How to Run a Spell-a-Thon Fundraiser
Choose the date of your Spell-A-Thon three months before the event. Spell-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 to make sure the library or a large enough classroom will be available.
Consider a theme for your Spell-A-Thon—you might want to base it on an awareness week (see our 2024 Fundraising Calendar of Dates for more inspiration).
Use these templates to keep your Spell-A-Thon planning on track:
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 Spell-A-Thon will support.
Perform background checks for any volunteers who need to be on campus during the event (if required by your school).
- Event Coordinator: Oversees the entire Spell-A-Thon, including planning, coordination with the school, and post-event activities.
- Registration Team: Manages participant sign-ups and distributes materials such as word lists and participation certificates.
- Spelling Bee Judges: Knowledgeable individuals who can accurately judge spelling, make decisions on spellings, and enforce the rules of the Spell-A-Thon.
- Pronouncers: Individuals responsible for clearly and accurately pronouncing words for participants to spell.
- Scorekeepers: Keep track of participants' progress and scores, and manage the order of participants.
- Set-Up and Clean-Up Crew: Responsible for setting up the event area (including arranging seating, microphones, and signage) and cleaning up after the event.
- Photographers / Videographers: Capture moments from the event for future promotion and as keepsakes for participants.
Incentives motivate students to register for your Spell-A-Thon and collect pledges. Each student should have a specific fundraising goal—usually between $200 and $400.
It’s better to offer incentives to the class or group that correctly spells the most words 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 pizza party for the best results.
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 Spell-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.
Here’s a Canva template of sample Spell-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!
Send out an announcement of your Spell-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, invite parents and other family members to come watch (if allowed by your school).
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.
Subject: Spell Your Way to Success with the [School Name] Spell-A-Thon!
Hello Students,
Get ready to showcase your spelling prowess at our annual Spell-A-Thon! This event is not just a spelling challenge; it's an exciting opportunity to support our beloved school and demonstrate your linguistic talents.
Why should you join?
- Compete in a fun and engaging spelling bee.
- Help raise funds for [insert cause or school project].
- Earn recognition and cool rewards for your spelling skills.
How to Sign Up:
Signing up is simple! Just visit this link and follow the steps: [insert FutureFund link]. You'll get your own link to share with friends and family to collect pledges for each word you spell correctly.
Whether you're a spelling enthusiast or just looking to try something new, this event is for everyone. Let's spell our way to success together!
Best Regards,
Your Name
School or Name of School Group
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 is Spelling Success - [School Name] Spell-A-Thon Update!
Dear [Donor’s Name],
As our Spell-A-Thon moves forward, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support. Your contribution is not just about sponsoring an event; it's about nurturing our students' love for language and helping us reach our goal of [insert specific goal or cause].
Here's the latest update:
have registered to spell!
We've reached [percentage] of our fundraising target.
It's not too late to spread the word and continue supporting our event through FutureFund at [insert link]. Your generosity is crucial to our success and is deeply appreciated by our school community.
With sincere thanks,
Your Name
School or Name of School Group
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: Last Call to Support the [School Name] Spell-A-Thon!
Hello [Name of School] Students & Families!
We're just a week away from our Spell-A-Thon, and the excitement is at its peak! Our students are eagerly honing their spelling skills in anticipation.
Here's what you need to know:
- Only one week left to gather your pledges! Last-minute donations are still very welcome via FutureFund at [insert link].
- Come and support our spellers on [Date] at [Location], and don’t miss the closing ceremony where we'll celebrate our students' achievements and recognize our top spellers!
Let's make this final week a resounding success. Your encouragement and support are making a significant impact on our school and for our students. Let's finish strong!
Spellbound,
Your Name
School or Name of School Group
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!
Here are some Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your Spell-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 Spell-A-Thon Template for Instagram Story
- Canva Spell-A-Thon Template for Instagram Post
- Canva Spell-A-Thon Template for Printable Poster
Example caption: Support [insert school name]’s Spell-A-Thon from [insert date range]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by registering to spell as many words as you can!
Ask local businesses to sponsor the Spell-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:
- Direct donations—either towards your fundraising goal or to help cover the costs of supplies.
- Corporate matching, where a business donates an amount equal to all or a portion of the funds you raise from the community.
- Selling sponsorships on FutureFund via advertising on your campaign page.
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:
- Morning Kickoff (8:00 AM – 9:00 AM): Official welcome and announcement to all participants. Gathering of students, volunteers, and teachers in the school’s auditorium or designated area. Overview of Spell-A-Thon rules, format, and the day’s agenda.
- First Spelling Session (9:00 AM – 10:30 AM): Students begin their first round of spelling. Volunteers and judges facilitate the session, ensuring fair and accurate spelling.
- Mid-Morning Break (10:30 AM – 11:00 AM): Short break for snacks and hydration. Include an interactive spelling activity or guest speaker to motivate students.
- Second Spelling Session (11:00 AM – 12:30 PM): Continuation of the spelling rounds, with participants advancing based on their performance.
- Lunch Break (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM): Lunch period with healthy meals and snacks, plus casual relaxation activities.
- Final Spelling Rounds (1:30 PM – 3:00 PM): Advanced rounds of spelling for qualifying participants with more challenging words.
- Closing Ceremony (3:00 PM – 4:00 PM): Completion of final spelling rounds, tallying results, announcing winners, and distributing awards.
- Post-Event Activities (4:00 PM – 5:00 PM): Thank-you notes to participants, volunteers, and sponsors, followed by event-area cleanup.
- Follow-Up (Next School Day): Announce results via school communications and share acknowledgments.
- Celebration Event (Within One Week After the Event): Host an ice-cream social or class party celebrating everyone’s efforts.
- Length of Time: Spell-A-Thons are typically single-day events, ideally on weekends or dedicated school days.
- Spelling Goal: Each student aims to spell all words assigned for their grade. Higher grades tackle more advanced lists.
- Word List: Lists should match each grade’s curriculum—challenging yet achievable.
- Pledge Collection: Begin promoting the event two weeks early so students can collect donations for at least a week beforehand.
- Confirm Understanding: On the event day, re-explain rules and encourage continued fundraising.
FutureFund gives you the ability to generate financial reports for fundraising campaigns in just a few clicks. To do this, navigate to Store and click the Reports tab near the top of your screen. Then choose Campaign Summary from the drop-down menu and click Generate Report.
Yes—FutureFund lets you create a list of the volunteer positions you’ll need to fill, then add a volunteer page to your registration portal so parents can sign up in just a few simple clicks.
See the steps for signing up volunteers here.Students collect pledges from their family, friends, and parents’ coworkers. In return, students learn how to spell a certain amount of words. The pledge amounts vary and can be anywhere from $1 per word.
You can customize the rules of your Spell-A-Thon based on your school’s needs. The main idea is that the students are committed and learning how to spell new words.
The exact length of the Spell-A-Thon largely depends on how many words the students are learning, but most Spell-A-Thons take place over the course of a single day booked off for the event.
Spell-A-Thons aren’t weather-dependent like other fundraisers, so you can hold them any time during the year. Because Spell-A-Thons are held inside, you might want to plan yours for the fall or winter, so you can save the warmer months for fundraisers that have to take place outside.
The words should first and foremost be based on students’ grade levels. Spell-A-Thon words should be similar to the words students would be learning in class normally. Involve teachers in the process, so the Spell-A-Thon words are not too easy or too hard (check out some lists here as a starting point).
Spell-A-Thons essentially turn spelling tests into fundraisers, so they’re a win-win. Students get to improve their spelling ability, and the school gets to raise money for important initiatives, making Spell-A-Thons great fundraisers.
An “A-Thon” is a peer-to-peer fundraiser where participants perform an activity—reading, running, spelling, etc.—and collect pledges. Donors support the effort, creating motivation and wider community involvement.
- Power it with FutureFund:FutureFund’s built-in pledge tools track donations and make management easy. Since parents cover processing fees, 100 % of proceeds go to your school.
- FutureFund is easy for everyone:Streamlines participation for PTAs, students, and donors alike.
- Accept online donations:Replace paper forms with secure digital pledging and instant payments.
- Track progress in real time:Built-in reporting shows how much has been raised across all participants.
Spending a bit of time upfront getting organized from an admin and donation perspective saves effort later.
- Managing pledges: Each student collects pledges individually by card or cash. Record them in FutureFund so they contribute to both individual and grand totals.
- Donor information: Confirm what records you need. FutureFund lets you bulk-sign-up classes and automatically logs every payment.
- Accept online donations: Campaigns accepting digital payments consistently outperform cash-only drives.
Use these templates to keep your Spell-A-Thon planning organized.
- Eligibility & Registration: All students can join. Register in FutureFund before the deadline; parental consent may be required for younger grades.
- Word List & Spelling Goals: Each student receives a grade-level list; aim to spell as many words correctly as possible.
- Pledges & Donations: Collect fixed or per-word pledges via FutureFund. Cash is accepted but must be tracked carefully.
- Event Day Structure: Multiple spelling sessions with breaks; final rounds for top performers.
- Judging & Scoring: Judges and pronouncers determine accuracy; scorekeepers record results.
- Safety & Conduct: Maintain respectful behavior and a supervised environment throughout.
- Incentives & Recognition: Offer class-wide rewards (like ice-cream socials) to encourage teamwork.
- Volunteer Roles: Coordinators, registration, judges, pronouncers, scorekeepers, setup/cleanup, and photographers.
- Parent & Community Involvement: Encourage families to pledge, attend, and cheer for participants.
Or, click below to edit these templates directly in Canva:
Spell your heart out! Starting [date], [school name] will host a Spell-A-Thon to fundraise for [cause]. Each student collects pledges online via FutureFund at [link]. Spread the word to family and friends to make it a success!
Use these Canva email templates to recruit participants and donors.
- Canva Spell-A-Thon Student Sign-Up Email Template
- Canva Spell-A-Thon Donor Email Template
- Canva Final Week Push Spell-A-Thon Email Template
For social media and posters:
- Holiday: Choose themed word lists based on holidays like Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day.
- Animal: Embrace the “spelling bee” spirit with animal-themed words or decor.
- School Subject: Build lists around what students are learning—history, science, and more.
- Etymology: Explore words with shared roots or origins, such as Latin or Greek.
- Geography: Take students around the world with country-based spelling lists.
- Language: Encourage bilingual learning by including words from a second-language curriculum.