The Many Benefits of a Read-a-Thon Fundraiser

Pop quiz: What raises money for schools, fosters a love of reading in kids, and gets the community involved all at the same time? The answer? A read-a-thon fundraiser! Not only are these fundraisers inexpensive for a school to put on, but they also make it easy for people to contribute!

In this blog, you’ll learn more about: 

• Why You Should Arrange a Read-a-Thon
• Ways to Get Your Community Involved
• How Booster Can Help with Your Fundraiser

Does your school want to arrange a fundraiser to get kids reading for education while supporting a good cause at the same time? A read-a-thon is the way to go. Some of the benefits include the way these read-a-thons tie in with learning, and how easy it is for families and community members to get involved. 

Let’s dig a little deeper into the many benefits of this deceptively easy school fundraiser idea and how much money you can make with a read-a-thon! 

Benefit 1: Read-a-thons tie in with learning

Another significant benefit of hosting a read-a-thon, compared to other easy fundraiser ideas, is that it doesn’t take away any time from students’ learning. Instead, they can continue reading books on topics they discussed in class and raise money for the school while they do it! 

There’s no need for teachers to rearrange their days around participating in activities outside or in the gym. They can encourage reading during downtime between subjects or assign books relevant to their course material as homework or extra credit.

Not only that, but it will encourage students to read for education and entertainment in general, which is a cause everyone in the community can get behind! It’s a great hobby to encourage the local students to get involved in. Who knows, a read-a-thon might just spark a new love of reading in students. 

Benefit 2: Opportunities for community involvement

A school fundraiser that emphasizes reading for education can also be perfect for engaging the community. While you can certainly post on social media to encourage the community or local businesses to cheer students on (and pledge via an online donor portal, of course), setting up a book drive is an even better way to not only get additional eyes on your fundraiser but to give back as well. 

Set up collection bins where people can donate new and lightly used books. These can be for the school library,  a local charity, or a non-profit. People who can’t make a monetary donation will still be able to give back by unloading their books for a good cause! 

Benefit 3: It’s more equitable

Another benefit of a read-a-thon is that it can be more equitable than many other fundraising options. For example, with a book fair, students’ families will be expected to spend at least $10 for one of the cheaper physical products. 

However, with a read-a-thon, families can contribute based on what they can afford. In addition, they can keep their donations relatively private with an online platform for pledging and donating, which also allows family and friends across the country to donate. 

Benefit 3: Read-a-thons teach kids to use the library

Hosting a read-a-thon helps students become more comfortable using your school’s library. Although students may already be in the library a few times a week, a read-a-thon will give them some extra time to explore. 

Hosting a read-a-thon can encourage students to use the library as a safe space to hang out and work on homework, too! It may also give students a chance to get to know the librarians, who can be tremendous resources for students wanting to learn more about certain topics or foster an interest in reading different kinds of books.

Benefit 4: The earning potential of a read-a-thon

The exact numbers can vary based on the number of students you have, but there’s a lot of financial opportunity for schools that host read-a-thon fundraisers. Some of the essential steps to making sure your read-a-thon raises as much money as you need to achieve your goals:

• Get creative with how you promote your read-a-thon. For example, consider interviewing students about their favorite books and sharing their stories on social media. That way, potential donors can connect with the students and the fundraiser benefits.
  
  Another great way to creatively promote your read-a-thon is setting up displays at popular places. These displays can motivate students by showing them what the fundraiser is helping to raise money for. 
• Keep parents motivated and make sure they know how helpful it can be to have their children ask friends and family to pledge at family gatherings and social events. It can seem obvious to some people, but a little nudge can make a big difference in results, especially for parents of younger students.
• Gather contact information from people who donate so you can follow up with them during the collection phase of the event. It’s easy to lose track of things in the busyness of everyday life. That’s why reminding people what they pledged and how they can give can help make sure all those pledges turn into actual dollars to support your school! Booster Tech can make tracking and information gathering easier than ever.

Read-a-thons are a great way to encourage a love of reading and simultaneously raise money for your school. Planning ahead helps you make the most of this fundraiser!

Ready to get started?

If you’re interested in the ways a ‘Reading for Education’ fundraiser can benefit your school, there’s no better time to get started than the present. When you work with the MyBooster fundraising platform to plan and operate your read-a-thon, you’re taking the first step towards a successful school fundraiser.

Whether you’re a PTO/PTA pro or a fundraising novice, our team will ensure you and your volunteers can maximize the impact of this fundraiser to support your students.   Booster’s amazing customer service and help desk make the process even better!

To connect with us at Booster and ask any questions you may have about running a successful read-a-thon fundraiser, fill out our contact form here! We’ll reach out to you personally and make sure you get the support you need.