Darian Shimy
Published on Jan 15, 2022

How to Run a Read-a-Thon Fundraiser

Read-a-Thon fundraisers are great ways to raise money. See how a read-a-thon works & what you’ll need to run one in our in-depth guide.
How to Run a Read-a-Thon Fundraiser
Table of Contents
Here, we'll show you the A-Z of Read-a-thons, including planning, tracking donations, and ideas on how to organize and promote it.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Running a Read-a-Thon
1
Choose a Date & Theme
  • Choose the date of your Read-A-Thon three months before the event. Read-A-Thons usually take place over a week or two so that students have time to read as much as possible, so make sure you schedule an appropriate window that doesn't conflict with other important dates.
  • Make sure your PTA coordinates with the school library ahead of time to create a dedicated space that can be used for the Read-A-Thon. This makes student participation easier.
  • Some Read-A-Thons have specific themes based on the time of year they're held -like reading US history books around Thanksgiving or books by authors of color during Black History Month. See some theme ideas here.
Read-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 Read-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 Read-A-Thons
3
Choose Student Incentives
  • Incentives motivate students to register for your Read-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 Read-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 Read-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 Read-A-Thon Rules Template
5
Announce the Event & Sign-Up Students
  • Send out an announcement of your Read-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 Weekly Reading Log for Students
Sample Read-a-Thon Kickoff Email
Sample Follow-Up Email to Donors
Sample Email for the Final Week Before the Read-A-Thon
Templates for Promoting Your Read-A-Thon
6
Find Sponsors

Ask local businesses to sponsor the Read-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 Read-A-Thon

Finally, the day of the run will arrive-and if you've followed all the steps above, you should have everything you need to make it a success. On your mark, get set, GO!

Kickoff Day
Daily Check-Ins
Mid-Event Milestone (End of Week 1)
Final Week Push
Last Day of Read-A-Thon
Post-Event Wrap-Up
Reflection & Feedback
Read-a-Thon 101
What is a Read-a-Thon?

A read-a-thon is one of the most popular a-thon style fundraisers. During a read-a-thon, students will commit to reading a certain amount and collect donations.

Read-a-thons are great fundraisers since they encourage reading and literacy. Most people agree that getting kids reading more is a good thing, so it's easy to get people on board to donate.

Read-a-thons are suitable for all types of schools and grade levels, but are particularly suited for elementary school fundraisers.

Read-a-Thon Goals & Rules

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

Setting a reading goal for participants
Duration
Collect Donations
Confirm That Everyone Knows What to Do
Frequently Asked Questions About Read-a-Thons
How do I use FutureFund to track my fundraiser's success?
Can volunteers for my Read-A-Thon sign up automatically through FutureFund?
How does a read-a-thon work?
How long does a read-a-thon last?
When should you hold a read-a-thon?
What books should students read?
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 Read-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 Read-A-Thon for Fundraising

Consider the below when organizing your Read-A-Thon. Spending a bit of time up front getting organized from an admin and donation perspective will save a lot of time and potential frustration later.

Managing and organizing pledges
Donor information and donation management
Make sure you accept online donations
Read-A-Thon Templates & Resources
Planning resources
Sample Read-A-Thon Rules
Sample Read-a-Thon Event Description
Sample read-a-thon email scripts
Design templates for promoting your Read-A-Thon
Read-A-Thon Theme Ideas
Read Around the World
Holiday Theme
Past or Future
Past or Future
Superhero Theme
Animal Theme
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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