific fundraising goal-usually between $200-$400.
  • It's better to offer incentives to the class or group that correctly solves the most problems 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 Math-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 Math-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.
5
Announce the Event & Sign-Up Students
  • Send out an announcement of your Math-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 first day of the event, send a kickoff announcement to get the school community excited about the event and encourage them to keep offering support.
  • During the event, send progress updates every other day to remind people to keep pledging and let them know how close your school group is to reaching your goal.
Sample Email for Student Sign-Ups
Sample Follow-Up Email to Donors
Sample Email for the Final Week Before the Math-A-Thon
Templates for Promoting Your Math-A-Thon
6
Find Sponsors

Ask local businesses to sponsor the Math-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 with sponsor logos during the event.
  • Offer branded water bottles or other swag to participants.
  • Add sponsors to your school's online store using FutureFund.
Types of Sponsorship
7
Host the Math-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:

Launch Day (Day 1)
Daily Check-Ins (Week 1 & 2)
Mid-Event Checkpoint (End of Week 1)
Final Week Push (Week 2)
Closing Day (Last Day of Week 2)
Post-Event Activities (Week Following Event)
Feedback and Review (Two Weeks After Event)
Math-a-Thon 101
What is a Math-a-Thon?

A Math-A-Thon is a unique fundraiser, but it follows the same basic principles as other A-Thons, like Read-A-Thons or Walk-A-Thons. During a Math-A-Thon, students sign up to complete math problems in exchange for pledges they collect from friends and family.

Math-A-Thons work great because most donors are happy to support kids doing more math. It's typically easy for students to collect donations.

Math-a-Thon Goals & Rules

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

Length
Math Goal
Math Problems
Pledge Collection
Confirm That Everyone Knows What to Do
Sample Math-A-Thon Rules Template
Frequently Asked Questions About Math-a-Thons
How does a Math-A-Thon work?
How long does a Math-A-Thon last?
When should you hold a Math-A-Thon?
What problems should students solve?
What are the advantages of Math-A-Thon fundraisers?
How do I use FutureFund to track my fundraiser's success?
Can volunteers for my Math-A-Thon sign up automatically through FutureFund?
Join the thousands schools using FutureFund
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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 Math-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 Math-a-Thon for Fundraising
Managing and organizing pledges
Donor information and donation management
Make sure you accept online donations
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.
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